4.1
श्रीभगवानुवाच
इमं विवस्वते योगं प्रोक्तवानहमव्ययम् ।
विवस्वान्मनवे प्राह मनुरिक्ष्वाकवेऽब्रवीत् ॥
śrībhagavān uvāca
imaṃ vivasvate yogaṃ proktavān aham avyayam
vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt
śrībhagavān (श्रीभगवान्) is speaking to Arjuna, and uvāca (उवाच), "he said," stands outside the meter.
The verse
श्रीभगवान् said: I declared this imperishable yoga to Vivasvān (विवस्वान्); Vivasvān (विवस्वान्) told it to Manu (मनु), and Manu (मनु) told it to Ikṣvāku (इक्ष्वाकु).
नेपालीमा
श्रीभगवान्ले भने, मैले यो अविनाशी योग विवस्वान्लाई भनेँ। विवस्वान्ले मनुलाई भने, र मनुले इक्ष्वाकुलाई भने।
Where it sits
The talk has been about action, and Kṛṣṇa (कृष्ण) does not start a new topic: the yoga Arjuna is hearing is old, come down from the sun to Manu (मनु) to Ikṣvāku (इक्ष्वाकु). The next verse will say that line broke.
Split: इमम् + विवस्वते + योगम् + प्रोक्तवान् + अहम् + अव्ययम् + विवस्वान् + मनवे + प्राह + मनुः + इक्ष्वाकवे + अब्रवीत्
imam + vivasvate + yogam + proktavān + aham + avyayam + vivasvān + manave + prāha + manuḥ + ikṣvākave + abravīt
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| देवनागरी | Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| इमम् | imam | accusative singular | this. The yoga just named. |
| विवस्वते | vivasvate | dative singular | to Vivasvān (विवस्वान्), the sun. |
| योगम् | yogam | accusative singular | yoga. The teaching, not a posture. |
| प्रोक्तवान् | proktavān | nominative singular | one who has declared. From prokta (प्रोक्त), "spoken," plus the --vat (वत्) ending of the person who did it. |
| अहम् | aham | nominative | I. |
| अव्ययम् | avyayam | accusative singular | imperishable. Agrees with yogam (योगम्), not with the speaker. |
| विवस्वान् | vivasvān | nominative | Vivasvān (विवस्वान्). |
| मनवे | manave | dative singular | to Manu (मनु). |
| प्राह | prāha | perfect, 3rd singular | he told. From pra-brū (प्र-ब्रू). |
| मनुः | manuḥ | nominative | Manu. |
| इक्ष्वाकवे | ikṣvākave | dative singular | to Ikṣvāku (इक्ष्वाकु). |
| अब्रवीत् | abravīt | imperfect, 3rd singular | he said. From brū (ब्रू). The a- (अ-) is the past-time prefix, as in 1.1. |
The phrases
इमं विवस्वते योगं प्रोक्तवान् अहम् अव्ययम् imaṃ vivasvate yogaṃ proktavān aham avyayam is the first handing-on. "I am the one who declared this imperishable yoga to Vivasvān (विवस्वान्)." proktavān (प्रोक्तवान्) and aham (अहम्) are the same person. n (न्) before the vowel of aham (अहम्) is written into the run: proktavānahamavyayam (प्रोक्तवानहमव्ययम्).
vivasvān manave prāha (विवस्वान् मनवे प्राह) is the second handing-on. Vivasvān (विवस्वान्) told it to Manu (मनु). The subject has changed. The verb is prāha (प्राह), not a repeat of proktavān (प्रोक्तवान्).
manuḥ ikṣvākave abravīt (मनुः इक्ष्वाकवे अब्रवीत्) is the third. Manu (मनु) said it to Ikṣvāku (इक्ष्वाकु). uḥ (उः) before a vowel becomes ur (उर्): manurikṣvākave (मनुरिक्ष्वाकवे). Then ए + अ e + a drops the a (अ) of abravīt (अब्रवीत्) and leaves the avagraha: ikṣvākave 'bravīt (इक्ष्वाकवेऽब्रवीत्).
Sanskrit in this line
--e (ए) on these stems is dative, "to," not the locative "on" or "in" of kṣetre (क्षेत्रे) in 1.1. vivasvate (विवस्वते), manave (मनवे), and ikṣvākave (इक्ष्वाकवे) answer "to whom was it said." Three datives, three receivers. The thing said, yogam (योगम्), stays accusative.
Say it back
Cover the English. Name the three who received it, in order. If avyayam (अव्ययम्) is said of the speaker, stay here. The yoga is what does not perish.