Bhagavad Gita 4.1 meaningWisdom in action
In simple wordsSo simple a child gets it
“I taught this wisdom long, long ago, and it was passed down by wise kings.”
What it means
Krishna says: “I taught this timeless wisdom long ago to the Sun, who taught it to the first lawgiver Manu, who passed it on to the first kings.”
The original Sanskrit
श्रीभगवानुवाच । इमं विवस्वते योगं प्रोक्तवानहमव्ययम् । विवस्वान्मनवे प्राह मनुरिक्ष्वाकवेऽब्रवीत् ॥
śrībhagavānuvāca imaṃ vivasvate yogaṃ proktavānahamavyayam vivasvānmanave prāha manurikṣvākave.abravīt
Translations
Literal translation
The Blessed Lord said: I imparted this imperishable Yoga to Vivasvan, Vivasvan taught this to Manu, and Manu transmitted this to Iksavaku.
Swami Gambhirananda
हिंदी अनुवाद
श्रीभगवान् ने कहा --- मैंने इस अविनाशी योग को विवस्वान् (सूर्य देवता) से कहा (सिखाया); विवस्वान् ने मनु से कहा; मनु ने इक्ष्वाकु से कहा।
Swami Tejomayananda
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Commentaries
How great teachers across 1,200 years have explained this verse.
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Keep reading · 4.2“The wise kings of old handed it down from one to the next. But over a great span of time it was lost.”