अजोऽपि सन्नव्ययात्मा भूतानामीश्वरोऽपि सन् ।
प्रकृतिं स्वामधिष्ठाय संभवाम्यात्ममायया ॥
प्रकृतिं स्वामधिष्ठाय संभवाम्यात्ममायया ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
मैं अजन्मा और अविनाशीस्वरूप होते हुए भी तथा सम्पूर्ण प्राणियोंका ईश्वर होते हुए भी अपनी प्रकृतिको अधीन करके अपनी योगमायासे प्रकट होता हूँ ॥
English
Though unborn and imperishable, and though I am the lord of all beings, I manifest myself by controlling my own nature through my own power of appearance.
What this verse means
Krishna says he is unborn and imperishable, yet still appears in the world by using his own power over nature.
Context & commentary
Arjuna has asked how Krishna could have taught the sun at the beginning of time. Krishna answers that he is not bound by ordinary birth at all. On this battlefield, with Arjuna confused about time, divinity, and incarnation, Krishna reveals that his appearance is a deliberate manifestation.
Why this verse still matters
Someone you trust suddenly acts in a way you never expected, and you wonder what is real. This verse says appearance can hide power: not everything that shows up is bound the way it seems.
The takeaway
What seems like a birth is really a chosen appearance, not a limitation.
Word-by-word translation
अजः (unborn) / अपि (even though) / सन् (being) / अव्ययात्मा (of imperishable nature) / भूतानाम् (of beings) / ईश्वरः (lord) / अपि (even though) / सन् (being) / प्रकृतिम् (nature) / स्वाम् (own) / अधिष्ठाय (having taken control of) / संभवामि (I manifest) / आत्ममायया (by my own power of appearance)
This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4: Jnana Karma Sanyasa Yoga — Knowledge and Renunciation of Action, which contains 42 verses.
Explore related themes: prakriti (31 verses)