Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4, Verse 1

Chapter 4 – Jnana Karma Sanyasa Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
इमं विवस्वते योगं प्रोक्तवानहमव्ययम् ।
विवस्वान्मनवे प्राह मनुरिक्ष्वाकवेऽब्रवीत् ॥

Transliteration

śrībhagavānuvāca .
imaṃ vivasvate yogaṃ proktavānahamavyayam .
vivasvānmanave prāha manurikṣvākave.abravīt ॥

Meaning

The Blessed Lord said: I taught this imperishable Yoga to Vivasvan, the Sun-god; Vivasvan passed it on to Manu, and Manu proclaimed it to Ikshvaku.

Word meanings

इमम् – this (Yoga taught in the previous chapters)
विवस्वते – to Vivasvan, the Sun-god
योगम् – Yoga — the discipline of knowledge and selfless action
प्रोक्तवान् – taught, declared
अहम् – I
अव्ययम् – imperishable, whose fruit never decays
विवस्वान् – Vivasvan, the Sun-god
मनवे – to Manu (his son, Vaivasvata Manu)
प्राह – told, declared
मनुः – Manu
इक्ष्वाकवे – to King Ikshvaku (Manu's son)
अब्रवीत् – taught, proclaimed

Anvaya (word order)

श्रीभगवान् उवाच — अहम् इमम् अव्ययं योगं विवस्वते प्रोक्तवान्; विवस्वान् मनवे प्राह; मनुः इक्ष्वाकवे अब्रवीत् ।

Explanation

The fourth chapter opens with an astonishing declaration. Until now Krishna has spoken as Arjuna's friend and charioteer; here, for the first time, He hints at His divine nature: ‘It was I who taught this Yoga to the Sun at the dawn of creation.’ With a single sentence the Gita ceases to be battlefield advice and takes its place within an eternal lineage of wisdom.

Which Yoga is meant by ‘imam yogam’? According to Shankara it is the Yoga described in Chapters 2 and 3 — the path of knowledge (jnana-nishtha) together with the path of selfless action that prepares one for it. It is called ‘avyaya’, imperishable, because its fruit, liberation, never perishes, and because the teaching itself stands beyond time. Ramanuja understands it as Karma Yoga informed by knowledge of the true Self, performed as worship of the Lord.

The line of transmission is significant: from the Lord to the Sun, from the Sun to Manu, from Manu to Ikshvaku. The Sun gives light and life to the whole world; Manu is the progenitor of humankind and the giver of the law of dharma; Ikshvaku is the first king of the Solar dynasty, the line in which Sri Rama was later born. From the very beginning, then, this wisdom was meant for rulers and people of action, not only for recluses.

The verse also serves to deepen Arjuna's faith. A teaching that is primeval, that great kings have lived by, and whose source is God Himself, leaves no room for casual doubt. The Gita's path of action is not a novel experiment but a road travelled and proven across the ages.

Context

At the close of Chapter 3 (3.43) Krishna urged Arjuna to know the Self beyond the intellect and slay the enemy called desire. Opening Chapter 4, He now reveals the antiquity and lineage of this Yoga. In the next verse (4.2) He explains how the lineage was lost over time.

Life lesson

Wisdom that has been tested over ages and handed down through a genuine lineage deserves our trust. Truth is not invented anew; it is eternal, and our task is to rediscover it and live by it.

Key terms

Avyaya Yoga: the imperishable Yoga, whose fruit, liberation, never fades
Vivasvan: the Sun-god, father of Vaivasvata Manu
Manu: the progenitor of humanity and law-giver of dharma
Ikshvaku: son of Manu, first king of the Solar dynasty