Chapter 2 Verse 46

To the Brahmana who has known the Self, all the Vedas are of as much use as a reservoir of water would be in a place where there is a flood.

Core Meaning

The verse says that when someone truly knows their inner Self, all external scriptures and rules lose their hold. The Vedas are like a water tank in a place flooded by a river — useful in ordinary times, but needless in the flood of direct knowing.

This is not a dismissal of learning; it means that books and rituals are meant to help us reach inner truth. Once we have direct experience of who we are, we act from that clarity instead of following rules out of habit or fear.

Spiritually, the teaching points to inner freedom: real wisdom changes how you live. It makes rituals, texts, and labels secondary to the lived experience of presence and compassion.

Life Application

• Use teachings and practices (study, prayer, ritual) as tools to deepen self-awareness, not as ends in themselves.
• When making choices, check whether you are following a rule or responding from clear inner knowing; favor the latter.
• Let learning lead to humility and service, not pride in correct forms or external markers.

Reflection Question

Do I rely more on rules and labels, or on quiet inner knowing when I decide and act?