B.G 4.04
अर्जुन उवाच
अपरं भवतो जन्म परं जन्म विवस्वतः। कथमेतद् विजानीयां त्वमादौ प्रोक्तवानिति ॥४॥
arjuna uvāca
aparaṁ bhavatō janma paraṁ janma vivasvataḥ। kathamētad vijānīyāṁ tvamādau prōktavāniti ॥4॥
[अर्जुन उवाच अपरं भवतो जन्म परं जन्म विवस्वतः। कथम् एतद् विजानीयां त्वम् आदौ प्रोक्तवान् इति॥
arjuna uvāca = Arjuna asked; aparaṁ = recent; bhavatō = yours; janma = birth; paraṁ = earlier/remote; janma = is the birth; vivasvataḥ = of Vivasvata;। katham = How; ētad = this; vijānīyāṁ = to understand; tvam = by you; ādau = in the beginning; prōktavān = taught; iti = thus;॥]
Arjuna asked:
Recent in time is your birth, and remote in antiquity was the birth of Vivasvan. How then am I to understand that you taught it in the beginning?
Gīta Bhāshya 4.04
Arjuna is eager to gain additional understanding of the lord's greatness, which was previously proclaimed in verse 3.30.
"मयि सर्वाणि" इत्युक्तं तन्माहात्म्यमादितो ज्ञातुं पृच्छति - अपरमिति ॥४॥
"mayi sarvāṇi" ityuktaṁ tanmāhātmyamāditō jñātuṁ pr̥cchati - aparamiti ॥4॥
[mayi = in me; sarvāṇi = all; ityuktaṁ = thus, spoken; tanmāhātmyamāditō = that, greatness, from the beginning; jñātuṁ = to know; pr̥cchati = inquires; - aparamiti = through "aparam" verse;॥]
It is already said - "In me dedicate all actions" (3.30). To understand the origin of that greatness, Arjuna inquires through "aparam" verse.
