Chapter 4, Verse 5 (Bhagavad Gita 4.5)
Chapter 4: Jñāna Karm Sanyās Yog – Path of Knowledge and the Disciplines of Action
Sanskrit Shloka
श्री भगवानुवाच बहूनि मे व्यतीतानि जन्मानि तव चार्जुन। तान्यहं वेद सर्वाणि न त्वं वेत्थ परन्तप
Transliteration
śhrī bhagavān uvācha bahūni me vyatītāni janmāni tava chārjuna tānyahaṁ veda sarvāṇi na tvaṁ vettha parantapa
Word Meanings
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha—the Supreme Lord said; bahūni—many; me—of mine; vyatītāni—have passed; janmāni—births; tava—of yours; cha—and; arjuna—Arjun; tāni—them; aham—I; veda—know; sarvāṇi—all; na—not; tvam—you; vettha—know; parantapa—Arjun, the scorcher of foes
Translation
The Blessed Lord said: Many births of Mine have passed, and so have yours, O Arjuna; I know them all, but you do not know them, O scorcher of foes.
Meaning & Commentary
This verse reveals the fundamental distinction between the limited human consciousness and the infinite Divine consciousness. While Arjuna is bound by the veil of time and memory, Krishna exists beyond the cycle of birth and death, possessing total awareness of the eternal soul's journey. This teaches us that our ego-centered perceptions are fragmented and incomplete, whereas the Divine perspective is holistic and ever-present. By recognizing this limit of our human intellect, we are invited to surrender our limited perspective to the Divine. Ultimately, it reminds us that while we may forget our past, the Divine remembers every step of our evolution, offering comfort that we are never truly lost or forgotten.