Verse 4.5
Speaker: Krishna
Sanskrit
श्रीभगवानुवाच। बहूनि मे व्यतीतानि जन्मानि तव चार्जुन। तान्यहं वेद सर्वाणि न त्वं वेत्थ परन्तप।।
Transliteration (IAST)
śrī bhagavān uvāca bahūni me vyatītāni janmāni tava cārjuna tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṇi na tvaṁ vettha parantapa
Word-by-Word Meanings
bahūni-many
vyatītāni-have passed
janmāni-births
veda-know
sarvāṇi-all
vettha-you know
Translation
The Supreme Lord said: Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot, O subduer of the enemy.
Commentary
Krishna distinguishes between the divine and the individual soul. Both have existed through many births, but only the omniscient Lord retains full memory across incarnations. This verse establishes the fundamental difference between God and the individual ātman while affirming the eternality of both.
Themes
atmanjnanatime