Bhagavad-gītā 4.5
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
श्री भगवानुवाच बहूनि मे व्यतीतानि जन्मानि तव चार्जुन। तान्यहं वेद सर्वाणि न त्वं वेत्थ परन्तप।।4.5।।
śhrī bhagavān uvācha bahūni me vyatītāni janmāni tava chārjuna tānyahaṁ veda sarvāṇi na tvaṁ vettha parantapa
Many are the births that have been passed by Me and thee, O Arjuna. I know them all, whilst thou knowest not, O scorcher of foes.
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 said |
| bahūni | many |
| me | of mine |
| vyatītāni | have passed |
| janmāni | births |
| tava | of yours |
| cha | and |
| arjuna | Arjun |
| tāni | them |
| aham | I |
| veda | know |
| sarvāṇi | all |
| na | not |
| tvam | you |
| vettha | know |
| parantapa | Arjun, the scorcher of foes |
Read the Sanskrit as a connected thought built from śhrī-bhagavān uvācha (the Supreme Lord said), tāni (them), and parantapa (Arjun, the scorcher of foes). 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 4.5.
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
Many are the births that have been passed by Me and thee, O Arjuna
- 2
I know them all, whilst thou knowest not, O scorcher of foes
- 3
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha: the Supreme Lord said
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Cover
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 4.5, 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 4.5 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 4.5 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 4.5 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 4.5, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
Use an authorized edition