4-6

अजोपि सन् अव्ययात्मा भूतानाम् ईश्वरोपि सन् ।
प्रकृतिम् स्वमधिष्ठाय सम्भवामि आत्म मायया ॥ ६ ॥

ajopi san avyayAtmA bhUtAnAm Izvaropi san |
prakRtim svamadhiSThAya sambhavAmi Atma mAyayA || 6 ||

अजोपि सन् [ajopi san] Even though I am without birth, अव्ययात्मा [avyayAtmA] even though I don’t wear-out, भूतानाम् ईश्वरोपि सन् [bhUtAnAm Izvaropi san] even though I am the lord of all beings, सम्भवामि [sambhavAmi] I come into being (as an incarnation) आत्ममायया [AtmamAyayA] by my own will, प्रकृतिम् स्वम् अधिष्ठाय [prakRtim svam adhiSThAya] residing in my own nature.

The Lord says- I take birth by My own will, retaining all of my characteristics.

I come into being in various incarnations by My own will, while retaining My own qualities- I do not lose My quality of being free from birth; I don’t lose my nature of never wearing-out; I retain my characteristic of being the Lord of all beings. I reside in My nature of being the ultimate Lord.

The phrase ‘My nature’ has been used to mean ‘The Lord’s own qualities’. He says ‘I come into being over here by My own will, in My own form, retaining all the qualities of being the ultimate Lord’

The qualities of the Lord are described in these scriptures:

He is the color of the Sun, beyond darkness - पुरुषसूक्त [puruSasUkta]

He is unaffected by passions that wear out – साम वेद [sAma veda]

The radiant person inside the Sun - छान्दोग्य [chAndogya]

The ever-lasting person who can be grasped with a pure and clear mind तैत्तरीय [taittarIya]

All time periods originated from the one whose form is electric तैत्तरीय [taittarIya]

Whose purpose is always fulfilled, who has the universe within himself. He is all actions, all desires, all smells, all tastes छान्दोग्य [chAndogya]

His form is like gold बृहदारण्यक [bRhadAraNyaka]

In this Shloka, the word माय [mAya] means ‘knowledge’, the miracle of awareness. It is said in यस्क निघण्टु धर्मवर्ग २२ [yaska nighanTu dharmavarga 22] : ‘He knows the virtue and vice of all beings by His knowledge. His knowledge gives rise to His ‘will’- meaning, He consciously chooses a form as per His intention.

He says ‘I come into being in various forms- both human and powerful forms- by My own will, retaining all My auspicious qualities, being the destroyer of all misfortune, without giving up My essential nature of being the Lord of all beings’

It is said in the पुरुशसूक्त [puruzasUkta] : ‘Though He is without birth, He is born in many forms’. This means He is not born like other mortals. He is born of His own will in a form that He chooses. Other parts of this chapter explain it as well: ‘Many of My births have gone by, so have yours, Arjuna. I know about all of them’ (4-5); ‘That’s the time when I make Myself come into being’ (4-7); ‘My birth and actions are divine. Know it as it really is’ (4-9)

Next, He explains time at which His birth happens-