Sankhya Yoga
Chapter 2, Verses 42-44
yām imāṁ puṣpitāṁ vācaṁ
pravadanty-avipaścitaḥ
veda-vāda-ratāḥ pārtha
nānyad astīti vādinaḥ
kāmātmānaḥ svarga-parā
janma-karma-phala-pradām
kriyā-viśeṣa bahulāṁ
bhogaiśvarya gatiṁ prati
bhogaiśvarya prasaktānāṁ
tayāpahṛta cetasām
vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ
samādhau na vidhīyate
Flowery speech, O Paartha is uttered by the unwise who rejoice in the words
of the Vedas, declaring, “There is nothing superior to this!” They are full of desires and have Heaven as their goal. They teach rebirth as the result of actions and engage in various specific rites for the attainment of pleasure and power. Those who cling to pleasure and power are attracted by these teachings and are unable to develop the resolute will of a concentrated mind.
Many people say that the world is unreal. These people who believe that the only goal of life is to attain Heaven are ignorant of the Truth. They are so attached to the teaching of the four Vedas, that they use this teaching for their own personal gain. Krishna says, “People often talk, talk and talk using flowery speech. Don’t be bewildered when somebody just, ‘blah blah blah’. In this world, there are many wise and very knowledgeable people, but their knowledge is only based on books. They think that they know everything, just because they have mastered the books.” Here, Lord Krishna says, “O Paartha, the words which these people are saying are unwise, because they don’t really know about the Vedas. They are just taking what they have read in books and then they put it in nice words. But if they don’t have devotion, if they don’t have love and surrender to God, this is nothing. Whatever these people do, they do it for their own selfish gain. They only desire to reach Heaven.”
Do you know the saying, “an empty drum makes lots of noise”? Lord Krishna is referring to this. Many people can talk, talk, talk, but they don’t even know what they are talking about. They are very educated and intelligent, but they are not realised. They can give big lectures and use flowery speech. They can go on for hours talking, but their goal is completely different. Lord Krishna says, “These people are unwise. Don’t listen to them. They do not have single-pointed devotion to God. They are just here to criticise others. They are here to point their fingers at others. This is due to their own ignorance and their own imbalance. This is because they don’t have full faith in their own religion. That’s why they use words to divert the mind. And people who have similar interests will follow their advice.”
“They teach rebirth as the result of actions and engage in various specific rites for the attainment of pleasure and power.” Here you see that these are very self-centred and egoistic motives. When people are not doing things for God-Realisation, but only to attain material pleasures, they are not really wise. They are ignorant. These people
will always say that there is nothing higher than Heaven. They don’t even talk about God. They don’t even know God; they want only the fruits, the gifts which God will give them. But they don’t want God Himself. True knowledge is when you desire God
Himself. You look beyond the pleasures of the world. You look beyond the reality of this world. You do your dharma in this world, but you remain untouched by this world. This is what brings salvation and this is what men should strive for – to attain the Divine, attain the supreme goal of life.
When one becomes focused on realising God Consciousness, one is free. But if one hangs onto these words and desires worldly enjoyments and power, then the mind is far away from God. One can’t attain the Divine. There are so many people in the world – sometimes they can fill an entire stadium with people. But what are
their minds focused on? What are their goals? People who have this kind of mind will always run to the people who speak flowery words and attach themselves to the world of enjoyment; and they will lose themselves. For them it’s very difficult to realise God. Due to their ignorance, they will always be looking at outside things. But one has to look for the Divine within oneself.
“Those who cling to pleasure and power are attracted by these teachings and are unable to develop the resolute will of a concentrated mind.” Those people who are always focused on the outside goals, will only attain the goals of the outside. But the one who is seated within himself through yoga, through sadhana, through the love for God, will serve Him, love Him, develop this relationship with Him, first of all inside the heart. This one will be free.
Bhagavad Gita
