श्रीभगवानुवाच | इमं विवस्वते योगं प्रोक्तवानहमव्ययम् | विवस्वान्मनवे प्राह मनुरिक्ष्वाकवेऽब्रवीत् ||१||
śhrī bhagavān uvācha imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣhvākave'bravīt
Translation
The Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna, said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvan, and Vivasvan instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikshvaku.
Interpretation
Krishna begins Chapter 4 by revealing that this yoga is not new — it is an ancient transmission from the divine down through cosmic teachers. The lineage: Krishna → Vivasvan (the sun-god) → Manu (the progenitor of humanity) → Ikshvaku (founding king of the solar dynasty, ancestor of Rama). The Gita's teaching is not invented in this moment but recovered.