2.42 Flowery words Krishna speaks

यामिमां पुष्पितां वाचं प्रवदन्त्यविपश्चितः
वेदवादरताः पार्थ नान्यदस्तीति वादिनः

yāmimāṁ puṣhpitāṁ vāchaṁ pravadanty-avipaśhchitaḥ
veda-vāda-ratāḥ pārtha nānyad astīti vādinaḥ
kāmātmānaḥ swarga-parā janma-karma-phala-pradām
kriyā-viśheṣha-bahulāṁ bhogaiśhwarya-gatiṁ prati

Those of small understanding speak flowery words, delighting in the letter of the scriptures, and say there is nothing more —

Explanation

Flowery words.

Those of small understanding delight in the letter of the scriptures and say there is nothing more.

The Gita is being rude about scriptural literalism, from inside scripture. And note the specific charge: not that they read the texts but that they think the reading exhausts them.

Word by word

yām imām: all these
puṣhpitām: flowery
vācham: words
pravadanti: speak
avipaśhchitaḥ: those with limited understanding
veda-vāda-ratāḥ: attached to the flowery words of the Vedas
pārtha: Arjun, the son of Pritha
na anyat: no other
asti: is
iti: thus
vādinaḥ: advocate
kāma-ātmānaḥ: desirous of sensual pleasure
swarga-parāḥ: aiming to achieve the heavenly planets
janma-karma-phala: high birth and fruitive results
pradāṁ: awarding
kriyā-viśheṣha: pompous ritualistic ceremonies
bahulām: various
bhoga: gratification
aiśhwarya: luxury
gatim: progress
prati: toward