Knowledge Through Disciplic Succession 49
Mahabharata we understand that Bhagavad-gita was
spoken to Arjuna some 5,000 years ago. Before
Arjuna, the teachings were handed down by disciplic
succession, but over such a long period of time, the
teachings became lost.

evam parampard-praptam
imam rajarsayo viduh
sa kaleneha mahata
yogo nastah parantapa
sa evayar maya te ‘dya
yogah proktah puratanah
bhakto ’si me sakhd ceti
rahasyam hy etad uttamam
“This supreme science was thus received through the
chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings
understood it in that way. But in course of time the
succession was broken, and therefore the science as it
is appears to be lost. That very ancient science of the
relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to
you because you are My devotee as well as My
friend; therefore you can understand the transcen-
dental mystery of this science.” (Bg, 4.2-3)

In Bhagavad-gita a number of yoga systems are
delineated—bhakti-yoga, karma-yoga, jiidna-yoga,
hatha-yoga—and therefore it is here called yoga. The
word yoga means “to link up,” and the idea is that in
yoga we link our consciousness to God. It is a means
for reuniting with God or re-establishing our relation-
ship with Him. In the course of time, this yoga im-
parted by Sti Krsna was lost. Why is this? Were there
