Timeless wisdom becomes powerful when preserved and practiced.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
श्रीभगवानुवाच |इमं विवस्वते योगं प्रोक्तवानहमव्ययम् |विवस्वान्मनवे प्राह मनुरिक्ष्वाकवेऽब्रवीत् ||४-१||
śrībhagavānuvāca . imaṃ vivasvate yogaṃ proktavānahamavyayam . vivasvānmanave prāha manurikṣvākave.abravīt ||4-1||
Use this verse when you want to connect modern life with ancient wisdom.
Meaning
The Blessed Lord said: I taught this imperishable yoga to Vivasvan; Vivasvan taught it to Manu, and Manu taught it to Ikshvaku.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Krishna begins Chapter 4 by showing that this yoga is ancient and timeless.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
Krishna presents Karma Yoga not as a new idea, but as an eternal wisdom passed through a sacred lineage. This matters because true spiritual guidance is not a trend. It is tested through generations and preserved by those who live it.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna opens the fourth chapter by tracing the lineage of this teaching, calling the Yoga avyaya — imperishable, unchanging across the ages. The wisdom He has just imparted to Arjuna is not a new invention but an eternal truth, first given to Vivasvan the sun-god, passed to Manu the progenitor of humanity, and then to the royal sage Ikshvaku.
This paramparā — the chain of disciplic succession — establishes a vital principle: spiritual knowledge is preserved and transmitted through living teachers, not merely discovered alone. By naming kings and sages as its keepers, Krishna also signals that this Yoga is meant for those engaged in action and responsibility, not only renunciates. The truth that liberates is ancient, royal, and meant to be lived.
In daily life
Respect ancient wisdom, but make it alive through daily practice.
Try this today
Choose one Gita principle and apply it in one action today.
I receive timeless wisdom and live it today.Reflect
What timeless teaching do I need to practice today?
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Quick check
What does ‘योगम्’ mean in this verse?
The Gita on yoga, in other chapters
- Verse 18.75 · SanjayaAccess to the highest wisdom comes as a gift of grace, flowing through teacher and the Divine alike.
- Verse 13.5Trustworthy spiritual truth is confirmed by both inspired vision and careful reasoning across the ages.
- Verse 3.26Lead others upward gently by example rather than unsettling their beliefs — meet people where they are instead of preaching beyond them.
- Verse 14.1The highest knowledge is not what you accumulate but what you realise — and it has already carried countless seekers to freedom before you.
Swipe left for 4.2 · Wisdom survives through living transmission.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 4.1
Who says Bhagavad Gita 4.1, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 4.1, in Chapter 4, Jnana Karma Sannyas Yoga (Jnana Karma Sannyas Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 4.1 mean?
The Blessed Lord said: I taught this imperishable yoga to Vivasvan; Vivasvan taught it to Manu, and Manu taught it to Ikshvaku. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 4.1 for daily life?
Respect ancient wisdom, but make it alive through daily practice.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 4.1 mean?
इमम् — this; विवस्वते — to Vivasvan (the sun-god); योगम् — Yoga, science of self-realization; प्रोक्तवान् अहम् — I taught; अव्ययम् — imperishable.
Where does verse 4.1 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 1 of 42 in Chapter 4, Jnana Karma Sannyas Yoga. The next verse is 4.2.