Verse 7.26

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 7.26:

वेदाहं समतीतानि वर्तमानानि चार्जुन ।
भविष्याणि च भूतानि मां तु वेद न कश्चन ॥ २६ ॥

vedāhaṃ samatītāni vartamānāni cārjuna |
bhaviṣyāṇi ca bhūtāni māṃ tu veda na kaścana || 26 ||

veda aham–I know; samatītāni–the past; vartamānāni–present; ca–and; arjuna–O Arjuna; bhaviṣyāṇi–future; ca–and; bhūtāni–living beings, whether moving or non-moving; mām–Me; tu–but; veda–knows; na kaścana–no one.

O Arjuna, I know all the moving and non-moving beings of the past, present and future, but Me, no one knows.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

“That māyā which cannot bewilder its foundation (Me) is called bahiraṅga-māyā (the external illusory potency). Antaraṅga-māyā (the internal illusory potency) does not cover knowledge of Me.” To explain this, Śrī Bhagavān is speaking this verse beginning with vedāham. “No one can know Me fully, neither those in this mundane world nor those in the spiritual world, nor even personalities such as Mahārudra (Śiva), who are omniscient. That māyā which arranges yoga (union) between the bhaktas and Bhagavān is called yogamāyā. Most people’s knowledge is covered by mahāmāyā; therefore they cannot know Me.”

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

One may raise the doubt: “If Bhagavān is covered by yogamāyā, He must also be in illusion like the living entity and have the defect of ignorance.” In response Kṛṣṇa says, “Māyā, being subject to My prowess, remains under My control and serves Me from afar, in the form of a curtain. This māyā cannot cause any transformation to take place in Me.” Māyā cannot cover knowledge of Bhagavān. Śrī Bhagavān is again emphasizing this. “I know everything in the past, present and future, but even great, omniscient personalities such as Mahārudra do not know Me fully, because their knowledge is covered by yogamāyā, what to speak of common men.” For this reason, common people do not accept that the human-like form of Śyāmasundara Kṛṣṇa is eternal. It is not possible to understand the fundamental truths regarding Śrī Kṛṣṇa and see His pastimes without the mercy and shelter of yogamāyā, even if one has knowledge of His nirviśeṣa-brahma or of His partial expansion, Paramātmā.