A declaration · reflective in mood · builds on earlier teachings
“Your memory is partial; the divine awareness is not.”
Krishna said: Many births of yours and mine have passed, Arjuna. I know them all, but you do not, enemy-burner.
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Hover a word to focus on it.
Read literallythe Blessed Lord said · many · my · passed · births · your · and · Arjuna · those · I · know · all · not · you · know · enemy-burner
Krishna says that both of them have passed through many births, but only Krishna remembers them all. Arjuna does not remember his own past births.
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Jnana Karma Sanyasa Yoga" (Knowledge and Renunciation of Action).
Verse 5 sits in Chapter 4 of the Bhagavad Gita — Jnana Karma Sanyasa Yoga, "Knowledge and Renunciation of Action". The chapter has 42 verses in total.
You argue from memory, but the other person sees the whole pattern. In a family conflict, you remember only the last hurt; the deeper story stretches far beyond what you can hold.
Did you like this verse?
It shifts the mind from assuming its own memory is complete to recognising a wider continuity of existence.
What this verse means
Krishna says that both of them have passed through many births, but only Krishna remembers them all. Arjuna does not remember his own past births.
Context & commentary
On the Kurukshetra battlefield, Arjuna questions how Krishna could have taught the ancient sun-god long ago. Krishna answers by shifting the frame: both of them have crossed many births, but only Krishna remembers them fully. The teaching prepares Arjuna for a deeper truth about Krishna's timeless nature.
Why this verse still matters
You argue from memory, but the other person sees the whole pattern. In a family conflict, you remember only the last hurt; the deeper story stretches far beyond what you can hold.
“It softens pride and confusion: your present view is limited, but reality is larger than what you can recall.”
Explore related themes: arjuna (52 verses), krishna (31 verses)