BG 02.46 yavan artha udapane... cited

Expressions researched:
"All purposes served by a small well can at once be served by a great reservoir of water" |"all the purposes of the Vedas can be served to one who knows the purpose behind them" |"brahmanasya vijanatah" |"sarvatah samplutodake" |"tavan sarvesu vedesu" |"yavan artha udapane"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: "2.46" or "All purposes served by a small well can at once be served by a great reservoir of water" or "all the purposes of the Vedas can be served to one who knows the purpose behind them" or "brahmanasya vijanatah" or "sarvatah samplutodake" or "tavan sarvesu vedesu" or "yavan artha udapane"

BG Chapters 1 - 6

BG 2.46, Translation and Purport:

All purposes served by a small well can at once be served by a great reservoir of water. Similarly, all the purposes of the Vedas can be served to one who knows the purpose behind them.

The rituals and sacrifices mentioned in the karma-kāṇḍa division of the Vedic literature are meant to encourage gradual development of self-realization. And the purpose of self-realization is clearly stated in the Fifteenth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā (15.15): the purpose of studying the Vedas is to know Lord Kṛṣṇa, the primeval cause of everything. So, self-realization means understanding Kṛṣṇa and one's eternal relationship with Him. The relationship of the living entities with Kṛṣṇa is also mentioned in the Fifteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā (15.7). The living entities are parts and parcels of Kṛṣṇa; therefore, revival of Kṛṣṇa consciousness by the individual living entity is the highest perfectional stage of Vedic knowledge. This is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.33.7) as follows:

aho bata śva-paco 'to garīyān

yaj-jihvāgre vartate nāma tubhyam

tepus tapas te juhuvuḥ sasnur āryā

brahmānūcur nāma gṛṇanti ye te

"O my Lord, a person who is chanting Your holy name, although born of a low family like that of a caṇḍāla (dog-eater), is situated on the highest platform of self-realization. Such a person must have performed all kinds of penances and sacrifices according to Vedic rituals and studied the Vedic literatures many, many times after taking his bath in all the holy places of pilgrimage. Such a person is considered to be the best of the Āryan family.

So one must be intelligent enough to understand the purpose of the Vedas, without being attached to the rituals only, and must not desire to be elevated to the heavenly kingdoms for a better quality of sense gratification. It is not possible for the common man in this age to follow all the rules and regulations of the Vedic rituals, nor is it possible to study all of the Vedānta and the Upaniṣads thoroughly. It requires much time, energy, knowledge and resources to execute the purposes of the Vedas. This is hardly possible in this age. The best purpose of Vedic culture is served, however, by chanting the holy name of the Lord, as recommended by Lord Caitanya, the deliverer of all fallen souls. When Lord Caitanya was asked by a great Vedic scholar, Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, why He, the Lord, was chanting the holy name of the Lord like a sentimentalist instead of studying Vedānta philosophy, the Lord replied that His spiritual master had found Him to be a great fool and thus asked Him to chant the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa. He did so, and became ecstatic like a madman. In this Age of Kali, most of the population is foolish and not adequately educated to understand Vedānta philosophy; the best purpose of Vedānta philosophy is served by inoffensively chanting the holy name of the Lord. Vedānta is the last word in Vedic wisdom, and the author and knower of the Vedānta philosophy is Lord Kṛṣṇa; and the highest Vedāntist is the great soul who takes pleasure in chanting the holy name of the Lord. That is the ultimate purpose of all Vedic mysticism.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.46-47 -- New York, March 28, 1966:

We should not be stuck up to the rituals or to the formulas of the... Of course, in the preliminary stages we require to stick to the formulas of religious scriptures. But we must know that the whole idea is targeted to understand my real position. That is the whole idea of all scriptures. In the Bhagavad-gītā it has been very nicely described, yāvān artha udapāne tāvān samplutodake.

yāvān artha udapāne

sarvataḥ samplutodake

tāvān sarveṣu vedeṣu

brāhmaṇasya vijānataḥ

(BG 2.46)

Brāhmaṇasya vijānataḥ. One who knows the constitution of the soul, he is called brāhmaṇa. Because the soul is Brahman. Soul is not matter. So one who knows the constitution of the soul, he is called brāhmaṇa. We have already discussed this matter, that brāhmaṇa does not mean a particular class or born in a particular country. A brāhmaṇa means who knows the position of the soul, or the constitution of the soul. He is brāhmaṇa.

Lecture on BG 2.46-62 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1968:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "All purposes that are served by the small pond can at once be served by the great reservoirs of water. Similarly, all the purposes of the Vedas can be served to one who knows the purpose behind them." (BG 2.46)

Prabhupāda: Now try to understand this. The long-standing system in India in the villages... India is originally village life. City life very few. Perhaps there was only big city, New Delhi now. In those days Hastināpura, and next to that was Dvārakā. So very big city, they were only two or three. Mostly people used to live in villages. Still ninety percent population of India is in the village. So in the village, the system is they have different kinds of wells. One well is meant for taking bath, one well is meant for washing clothes, one well is meant for taking drinking water, one well is meant for washing dishes. So in this way, in the villages there shall be half a dozen wells.