वेदाहं समतीतानि वर्तमानानि चार्जुन ।भविष्याणि च भूतानि मां तु वेद न कश्चन ॥
vedāhaṃ samatītāni vartamānāni cārjuna |bhaviṣyāṇi ca bhūtāni māṃ tu veda na kaścana ||
- वेद · veda
- I know
- समतीतानि · samatītāni
- the past
- वर्तमानानि · vartamānāni
- the present
- अर्जुन · arjuna
- O Arjuna
- भविष्याणि · bhaviṣyāṇi
- the future
- भूतानि · bhūtāni
- beings
- माम् · mām
- me
- न कश्चन · na kaścana
- no one
“I know beings past, present, and future, O Arjuna. But no one knows me.”
— Original plain-language translation
Omniscience is one-sided here: Krishna knows all times and creatures, yet stays unknown without devotion. Knowledge of him is gift, not inference. The asymmetry humbles curiosity into surrender.
— Reader's notes (original)