वेदाहं समतीतानि वर्तमानानि चार्जुन। भविष्याणि च भूतानि मां तु वेद न कश्चन।।7.26।।
vedaḥ ahaṃ samatītāni vartamānāni ca arjunaḥ bhaviṣyāṇi ca bhūtāni mām tu veda na kaścana
Translation
O Arjuna, I know the past, the present, and the future, and I also know all living beings; but no one knows Me.
Word Meanings
veda — know; ahaṃ — I; samatītāni — completely past; vartamānāni — present; ca — and; arjuna — O Arjuna; bhaviṣyāṇi — future; ca — also; bhūtāni — all living entities; mām — Me; tu — but; veda — knows; na — not; kaścana — anyone
Understanding the Verse
In this profound declaration of Chapter 7, Verse 26, Lord Krishna asserts the totality of His omniscience while simultaneously revealing the absolute mystery of His Divine essence. The verse begins with the word "vedaḥ" (knows), indicating an attribute of knowledge. Krishna says, "ahaṃ vedaḥ" – I am the knower – and lists the three temporal dimensions: "samatītāni" (the completely past), "vartamānāni" (the present), and "bhaviṣyāṇi" (the future). By encompassing past, present, and future, the Lord affirms that He is not bound by time; He perceives all events that have occurred, are occurring, and will occur, independent of any temporal constraints.
The address "cārjunaḥ" personalizes the teaching, reminding the warrior that this knowledge is being directly communicated to him. Krishna then adds "bhūtāni" – all living entities – indicating that His awareness includes the myriad forms of life, each with its own consciousness, actions, and destinies. This universal knowledge underscores the all‑pervading presence of the Divine in every particle of creation, reinforcing the theological principle that the Supreme is the immanent support of all beings.
However, the latter half of the verse introduces a striking paradox: "mām tu veda na kaścana" – yet no one knows Me. The conjunction "tu" (but) creates a sharp contrast between the exhaustive knowledge of all external phenomena and the utter unknowability of the Divine’s true nature. While the material world, its processes, and its inhabitants are fully known to the Supreme, the Self‑Realized consciousness cannot be grasped by any intellect, senses, or even the most advanced spiritual practices. This unknowability is not a deficiency; rather, it is the hallmark of transcendence. The Divine is beyond the categories of time, space, and cognition, making Him the ultimate mystery that inspires devotion (bhakti) as the only viable path to approach Him.
For seekers, this verse serves both as encouragement and a humbling reminder. It assures that the Supreme’s all‑encompassing vision provides a secure foundation for moral and spiritual action, because nothing escapes His awareness. Simultaneously, it warns against the illusion that rational knowledge alone can lead to liberation. True realization arises not from intellectual accumulation but from surrender, love, and experiential devotion that acknowledge the Divine’s incomprehensible nature.
In the broader context of Chapter 7, which discusses the various divine manifestations (kala, vid, rasa, etc.), this verse emphasizes the hierarchy of knowledge: the material aspects are known, but the innermost reality – the Paramātman – remains beyond conceptual grasp. The verse thus invites the practitioner to cultivate humility, recognize the limits of the mind, and turn towards bhakti as the means to experience the Divine that is simultaneously known and unknowable.
