4.6
अजोऽपि सन्नव्ययात्मा भूतानामीश्वरोऽपि सन् ।
प्रकृतिं स्वामधिष्ठाय सम्भवाम्यात्ममायया ॥
ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san
prakṛtiṃ svām adhiṣṭhāya sambhavāmy ātmamāyayā
Kṛṣṇa (कृष्ण) is still speaking, to Arjuna.
The verse
Though unborn, though my self does not perish, and though I am lord of beings, I come to be by my own māyā (माया), having taken my stand on my own nature.
नेपालीमा
अजन्मा भएर पनि, मेरो आत्मा नष्ट नहुने भएर पनि, र प्राणीहरूको ईश्वर भएर पनि, आफ्नै प्रकृतिमा उभिएर म आफ्नै मायाले उत्पन्न हुन्छु।
Where it sits
This is the direct answer to 4.4: birth, for him, is not the start of the person but a coming-forth he does from a nature that is already his. 4.7 will say when.
Split: अजः + अपि + सन् + अव्यय-आत्मा + भूतानाम् + ईश्वरः + अपि + सन् + प्रकृतिम् + स्वाम् + अधिष्ठाय + सम्भवामि + आत्म-मायया
ajaḥ + api + san + avyaya-ātmā + bhūtānām + īśvaraḥ + api + san + prakṛtim + svām + adhiṣṭhāya + sambhavāmi + ātma-māyayā
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| देवनागरी | Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| अजः | ajaḥ | nominative | unborn. a- (अ-) plus ja (ज), "born." |
| अपि | api | indeclinable | even. With san (सन्), "even while being." |
| सन् | san | present participle, nominative | being. From as (अस्). |
| अव्यय-आत्मा | avyaya-ātmā | nominative | one whose self does not perish. avyaya (अव्यय) "imperishable," ātmā (आत्मा) the nominative of ātman (आत्मन्) at the end of a compound. |
| भूतानाम् | bhūtānām | genitive plural | of beings. |
| ईश्वरः | īśvaraḥ | nominative | the lord. |
| अपि | api | indeclinable | even. |
| सन् | san | present participle, nominative | being. The same participle again. |
| प्रकृतिम् | prakṛtim | accusative | nature. His own lower standing-ground. |
| स्वाम् | svām | accusative feminine | my own. Agrees with prakṛtim (प्रकृतिम्). |
| अधिष्ठाय | adhiṣṭhāya | gerund | having taken my stand on. From adhi-sthā (अधि-स्था). |
| सम्भवामि | sambhavāmi | present, 1st singular | I come to be. From sam-bhū (सम्-भू). |
| आत्म-मायया | ātma-māyayā | instrumental | by my own māyā (माया). |
The phrases
अजः अपि सन् अव्ययात्मा ajaḥ api san avyayātmā is the first concession. Though unborn, and though the self that does not perish. ajaḥ api (अजः अपि) is ajo 'pi (अजोऽपि). san (सन्) before the vowel of avyaya (अव्यय) doubles its n (न्): sann avyayātmā (सन्नव्ययात्मा).
भूतानाम् ईश्वरः अपि सन् bhūtānām īśvaraḥ api san is the second concession. Though lord of beings. īśvaraḥ api (ईश्वरः अपि) is īśvaro 'pi (ईश्वरोऽपि). The participle san (सन्) is doing the same work as the first one.
प्रकृतिं स्वाम् अधिष्ठाय सम्भवामि आत्ममायया prakṛtiṃ svām adhiṣṭhāya sambhavāmi ātmamāyayā is the main clause, after both concessions. Having taken my stand on my own nature, I come to be by my own māyā (माया). स्वाम् अधिष्ठाय svām adhiṣṭhāya is svām adhiṣṭhāya (स्वामधिष्ठाय). इ + आ i + ā joins sambhavāmi (सम्भवामि) and ātmamāyayā (आत्ममायया) into sambhavāmy ātmamāyayā (सम्भवाम्यात्ममायया).
Sanskrit in this line
san (सन्) is "being," the present participle of as (अस्). api san (अपि सन्) is concessive: "even while being." When san (सन्) stands before a vowel and a short vowel sits in front of its n (न्), that n (न्) is doubled in the recitation. सन् अव्यय san avyaya is sann avyaya (सन्नव्यय). You hear the double n (न्). You do not add a new word.
Say it back
Three things he is, then what he nevertheless does. If sambhavāmi (सम्भवामि) is said as "I was born once," stay here. The verb is present, and the concessions are still true while he does it.