A core teaching · reflective in mood · a little context helps
“Even timeless wisdom disappears when no one keeps receiving it.”
O scorcher of foes, this yoga was known by the royal sages through an unbroken lineage. In the course of great time, this yoga was lost in this world.
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Hover a word to focus on it.
Read literallythus · received through succession · this · royal sages · knew · that · by time · here · great · yoga · lost · O scorcher of foes
This ancient yoga was passed down from teacher to student and known by wise rulers, but over time it faded from the world.
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Jnana Karma Sanyasa Yoga" (Knowledge and Renunciation of Action).
Verse 2 sits in Chapter 4 of the Bhagavad Gita — Jnana Karma Sanyasa Yoga, "Knowledge and Renunciation of Action". The chapter has 42 verses in total.
A skill your grandfather knew may survive only as a half-remembered family story. Without living transmission, even the most valuable wisdom can vanish between generations.
Did you like this verse?
It shifts attention from private belief to living lineage, showing that wisdom survives only when it is carried forward.
What this verse means
This ancient yoga was passed down from teacher to student and known by wise rulers, but over time it faded from the world.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna stands shaken while Krishna begins a teaching about an ancient yoga. Krishna says it once moved through an unbroken line of wise rulers, but over long ages it has nearly disappeared from human life.
Why this verse still matters
A skill your grandfather knew may survive only as a half-remembered family story. Without living transmission, even the most valuable wisdom can vanish between generations.
“What is deepest can still be forgotten; it must be handed on, not merely admired.”
Explore related themes: jnana yoga (13 verses)