A declaration · expansive in mood · builds on earlier teachings
“Everything is visible to the divine; the divine remains unseen to ordinary minds.”
Arjuna, I know all beings of the past, the present, and the future. No one knows me.
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Hover a word to focus on it.
Read literallyI know · I · the past · the present · and · Arjuna · the future · and · beings · me · but · knows · not · anyone
Krishna says he knows every being across past, present, and future, but no ordinary person truly knows him.
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Jnana Vijnana Yoga" (Knowledge and Wisdom).
Verse 26 sits in Chapter 7 of the Bhagavad Gita — Jnana Vijnana Yoga, "Knowledge and Wisdom". The chapter has 30 verses in total.
You can track every detail of a relationship, a project, or a crisis and still miss the one thing that matters most. Knowing facts is not the same as knowing what stands behind them.
Did you like this verse?
It shifts the mind from collecting information to recognising the limits of ordinary perception.
What this verse means
Krishna says he knows every being across past, present, and future, but no ordinary person truly knows him.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna stands frozen while Krishna speaks about the limits of human understanding. After saying he remains hidden by his own power, Krishna reveals the asymmetry: all beings are open to him, but he is not open to ordinary sight.
Why this verse still matters
You can track every detail of a relationship, a project, or a crisis and still miss the one thing that matters most. Knowing facts is not the same as knowing what stands behind them.
“There is humility in seeing how much remains unseen, even while everything else is known.”