Shloka 23
Dharma, Purity, and the Inner Purpose of the Vedas
Karma-kāṇḍa Reoriented to Bhakti
फलश्रुतिरियं नृणां न श्रेयो रोचनं परम् । श्रेयोविवक्षया प्रोक्तं यथा भैषज्यरोचनम् ॥ २३ ॥
phala-śrutir iyaṁ nṝṇāṁ na śreyo rocanaṁ param śreyo-vivakṣayā proktaṁ yathā bhaiṣajya-rocanam
Les passages scripturaires promettant des récompenses ne prescrivent pas le bien suprême de l’homme; ils ne sont qu’un appât pour accomplir des devoirs dharmiques salutaires, comme promettre des friandises pour faire prendre un remède à un enfant.
In the previous verse Lord Kṛṣṇa stated that persons absorbed in sense gratification certainly deviate from the real purpose of human life. But since the Vedas themselves promise heavenly sense gratification as the result of sacrifice and austerity, how can such promotion to heaven be considered a deviation from the goal of life? The Lord here explains that the fruitive rewards offered in religious scriptures are merely inducements, like candy that is used to induce a child to take medicine. It is actually the medicine that is beneficial, and not the candy. Similarly, in fruitive sacrifices it is the worship of Lord Viṣṇu that is beneficial, not the fruitive reward itself. According to Bhagavad-gītā, those professing fruitive rewards to be the ultimate goal of religious scripture are certainly less intelligent fools inimical to the purpose of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord desires that all conditioned souls be purified and come back home, back to Godhead, for an eternal life of bliss and knowledge. One who opposes the Lord’s purpose in the name of religiosity is certainly bewildered about the purpose of life.
FAQs
This verse explains that phalaśruti is often given as an encouraging aid, not as the ultimate goal; it is meant to lead people toward true śreyas (real spiritual welfare).
Krishna is clarifying how scriptural incentives work: they help conditioned souls accept beneficial practices, just as medicine is made palatable so it will be taken.
Use initial motivations (peace, prosperity, relief) as a starting point, but consciously progress toward the deeper aim—purification, devotion, and liberation—rather than stopping at temporary rewards.