Bhagavad-gītā 4.1
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
श्री भगवानुवाच इमं विवस्वते योगं प्रोक्तवानहमव्ययम्। विवस्वान् मनवे प्राह मनुरिक्ष्वाकवेऽब्रवीत्।।4.1।।
śhrī bhagavān uvācha imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣhvākave ’bravīt
I told this imperishable Yoga to Vivasvat; Vivasvat told it to Manu; (and) Manu told it to Ikshvâku:
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| śhrī-bhagavān uvācha | the Supreme Lord Shree Krishna said |
| imam | this |
| vivasvate | to the Sun-god |
| yogam | the science of Yog |
| proktavān | taught |
| aham | I |
| avyayam | eternal |
| vivasvān | Sun-god |
| manave | to Manu, the original progenitor of humankind |
| prāha | told |
| manuḥ | Manu |
| ikṣhvākave | to Ikshvaku, first king of the Solar dynasty |
| abravīt | instructed |
Read the Sanskrit as a connected thought built from śhrī-bhagavān uvācha (the Supreme Lord Shree Krishna said), avyayam (eternal), and abravīt (instructed). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to knowledge that purifies action. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 4.1.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Follow the links among teaching lineage, divine appearance, action, knowledge, sacrifice and the teacher–student relationship.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
I told this imperishable Yoga to Vivasvat
- 2
Vivasvat told it to Manu
- 3
(and) Manu told it to Ikshvâku
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 4.1, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 4.1 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 4.1 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 4.1 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 4.1, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
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