Gita 03.32 – Turning away from Krishna defeats the purpose of knowledge

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ye tv etad abhyasūyanto
nānutiṣṭhanti me matam
sarva-jñāna-vimūḍhāṁs tān
viddhi naṣṭān acetasaḥ (Bg 3.32)

Word-for-word:
ye — those; tu — however; etat — this; abhyasūyantaḥ — out of envy; na — do not; anutiṣṭhanti — regularly perform; me — My; matam — injunction; sarva-jñāna — in all sorts of knowledge; vimūḍhān — perfectly befooled; tān — they are; viddhi — know it well; naṣṭān — all ruined; acetasaḥ — without Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Translation:
But those who, out of envy, disregard these teachings and do not follow them regularly are to be considered bereft of all knowledge, befooled, and ruined in their endeavors for perfection.

Explanation:
In this verse, Kṛṣṇa instructs by contrast. In the previous verse, He described the reward that awaits those who put faith in His words; in this verse, He speaks of the destination—the fate—of those who do not.
ye tv etad abhyasūyanto: But those who, being envious,
nānutiṣṭhanti me matam: do not follow My instructions,
sarva-jñāna-vimūḍhāṁs tān: are deluded in all knowledge,
viddhi naṣṭān acetasaḥ: know them to be ruined, with their consciousness misdirected.

When we look towards the sun, we see its brilliant form, and we also see light all around us. But when we turn away from the sun, we see only shadows. And if we go further and further away from any source of light, we gradually enter deeper and deeper into darkness. In the same way that some people choose to turn their face away from the light, some also turn their face away from Kṛṣṇa—they are “acetasaḥ”.

We turn our face away from Him by refusing to put faith in Him. When we act as if Kṛṣṇa doesn’t exist, or as if He doesn’t matter, we stop living according to His words.

We may not be consciously envious of Kṛṣṇa, but when we defy His instructions, it is a sign that some envy is present. We envy His position as the authority in our lives, and we usurp that position by placing ourselves above Him—declaring, in effect, “Kṛṣṇa, You are not the authority—I am.”

This usurpation may not be conscious, but on a subconscious level, we make ourselves the ultimate authority in our lives. Of course, it is our life, and we must make decisions. Kṛṣṇa acknowledges our individual agency—even at the end of the Bhagavad-gītā, He says, yathecchasi tathā kuru (18.63): “Do as you wish.”

Yet, love means that we voluntarily subordinate our authority to Kṛṣṇa’s authority. That is the nature of love. We say we “fall in love,” not “climb in love.” When we are in love with someone, we do not place ourselves above them; rather, we submit ourselves to them. As the saying goes, “Your wish is my command.”

But those who lack faith—those who are envious (abhyasūyanto)—Kṛṣṇa says the result is sarva-jñāna-vimūḍhān. The word “mūḍha” means foolish; “vimūḍha” means especially or thoroughly deluded; and “sarva-jñāna-vimūḍhān” refers to those whose entire knowledge becomes deluded.

There is knowledge, and then there is the purpose of knowledge. When the purpose is lost, knowledge becomes either useless or even dangerous.

For example, a doctor may have expert knowledge of surgery, and that knowledge is certainly valuable. But if the doctor is extremely greedy, insensitive, or even sadistic, then instead of using that knowledge to remove infection and heal the patient, he may misuse it—perhaps even to steal organs. The knowledge is still present, but it is “acetasaḥ”—the consciousness is misdirected.

Instead of showing compassion and helping the patient, the doctor, driven by excessive greed, begins to see the patient merely as a money-minting machine. In such a case, the knowledge becomes not only defeated but also destructive.

Similarly, the purpose of life is to learn to love Kṛṣṇa. When we forget that purpose and try to act independently of Him—seeking pleasure without any connection to Him, pursuing enjoyment through matter simply because it fascinates us—then the very aim of our knowledge is lost.

The true purpose of knowledge is to bring us closer to Kṛṣṇa. As Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā 7.19: jñānavān māṁ prapadyate—“One who is truly wise surrenders unto Me.” Those who genuinely possess knowledge understand that surrendering to Kṛṣṇa is the culmination and perfection of all learning.

But for those who fail to understand this—because they have turned away from Kṛṣṇa—all their knowledge, in terms of its ultimate purpose, becomes frustrated. As Kṛṣṇa states: viddhi naṣṭān—know them to be lost.

In this world, there are many different people with various specializations, each possessing knowledge related to their field—and that knowledge is indeed useful. Some have developed technology, built bridges and airplanes, written books, composed poetry, and much more. However, the ultimate purpose of knowledge is to know the one who can take us beyond the cycle of birth and death—the one who can grant eternal life. The Upaniṣads declare:
tam eva viditvā ati mṛtyum eti nānyaḥ panthā vidyate ‘yanāya — “By knowing Him, one goes beyond death; there is no other way to transcend this world.”

Kṛṣṇa also refers to this principle in Bhagavad-gītā 4.9. The purpose of attaining lasting fulfillment, gaining spiritual happiness, and becoming liberated is lost for those who are acetasaḥ. No matter how much material knowledge they acquire or how many material achievements they accumulate, they remain deluded in their knowledge (jñāna-vimūḍhāṁ), because the true purpose of knowledge is forgotten.

Just as a person imprisoned in a jail may have all kinds of knowledge about the jail—its wall thickness, the type of tiles on the floor, the exact color of the ceiling—that knowledge is all well and good. But if the person does not focus on escaping the jail, then all that knowledge ultimately becomes useless.

Similarly, if we do not come to know Kṛṣṇa, we cannot escape material existence. And if we cannot transcend material existence, then the special opportunity that human life offers—the very purpose for which all our knowledge should be directed—is defeated and lost. In this sense, such individuals are “sarva-jñāna-vimūḍhān”.

Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate goal of knowledge, and when we turn away from Him, all our knowledge becomes confused, frustrated, and ultimately useless from the highest perspective.

Thank you.