Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 46

यावानर्थ उदपाने सर्वतः सम्प्लुतोदके । तावान्सर्वेषु वेदेषु ब्राह्मणस्य विजानतः

yāvānartha udapāne sarvataḥ samplutodake | tāvānsarveṣu vedeṣu brāhmaṇasya vijānataḥ

Translation

What utility there is in a reservoir (as compared) with an all-spreading flood of water, the same (utility) there is in all Vedas for an enlightened Brāhmaṇa.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

yāvān

as much

arthaḥ

use

udapāne

in a small pool

sarvataḥ

everywhere

samplutodake

(in the state of a place being) flooded, (in, i.e., with) water

tāvān

so much

sarveṣu

(in) all

vedeṣu

in the Vedas

brāhmaṇasya

of the Brāhmaṇa

vijānataḥ

(of) learned

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

What use is a small reservoir when the all-spreading flood of water is present? Just so, what use are all the Vedas — i.e., the ritualistic portions of the Vedas, productive of specific finite results — for the Brāhmaṇa who knows the Brahman, the All? The known Brahman includes within Itself the totality of every limited end pursued by ritual. The verse does not disparage the Vedas; it disparages reliance on their lower fruits once the higher reality is realized.