sri-bhagavan uvaca
bahuni me vyatitani
janmani tava carjuna
tany aham´ veda sarvan?i
na tvam´ vettha parantapa
Translation of Bhagavad Gita 4.5
The Personality of Godhead said: Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot, O subduer of the enemy!
Commentary by Sri Vishvanatha Chakravarthi Thakur of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
In this verse, the Lord speaks with the intention to show that he instructs through the agency of his avataras.
I appear as various avataras, and you also appear as my companion at that time. I know, since I am omniscient, being the Supreme lord. You do not know, since I cover your knowledge for fulfilling the purpose of my pastimes. With knowledge covered, O afflicter of the enemy, you afflict (tapa) the enemies (param) by thinking of yourself as the son of Kunti a ksatriya, during in this life.
Commentary by Sri Ramanuja of Sri Sampradaya:
4.5 The Lord said — By this, the reality of the Lord’s birth is declared in the sentence, ‘Many births of Mine have passed.’ ‘So is it with you’ is added by way of illustration. The mode of incarnation, the reality of His body and the cause of His birth are explained in the following verse.
Commentary by Sri Sridhara Swami of Rudra Sampradaya:
Lord Krishna replying informs Arjuna that He instructed Visvavan in a different form then the one Arjuna is beholding at that moment and that by His supreme potency, immutable and imperishable He remembers it as well as every appearance that He ever manifested.
Commentary by Sri Madhvacharya of Brahma Sampradaya:
Sri Madhvacharya did not comment on this sloka.
Commentary by Sri Keshava Kashmiri of Kumara Sampradaya:
Although Arjuna had experienced many wonderful and divine lila’s or pastimes with Lord Krishna still he could understand that it would be difficult for others to fathom the reality of His teaching the demigod of the sun Visvavan 120 million years previous. So Arjuna posed this question for Lord Krishna who is isvara or the Ultimate Controller and Supreme Ruler of all creation, time and action. He alone is the ultimate reality and highest destination who incarnated in the family of Vasudeva in order to remove the speculations of those whose minds were made impure by tendency to sinful activities as well as to eradicate the demoniac elements present who were polluting the Earth. The question was asked so Lord Krishna could confirm the truth Himself regarding His transcendental appearance and supra- mundane phenomenal exploits that the miscreants and non-believers refuse to except as being possible for the Supreme Lord. By answering this question all doubts would be cleared up about Lord Krishna’s supreme position.
Commentary by Sri Adi Shankaracharya of Advaita Sampradaya:
4.5 O Arjuna, bahuni, many; janmani, lives; me, of Mine; vyatitani, have passed; tava ca, and so have yours. Aham, I; veda know; tani, them; sarvani, all; (but) tvam, you; va vetta, know not, due to your power of understanding being obstructed by righteousness, unrighteousness, etc. However, parantapa, O scorcher of foes; aham, I know, possessing as I do unobstructed power of knowledge, because by nature I am enternal, pure, enlightened and free. ‘In that case, how, in spite of the absence of righteousness and unrighteousness, can there be any birth for You who are the eternal God?’ That is beng answered:
Commentary by Sri Abhinavagupta of Kaula Tantra Sampradaya:
4.5-9 Bahuni etc. upto Arjuna. Indeed the Bhagavat is Himself devoid of all bodily connections on account of His having the group of the ‘six attributes’ in toto. Yet, out of His nature of stabilising [the universe], and out of compassion, He sends forth (or creates) that is which the Self is secondary. The meaning is this : He takes hold of a body, in which the Self, with the group of ‘six qualities’ in full, remains secondary because of Its role as a helper of the body. On account of this, His birth is divine. For, it has been created not by the results of actions, but by His own Trick-of-Illusion, by the highest knowledge of Yoga, and by the energy of Freedom of His own. His action too is divine, as it is incabable of yielding fruits [for Him]. Whosoever knows this truth in this manner i.e., realises in his own Self also in this manner, he necessarily understands the Bhagavat Vasudeva beng.
Sanskrit Shloka Without Transliteration Marks:
sri-bhagavan uvaca
bahuni me vyatitani
janmani tava carjuna
tany aham veda sarvani
na tvam vettha parantapa
Sanskrit to English Word for Word Meanings:
sri-bhagavan uvaca — the Personality of Godhead said; bahuni — many; me — of Mine; vyatitani — have passed; janmani — births; tava — of yours; ca — and also; arjuna — O Arjuna; tani — those; aham — I; veda — do know; sarvan?i — all; na — not; tvam — you; vettha — know; parantapa — O subduer of the enemy.
