[Īśvara] was also the teacher of the former [teachers], because with him there is no limitation by time.
This sūtra reinforces the idea of the previous ones. From YS I.24 we got that Īśvara is the only one untouched by the wheel of existence, and we quoted Vyasa “he isn’t one who has attained liberation, because he has been always free”. Here Patañjali says that this god is not limited by time, he is eternal. And in YS I.25 it said that he is the uppermost limit for knowledge, he’s omniscient,“He knows everything there is to be known” , and that is only possible if Īśvara is the teacher of teachers, the primal guru.
How could a transcendental being be somebody’s teacher?. Because being the teacher of the first sages means that he was their inspiration, their guru (which is considered also an incarnation of the divine), their Īśvara in the sense that we ascribed to him early in YS I.25: someone who you looks up to, like someone who has reached mastery in your field. He is a teacher, and we need to learn from someone; and the things that he teaches us are eternal, the knowledge that we learn from him is always valid for everyone.
If some self-called “guru” brings us brand new teachings, secrets that nobody knows, that means that his knowledge isn’t eternal, and probably that he isn’t a guru… at least you should think twice before choosing him as your own private Īśvara, otherwise he could let you down.
pūrva – former , prior , preceding , previous to , earlier than
api – and, also, moreover
guru – a spiritual parent or preceptor
kāla – a period of time, time, during a long time
anavaccheda (an + avanccheda) – not limited, not interrupted, continuity
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