Chapter 7, Verse 26 (Bhagavad Gita 7.26)
Chapter 7: Jñāna Vijñāna Yog – Self-Knowledge and Enlightenment
Sanskrit Shloka
वेदाहं समतीतानि वर्तमानानि चार्जुन। भविष्याणि च भूतानि मां तु वेद न कश्चन
Transliteration
vedāhaṁ samatītāni vartamānāni chārjuna bhaviṣhyāṇi cha bhūtāni māṁ tu veda na kaśhchana
Word Meanings
veda—know; aham—I; samatītāni—the past; vartamānāni—the present; cha—and; arjuna—Arjun; bhaviṣhyāṇi—the future; cha—also; bhūtāni—all living beings; mām—me; tu—but; veda—knows; na kaśhchana—no one
Translation
I know all beings of the past, the present, and the future, O Arjuna, but no one truly knows Me.
Meaning & Commentary
In this verse, Lord Krishna asserts His transcendence over the limitations of time and space, revealing Himself as the eternal witness of all creation. While human beings are bound by the illusion of 'Maya,' which obscures their vision, Krishna remains the absolute reality beyond birth and death. This teaching invites the seeker to look beyond the transient material world and cultivate a relationship with the unchanging, omniscient Divine. By realizing that Krishna perceives every heartbeat of the universe, we learn to surrender our limited ego and seek guidance from the Infinite. True wisdom lies in understanding that while our past, present, and future are known to Krishna, knowing Him requires the grace of devotion and the shedding of worldly ignorance.