अजोऽपि सन्नव्ययात्मा भूतानामीश्वरोऽपि सन् | प्रकृतिं स्वामधिष्ठाय सम्भवाम्यात्ममायया ||४-६||
ajo.api sannavyayātmā bhūtānāmīśvaro.api san .
prakṛtiṃ svāmadhiṣṭhāya sambhavāmyātmamāyayā ||4-6||
Though I am unborn, of imperishable nature, and though I am the Lord of all beings, yet, governing My own Nature, I am born by My own Maya.
In simple words
Krishna reveals his true nature: "I am unborn. I never decay. I am the Lord of everything that exists. And yet, by my own choice and power, I take a physical form and appear in the world."
Word-by-word meanings
अजःunbornअपिalsoसन्beingअव्ययात्माof imperishable natureभूतानाम्of beingsईश्वरःthe Lordअपिalsoसन्beingप्रकृतिम्Natureस्वाम्My ownअधिष्ठायgoverningसंभवामिcome into beingआत्ममाययाby My own Maya
4.6 अजः unborn? अपि also? सन् being? अव्ययात्मा of imperishable nature? भूतानाम् of beings? ईश्वरः the Lord? अपि also? सन् being? प्रकृतिम् Nature? स्वाम् My own? अधिष्ठाय governing? संभवामि come into being? आत्ममायया by My own Maya.Commentary Man is bound by Karma. So he takes birth. He is under the clutches of Nature. He,is deluded by the three alities of Nature whereas the Lord has Maya under His perfect control. He rules over Nature? and so He is not under the thraldom of the alities o Nature. He appears to be born and embodied through His own Maya or illusory power? but is not so in reality. His embodiment is ? as a matter of fact? apparent? It cannot affect in the least His true divine nature. (Cf.IX.8).
Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.
This interpretation draws on a specific tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.
Modern
# BG 4.6
The Supreme Lord, in His absolute freedom and complete sovereignty, assumes a particular form and descends into the world to guide the deluded generations of that age. For Him, dwelling within the bonds of body and senses is not a reality but merely a role in a divine play. The mortal being becomes ensnared by ignorance, whereas the Lord remains the master of His own maya. A driver is bound to the car, while its owner remains free. The owner uses the vehicle for his purpose and, upon reaching his destination, abandons it to attend to other matters. But the poor driver remains bound to it like a servant, protecting it from thieves and others. In the divine play of creation's protection, the Lord accepts these limitations and their resulting restrictions as instruments, yet He does not become their servant or victim.
Thus, though unborn, imperishable, and the Lord of all beings, the Lord maintains complete mastery over His maya and takes birth by His own will—not to experience the inevitable fruits of past actions as the individual soul must. He neither forgets His true nature nor falls under the bondage of maya. Consider when you ask your servant to fill petrol in your scooter and bring it—you will understand the meaning expressed in this verse. For that poor servant, ignorant of the scooter's nature, it becomes a heavy burden and a source of suffering. Due to its weight, he struggles to push it along. In contrast, if you ride it or even push it yourself, you can move it with ease and joy. The scooter is the same, but in your hands it is your servant, while for the servant it is a burden that drags him about.
Similarly, the ignorant person knows nothing of the functions of his limitations and thus remains their slave. For the Lord, the world presents no problem because He holds nature entirely within His command. The Lord's complete sovereignty is expressed most beautifully in these two lines.