Bhagavad Gita BG 4.3
Chapter 4, Verse 3 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
स एवायं मया तेऽद्य योगः प्रोक्तः पुरातनः । भक्तोऽसि मे सखा चेति रहस्यं ह्येतदुत्तमम् ॥
sa evayam maya te 'dya yogah proktah puratanah bhakto 'si me sakha ceti rahasyam hy etad uttamam
Meaning
That very same ancient yoga is now declared by Me to you today; for you are My devotee and friend — and this is the supreme secret.
Understanding
Two reasons Krishna chooses Arjuna: bhakta (devotee — not mere intellectual student) and sakha (friend — equal, trusted companion). This is rahasyam uttamam (the supreme secret) — not because it is hidden, but because it can only be truly transmitted within the space of love and trust. This is the essence of the guru-shishya bond.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| पुरातनः | puratanah | ancient, primordial |
| भक्तः | bhaktah | devotee, one filled with devotion |
| सखा | sakha | friend, companion |
| रहस्यम् | rahasyam | secret, mystery |
| उत्तमम् | uttamam | supreme, highest |
| सः | saḥ | that same (yoga) |
| एव | eva | verily / that very same |
| अयम् | ayam | this (yoga — the same ancient one) |
| मया | mayā | by Me |
| ते | te | to you / for you |
| अद्य | adya | today / now |
| प्रोक्तः | proktaḥ | declared / told / spoken |
| इति | iti | thus / because (you are my devotee and friend) |
| च | ca | and (conjunction) |
| हि | hi | for / indeed (this is the supreme secret) |
| एतद् | etad | this (secret knowledge) |