Acharya Prashant addresses the prevalence of 'Karmakand' (rituals) despite the clarity of the Gita and Vedas. He explains that people have not truly read or understood the scriptures. Even if they hear the words, the knowledge does not stick because their minds are preoccupied with desires. He quotes Shri Krishna, saying that where there is a deep-seated craving for pleasure, there is no room for liberating knowledge. He asserts that 'Karmakand' is one of the biggest reasons for India's downfall. He gives an example of people believing that performing fire rituals ('yagya' or 'havan') produces oxygen, citing a baseless story about the Bhopal gas tragedy. He clarifies that burning, or oxidation, consumes oxygen and produces pollutants like carbon dioxide, which is the opposite of what is claimed. He laments that Hinduism, in particular, has become a religion of rituals, and the worst part is the attempt to give these nonsensical practices a scientific basis, such as claiming cow dung can block nuclear radiation. Acharya Prashant explains that this issue existed even in Shri Krishna's time, which is why Krishna advised Arjun to transcend even the parts of the Vedas related to desire and attachment. He told Arjun to abandon not just personal desires but also the desires prescribed in the Vedas. He concludes that India's pathetic state is because it was deprived of both spirituality (by ignoring Vedanta and the Upanishads for rituals) and science (by believing material prosperity comes from rituals instead of actual work). He states that the true meaning of Sanatana Dharma is Vedanta, and everything else should be abandoned. He further clarifies that both the worldly person ('sansari') and the ritualist ('karmakandi') are essentially the same, as both seek happiness through action. However, the worldly person's actions might yield some material benefit, whereas the ritualist's actions, being based on self-deception, yield nothing, not even material gain. He emphasizes that knowledge is not mere recitation but understanding the meaning. While some rituals can be useful as symbols, they are worthless without understanding their true meaning.