Misuse through beliefs opposed to Vedic faith
Misuse of Vedic knowledge: Bhagavad Gita 2.42-43
Misuse through beliefs opposed to Vedic faith may be inconclusive not those conforming to it. But even among followers of Vedic faith, some hold that all the karmis taught and prescribed in the Vedas have only heaVenly rewards as their aim.
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
Men of small knowledge are very much attached to the flowery words of the Vedas, which recommend various fruitive activities for elevation to heavenly planets, resultant good birth, power, and so forth. Being desirous of sense gratification and opulent life, they say that there is nothing more than this.
Gita bhashya by Sri Madhvacharya:
You hold the view that only Kamyakarmas have heavenly rewards as their fruit and that Niskama-Karmas carried out in a spirit of dedication to God. Pave the way for knowledge of God and thereby to Moksa. In the circumstances, how can I accept your opinion against that of the others?
Answering this point, the Lord censures the position of those who uphold the superficial view of Vedic teaching in the following words :1 “The flowery words they utter”. The expression “yam” in Ver. 42 goes with ‘taya’ in ver. 44. “They utter flowery words” means they wax eloquent over, heavenly rewards of Karma, which in comparison with the Supreme ‘fruit’ of Moksa are far less important. like ‘flOWers’ of the tree of Vedic teaching. ‘Vedavadaratah’ means those who delight in the superficial sense of Vedic prescriptions of ‘difierent karmas.
[The term ‘Vedavadaratah‘ should be understood as laying exclusive emphasis on their attitude that they fail to see the higher side of Vedic teaching]. They delight only in such statements and proclaim that Vedic teaching has no higher purpose or objective. But in truth, the Vedas every where speak of the Supreme Lord. for the most part in esoteric language They have thus an esoteric (hidden) subject matter also. We find this stated in “The Devas take delight sometime in the hidden (sense)” 1“The mandatory texts of the Vedas prescribe sacrifices’ as My worship. The hymns in praise of Indra and other gods are primarily addressed to Me” (Bhdg XI. 21, 43)- “Bhogaivsaryagatim prati” means these superficial followers/of Vedic teaching hold that the Vedas have the attainment of heavenly power and enjoyment alone as their objective.
Gita bhashya by Sri Ramanujacharya:
42. Flowery speech, O Partha is uttered by the unwise who rejoice in the words of the Vedas, declaring “there is nothing superior to this”!
The ignorant, having little understanding, and being motivated only by the attainment of pleasure and power, speak grandiloquent language consisting of ‘flowers’ only and no fruit; appearing very impressive but lacking substance. They delight in talking about the Vedas — they are attached to heaven and such other results [promised in the Karma-khāṇḍa section of the Vedas] and thus they consider that there is nothing else, that is, owing to their intense attachment to these results, they declare that there is no goal superior to heaven etc.
kāmātmānaḥ svarga-parā janma-karma-phala-pradām |
kriyā-viśeṣa bahulāṁ bhogaiśvarya gatiṁ prati || 43 ||
They are full of desires and have heaven for their goal. They teach rebirth as the result of
actions and engage in various specific rites for the attainment of pleasure and power.
Purport by Srila Prabhupada: misuse of vedic knowledge
People in general are not very intelligent, and due to their ignorance they are most attached to the fruitive activities recommended in the karma-kāṇḍa portions of the Vedas. They do not want anything more than sense gratificatory proposals for enjoying life in heaven, where wine and women are available and material opulence is very common. In the Vedas many sacrifices are recommended for elevation to the heavenly planets, especially the Jyotiṣṭoma sacrifices.
In fact, it is stated that anyone desiring elevation to heavenly planets must perform these sacrifices, and men with a poor fund of knowledge think that this is the whole purpose of Vedic wisdom. It is very difficult for such inexperienced persons to be situated in the determined action of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As fools are attached to the flowers of poisonous trees without knowing the results of such attractions, unenlightened men are similarly attracted by such heavenly opulence and the sense enjoyment thereof.
In the karma-kāṇḍa section of the Vedas it is said, apāma somam amṛtā abhūma and akṣayyaṁ ha vai cāturmāsya-yājinaḥ sukṛtaṁ bhavati. In other words, those who perform the four-month penances become eligible to drink the soma-rasa beverages to become immortal and happy forever.
Even on this earth some are very eager to have soma-rasa to become strong and fit to enjoy sense gratifications. Such persons have no faith in liberation from material bondage, and they are very much attached to the pompous ceremonies of Vedic sacrifices and thus misuse its knowledge. They are generally sensual, and they do not want anything other than the heavenly pleasures of life. Veda Base source here:
It is understood that there are gardens called Nandana-kānana in which there is good opportunity for association with angelic, beautiful women and having a profuse supply of soma-rasa wine. Such bodily happiness is certainly sensual; therefore there are those who are purely attached to such material, temporary happiness, as lords of the material world.
Hare Krishna 🙏
Read Long Live The Lord! – 4000 Divya Prabandham online for free here!
More information on 4000 Divya Prabandham english lyrics and translation/meaning can be found here.
Find more to read here at https://books.bvks.com/
