BhG 2.46

syntax

udapāne (in a well) yāvān (as much) arthaḥ (value) [siddhaḥ bhavati] (is gained),
sarvataḥ (from all sides) saṁplutodake (in inundating water) tāvān (that much) [arthaḥ siddhaḥ bhavati] (value is gained).
[tadvat] (similarly) sarveṣu (in all) vedeṣu (in the Vedas) [yāvān arthaḥ siddhaḥ bhavati] (as much value is gained),
[tavan arthaḥ] (that much value) vijānataḥ (of one who understands) brāhmaṇasya (of a brāhmaṇa) [siddhaḥ bhavati] (is gained).

grammar

yāvān	–	yāvat 1n.1 m. – as much, to which extent (correlative of: tāvat);
arthaḥ	–	artha 1n.1 m. – purpose, advantage, concern, object, wealth (from: √arth – to strive to obtain, to desire, to request);
udapāne	–	uda-pāna 7n.1 n. – in a well, in a pond (from: uda – in compounds: water = udaka; pāna – drinking, drinking vessel);
sarvataḥ	–	av. from all sides, everywhere, entirely (from: sarva – all, whole; indeclinable ablative with an ending -tas);
saṁplutodake	–	saṁpluta-udaka 7n.1 n. – in an overflowing water, in a big lake (from: sam-√plu – to inundate, PP saṁpluta – flooded over, filled with, flowed together; udaka – water);
tāvān	–	tāvat 1n.1 m. – that much, to that extent;
sarveṣu	–	sarva sn. 7n.3 m. – in all;
vedeṣu	–	veda 7n.3 m. – in the Vedas (√vid – to know, to understand);
brāhmaṇasya	–	brāhmaṇa 6n.1 m. – of a brāhmaṇa (from: √bṛh – to increase, brahman – spirit, the Vedas);
vijānataḥ	–	vijānant (vi-jñā – to understand) PPr 6n.1 m. – of one who understands;

textual variants

udapāne → udak-pāne (in a drink flowing north or upwards);
vedeṣu → bhuteṣu (in creatures);
brāhmaṇasya → brāhmaṇyasya (suitable for a brāhmaṇa, collection of brahmaṇas);

Śāṃkara

The key:
an excerpt from the commented verse
quotes from the scriptures
starting polemic

Karma-Yoga. (Question): – If all those endless advantages which are said to result from the Vedic rituals are not to be sought after, to what end are they to be performed and dedicated to the Īśvara? (Answer): – Listen to what follows:		sarveṣu vedokteṣu karmasu yāny uktāny anantāni phalāni tāni nāpekṣyante cet, kim arthaṃ tāni īśvarāyety anuṣṭhīyante ity ucyate | śṛṇu –
What utility there is in a reservoir (as compared) with an all-spreading flood of water, the same (utility) there is in all Vedas for an enlightened Brāhmana.		yāvān artha udapāne sarvataḥ saṃplutodake | tāvān sarveṣu vedeṣu brāhmaṇasya vijānataḥ ||2.46||
Whatever utility – of bathing, drinking, and the like – Is served by a well, a tank, and many other small reservoirs of water &c., all that utility is only as much as the utility which is served by an all-spreading flood of water; that is, the former utility is comprehended in the latter		yathā loke kūpa-taḍāgādy-anekasmin udapāne paricchinnodake yāvān yāvat-parimāṇaḥ snāna-pānādir arthaḥ phalaṃ prayojanaṃ sa sarvo ’rthaḥ sarvataḥ saṃplutodake ’pi yo ’rthaḥ tāvān eva saṃpadyate, tatra antarbhavatīty arthaḥ |
So also, whatever utility there is in all the Vedic ritual, all that is. comprehended in the utility of the right knowledge possessed by a Brāhmaṇa who has renounced the world and has completely realized the truth concerning the Absolute Reality; this knowledge corresponding to the all-spreading flood of water.		evaṃ tāvān tāvat-parimāṇa eva saṃpadyate sarveṣu vedeṣu vedokteṣu karmasu yo ’rthaḥ yat karma-phalaṃ so ’rthaḥ brāhmaṇasya saṃnyāsinaḥ paramārtha-tattvaṃ vijānataḥ yo ’rthaḥ yat vijñāna-phalaṃ sarvataḥ saṃplutodaka-sthānīyaṃ tasmin tāvān eva saṃpadyate tatraivāntarbhavatīty arthaḥ |
The śruti says: – „Whatever good thing is done by people, all that is possessed by him who knows what he (Raikva) knew.” (Chanḍ-up. 4.1.4).		yathā kṛtāya vijitāyādhareyāḥ saṃyanty evam enaṃ sarvaṃ tad abhisameti yat kiṃcit prajāḥ sādhu kurvanti | yas tad veda yat sa veda (Chanḍ-up. 4.1.4) iti śruteḥ |
The same thing will also be said here (4.33).		sarvaṃ karmākhilam (BhG 4.33) iti ca vakṣyati |
Wherefore! , for a man who is qualified for works it is necessary to perform works (which stand in the place of wells and tanks) before he becomes fit for the path of knowledge.		tasmāt prāk jñāna-niṣṭhādhikāra-prāpteḥ karmaṇy adhikṛtena kūpa-taḍāgādy-artha-sthānīyam api karma kartavyam ||2.46||

Rāmānuja

na ca vedoditaṃ sarvaṃ sarvasyopādeyam | yathā sarvārtha-parikalpite sarvataḥ saṃplutodake udapāne pipāsor yāvān arthaḥ yāvad eva prayojanaṃ pānīyam tāvad eva tenopādīyate, na sarvam | evam sarveṣu vedeṣu brāhmaṇasya vijānataḥ vaidikasya mumukṣor yad eva mokṣa-sādhanaṃ tad evopādeyam, nānyat

Śrīdhara

nanu vedokta-nānā-phala-tyāgena niṣāmatayeśvarārādhana-viṣayā vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ kubuddhir evety āśaḍkyāha yāvān iti | udakaṃ pīyate yasmiṃs tad udapānaṃ vāpī-kūpa-taḍāg-ādi | tasmin svalpodaka ekatra kṛtsnārthasyāsambhavāt tatra tatra paribhramaṇena vibhāgaśo yāvān snāna-pānādir arthaḥ prayojanaṃ bhavati tāvān sarvo ‚py arthaḥ sarvataḥ saṃplutodake mahā-hrade ekatraiva yathā bhavati | evaṃ yāvān sarveṣu vedeṣu tat-tat-karma-phala-rūpo ‚rthas tāvān sarvo ‚pi vijānato vyavasāyātmikā-buddhi-yuktasya brāhmaṇasya brahma-niṣṭhasya bhavaty eva | brahmānande kṣudānandānām antarbhāvāt | etasyaivānandasyānyāni bhūtāni mātrām upajīvanti iti śruteḥ | tasmād iyam eva subuddhir ity arthaḥ

Madhusūdana

na caivaṃ śaṅkanīyaṃ sarva-kāmanā-parityāgena karma kurvann ahaṃ tais taiḥ karma-janitair ānandair vañcitaḥ syām iti | yasmāt yāvān iti | udapāne kṣudra-jalāśaye | jātāv eka-vacanam | yāvān artho yāvat-snāna-pānādi-prayojanaṃ bhavati sarvataḥ saṃplutodake mahati jalāśaye tāvān artho bhavaty eva | yathā hi parvata-nirjharāḥ sarvataḥ sravantaḥ kvacid upatyakāyām ekatra milanti tatra pratyekaṃ jāyamānam udaka-prayojanaṃ samudite sutarāṃ bhavati sarveṣāṃ nirjharāṇām ekatraiva kāsāre ‚ntarbhāvāt | evaṃ sarveṣu vedeṣu vedokteṣu kāmya-karmasu yāvān artho hairaṇyagarbhānanda-paryantas tāvān vijānato brahma-tattvaṃ sākṣāt-kṛtavato brāhmaṇasya brahma-bubhūṣor bhavaty eva | kṣudānandānām brahmānandāṃśatvāt tatra kṣudrānandānām antarbhāvāt | etasyaivānandasyānyāni bhūtāni mātrām upajīvanti iti śruteḥ | ekasyāpy ānandasyāvidyā-kalpita-tat-tad-upādhi-paricchedam ādāyāṃśāṃśivad vyapadeśa ākāśasyeva ghaṭādy-avaccheda-kalpanayā |
tathā ca niṣkāma-karmabhiḥ śuddhāntaḥ-karaṇasya tavātma-jñānodaye para-brahmānanda-prāptiḥ syāt tathaiva ca sarvānanda-prāptau na kṣudrānanda-prāpti-nibandhana-vaiyagryāvakāśaḥ | ataḥ paramānanda-prāpakāya tattva-jñānāya niṣkāma-karmāṇi kurv ity abhiprāyaḥ | atra yathā tathā bhavatīti-pada-trayādhyāhāro yāvāṃs tāvān iti pada-dvayānuṣaṅgaś ca dārṣṭāntike draṣṭavyaḥ

Viśvanātha

hanta kiṃ vaktavyaṃ niṣkāmasya nirguṇasya bhaktiyogasya māhātmyaṃ yasyaivārambhaṇa-mātre ‚pi nāśa-pratyavāyau na staḥ | svalpa-mātreṇāpi kṛtārthatety ekādaśe ‚py uddhavāyāpi vakṣyate –
na hy aṅgopakrame dhvaṃso
mad-dharmasyoddhavāṇv api |
mayā vyavasitaḥ samyaṅ
nirguṇatvād anāśiṣaḥ || iti | [BhP 11.29.20]
kintu sa-kāmo bhakti-yogo ‚pi vyavasāyātmika-buddhi-śabdenocyate | iti dṛṣṭāntena sādhayati yāvān iti | udapāna iti jātyaika-vacanam udapāneṣu kūpeṣu | yāvān artha iti kaścit kūpaḥ śauca-karmārthakaḥ, kaścid dānta-dhāvanārthakaḥ, kaścid vastra-dhāvanādy-arthakaḥ, kaścit keśādi-mārjanārthakaḥ, kaścit snānārthakaḥ, kaścit pānārthaka ity evaṃ sarvataḥ sarveṣudapāneṣu yāvān artho yāvanti prayojanānīty arthaḥ tasmin ekasminn eva śaucādi-karma-siddheḥ | kiṃ ca, tat-tat-kūpeṣu pṛthak pṛthak paribhramaṇa-śrameṇa, sarovare tu taṃ vinaiva | tathā kūpeṣu virasa-jalena sarovare tu surama-jalenaivety api viśeṣo draṣṭavyaḥ | evaṃ sarveṣu vedeṣu tat-tad-devatārādhanena yāvanto ‚rthās tāvanta ekasya bhagavad-ārādhanena vijānato vijñasya brāhmaṇasyeti brahma vedaṃ bettīti brahmaṇas tasya vijānato vedajñatve ‚pi veda-tātparyaṃ bhaktiṃ viśeṣato jānataḥ | yathā dvitīya-skandhe –
brahma-varcasa-kāmas tu yajeta brahmaṇaḥ patim |
indram indriya-kāmas tu prajā-kāmaḥ prajāpatim || [BhP 2.3.2]
daivīṃ māyāṃ tu śrī-kāmaḥ ity ādy-uktyā,
akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ |
tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena yajeta puruṣaṃ param || [BhP 2.3.10]
iti meghādy-amiśrasya saura-kiraṇasya tīvratvam iva bhaktiyogasya jñāna-karmādy-amiśratvaṃ tīvratvaṃ jñeyam | atra bahubhyo bahu-kāma-siddhir iti sarvathā bahu-buddhitvam eva | ekasmād bhagavata eva sarva-kāma-siddhir ity aṃśenaika-buddhitvād eka-buddhitvam eva viṣaya-sādguṇyāj jñeyam

Baladeva

mami sarvān vedān adhīyānasya bahu-kāla-vyayād bahu-vikṣepa-sambhavāc ca kathaṃ tad-buddher abhudayas tatrāha yāvān iti | sarvataḥ samplutodaketi | vistīrṇe udapāne jalāśaye snānādy-arthino yāvān snāna-pānādir arthaḥ prayojanaṃ tāvān eva sa tena tasmāt sampadyate | evaṃ sarveṣu sopaniṣatsu vedeṣu brāhmaṇasya vedādhyāyino vijānata ātma-yāthātmya-jñānaṃ labdhu-kāmasya yāvān taj-jñāna-siddhi-lakṣaṇo ‚rthaḥ syāt tāvān eva tena tebhyaḥ sampādyate ity arthaḥ | tathā ca sva-śākhayaiva sopaniṣadācireṇaiva tat siddhau tad buddhir abhudiyād eveti | iha dārṣṭāntike ‚pi yāvāṃs tāvān iti pada-dvayam anuṣañjanīyam