Bhagavad Gita · Jnana Karma Sannyasa YogaChapter 4, Shloka 4 (4.4)

A direct, honest question. In order of time: Krishna's birth is aparam — recent, in the house of Vasudeva; Vivasvan's is param — at the beginning of creation.

Shankaracharya: aparam arvāk vasudeva-gṛhe bhavato janma — your birth came later, in the house of Vasudeva. And an important remark: the Lord's answer is yā vāsudeve anīśvarāsarvajñāśaṅkā mūrkhāṇām tāṃ pariharan — meant to remove the doubt of foolish people that Vasudeva is not the Lord and not all-knowing. That is, the question comes from Arjuna's mouth, but the answer is for everyone's doubt.

Acharya Ramanuja — asking while knowing. Ramanuja says that Arjuna knows Krishna to be the Lord of all — he will say so in 10.12–10.13, and he has heard it from Bhishma and others (as in the Sabha Parva). Why then the question? Jānataḥ api ajānataḥ iva pṛcchataḥ ayam āśayaḥ — the intent of one who knows yet asks as if not knowing is this: the birth of the Lord of all, whose will always comes true and who is complete in all desires, like the karma-driven birth of gods and humans —

1. kim indrajālādivat mithyā kiṃ vā satyam — is it false, like magic, or is it real?
2. satyatve ca kathaṃ janma-prakāraḥ — if real, how does the birth take place?
3. kim-ātmakaḥ ayaṃ dehaḥ — what is this body made of?
4. kaś ca janma-hetuḥ — what is the cause of the birth?
5. kadā ca janma — when does the birth happen?
6. kim-arthaṃ vā janma — for what purpose?