Chapter 4 Verse 4
Jñāna Karm Sanyās Yog
अर्जुन उवाच अपरं भवतो जन्म परं जन्म विवस्वतः। कथमेतद्विजानीयां त्वमादौ प्रोक्तवानिति।।4.4।।
arjuna uvācha aparaṁ bhavato janma paraṁ janma vivasvataḥ katham etad vijānīyāṁ tvam ādau proktavān iti
Word Meanings
| arjunaḥ uvācha | Arjun said |
| aparam | later |
| bhavataḥ | your |
| janma | birth |
| param | prior |
| janma | birth |
| vivasvataḥ | Vivasvan, the sun-god |
| katham | how |
| etat | this |
| vijānīyām | am I to understand |
| tvam | you |
| ādau | in the beginning |
| proktavān | taught |
| iti | thus |
Translation
Arjuna said, "Later was Thy birth, and prior to it was the birth of Vivasvan (the Sun); how am I to understand that Thou hast taught this Yoga from the beginning?"
Philosophical Significance
Core Meaning
Arjuna notices a puzzle: if Krishna was born later, how could He have taught the same spiritual truth "in the beginning" to Vivasvan (the Sun)? The question points to the difference between a physical birth and the timeless nature of true wisdom.
The verse suggests that the teaching is not tied only to one human life. Spiritual knowledge is eternal and can be revealed whenever a realized being appears. An incarnation may take a human form at a time, but the truth it brings is prior to and beyond that form.
In plain terms: the source of the teaching is deeper than birth and death. What matters is the living truth you can follow and realize, not the dates of births in history.
Life Application
- Treat spiritual teachings as practical, timeless guidance rather than only historical stories — focus on their effect in your life now.
- Seek regular practice (study, reflection, meditation) so the timeless wisdom becomes your lived experience, not just information.
- Respect teachers and traditions, but also look inward to test teachings by how they change your heart and actions.
Reflection Question
Do I look for truth mainly in external authorities, or do I allow practices to show their truth inside me?