Bhagavad Gita BG 4.4
Chapter 4, Verse 4 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
अपरं भवतो जन्म परं जन्म विवस्वतः । कथमेतद्विजानीयां त्वमादौ प्रोक्तवानिति ॥
aparam bhavato janma param janma vivasvata katham etad vijaniyam tvam adau proktavan iti
Meaning
Your birth is recent; the birth of Vivasvan was long ago. How am I to understand that You taught this in the beginning?
Understanding
Arjuna's question is natural and important — it is the question of any thoughtful seeker confronting a transcendental claim. Vivasvan (the sun-god) appeared at the dawn of creation; Krishna stands before Arjuna as a contemporary human being. The question creates the opening for Krishna's profound answer about His divine nature.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| अपरम् | aparam | recent, later, of the present time |
| भवतः | bhavatah | your (respectful form) |
| जन्म | janma | birth |
| परम् | param | earlier, distant, prior |
| आदौ | adau | in the beginning, at the start |
| कथम् | katham | how / in what way |
| एतत् | etat | this (how can I know this) |
| विजानीयाम् | vijānīyām | should I understand / am I to know |
| त्वम् | tvam | you (Krishna — your birth is recent) |
| प्रोक्तवान् | proktavān | declared / said / taught (you said) |
| इति | iti | thus (quoting what was claimed) |