परोक्षवादो वेदोऽयं बालानामनुशासनम् । कर्ममोक्षाय कर्माणि विधत्ते ह्यगदं यथा ॥ ४४ ॥
parokṣa-vādo vedo ’yaṁ bālānām anuśāsanam karma-mokṣāya karmāṇi vidhatte hy agadaṁ yathā
- parokṣa-vādaḥ
- describing a situation as something else in order to disguise its real nature
- vedaḥ
- Vedas
- ayam
- these
- bālānām
- of childlike persons
- anuśāsanam
- guidance
- karma-mokṣāya
- for liberation from material activities
- karmāṇi
- material activities
- vidhatte
- prescribe
- hi
- indeed
- agadam
- a medicine
- yathā
- just as
Childish and foolish people are attached to materialistic, fruitive activities, although the actual goal of life is to become free from such activities. Therefore, the Vedic injunctions indirectly lead one to the path of ultimate liberation by first prescribing fruitive religious activities, just as a father promises his child candy so that the child will take his medicine.