The Song Of Life: 28. To One Aware What More Vedas Can? Poem by Aniruddha Pathak

Given water, water everywhere,
What value is pot-ful water?
To a Brahmin knowing his Self well,
What worth Vedic scriptures would spell? || 2.46 ||

Here is the transliteration with the meanings of Sanskrit words:

yāvān artha udapāne sarvatah samplutah-udake |
tāvān sarveśhu vedeśhu brāhmaņasya vijānatah ||

yāvān: as much, so much; arthah: value, meaningfulness, use; udapāne: in a small volume of water in a vessel; sarvatah: everywhere, on all side; sampluta-: over-flowing; udake: in water, in lake/well etc; tāvān: that much, so much; sarveśhu: in all; vedeśhu: in the Vedas; brāhmaņasya: of a Brahmin, of one who knows Brahman; vijānatah: one knowing well, wise (one knowning the self) .

Note:This verse, among the trickiest, is interpreted by many in many different ways. The version given here I think is most relevant.

Knowledge of Vedas (compared to water in a well)of course is blissful, meaningful. But when you reach a state of ‘bliss beyond' (knowledge of Brahman, Self) , it is like getting a huge reservoir of water.

Topic: ocean, water