Under the BanyanOld stories, illustrated and annotated

Bhagavad Gita 2.46

Chapter 2, verse 46

Meaning

When water floods in on every side, a small well adds little. In the same way, for someone who truly knows the Absolute, the Vedas' reward-seeking rites add little more.

The Sanskrit

यावानर्थ उदपाने सर्वतः सम्प्लुतोदके ।
तावान्सर्वेषु वेदेषु ब्राह्मणस्य विजानतः ॥ ४६ ॥

yāvān artha udapāne sarvataḥ saṃplutodake
tāvān sarveṣu vedeṣu brāhmaṇasya vijānataḥ

Say it

yaa-vaan ur-thuh oo-duh-paa-nay sur-vuh-tuh-hu sum-ploo-to-duh-kay
taa-vaan sur-vay-shoo vay-day-shoo braah-muh-nus-yuh vi-jaa-nuh-tuh-hu

Word by word

yāvān arthaḥ
as much use as there is
udapāne
in a small well or water tank
sarvataḥ saṃpluta-udake
when water is flooding everywhere
tāvān
that much (and no more)
sarveṣu vedeṣu
in all the Vedas
brāhmaṇasya vijānataḥ
for one who truly knows the Absolute (Brahman)
Read it in context: verses 2.45–48Your work is yours, the fruit is notWith the story so far, commentary, and today's lesson: Own the effort, release the scoreboard

Another translation and audio recitation: verse 2.46 on holy-bhagavad-gita.org.