Verse 4.6
Speaker: Krishna
Sanskrit
अजोऽपि सन्नव्ययात्मा भूतानामीश्वरोऽपि सन्। प्रकृतिं स्वामधिष्ठाय सम्भवाम्यात्ममायया।।
Transliteration (IAST)
ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san prakṛtiṁ svām adhiṣṭhāya sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā
Word-by-Word Meanings
ajaḥ-unborn
avyayātmā-imperishable nature
īśvaraḥ-the Supreme Lord
prakṛtim-nature/energy
svām-own
ātma-māyayā-by My own internal potency
Translation
Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all living entities, I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form by My own internal energy.
Commentary
This verse resolves the paradox of how the unborn can take birth. Krishna's appearance is not like ordinary birth forced by karma but is a voluntary act through His own māyā (divine potency). The word 'adhiṣṭhāya' indicates mastery over prakṛti rather than subjugation to it.
Themes
atmandharmayoga