When wisdom gets lost

evaṃ paramparāprāptamimaṃ rājarṣayo viduḥsa kāleneha mahatā yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa

Passed down this way, the royal sages knew it. But over long ages, this yoga was lost to the world, Parantapa.

What it means

Krishna explains what happened next. This yoga was handed down through generations of rajarshis, sage-kings who ruled wisely. But over long ages, it was lost. Not destroyed, just forgotten, as each generation remembered a little less. Wisdom needs living people to keep it alive.

The story

Krishna calls Arjuna Parantapa, scorcher of foes, a warrior's name. He's telling a warrior that wisdom, too, can fall in battle, worn down by time. And he's about to put it back into Arjuna's hands.

In your life

Picture a family whose grandparents spoke a language the grandchildren never learned. In two generations it's gone. If there's something worth keeping in your family, teach it to someone younger this year.