In this pivotal opening to the fourth chapter, Krishna establishes the antiquity and sovereignty of the wisdom he is imparting. By situating the 'science of yoga' (Yoga-shastra) within a primordial lineage, he elevates his teaching from a mere tactical conversation on a battlefield to an eternal, transcendent transmission. He identifies himself as the original source—the adi-guru—who imparted this knowledge to Vivasvan (the Sun-god) at the beginning of creation. This assertion serves to clarify the identity of Krishna; he is not simply a historical warrior-prince but the eternal Brahman manifesting as the Divine Teacher to preserve the dharma of the universe. The word 'avyayam' (imperishable) is crucial here. It reminds the seeker that while forms appear and dissolve, the essential truth of the Self remains untarnished by time. Krishna is emphasizing that this knowledge is not a recent invention or an opinion, but a perennial wisdom passed down through the royal sages (rajarshis). By tracing this lineage, he invites Arjuna—and by extension, the sincere seeker—to view their own struggle not as an isolated event, but as part of a sacred continuity that links the individual soul back to the Divine origin. It is a call to recognize the authority of the tradition that leads one from the darkness of ignorance into the light of self-realization.

The wisdom of yoga is an eternal, unchanging truth that flows from the Divine to humanity, transcending time and the limitations of physical existence.