Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 7 - Shloka (Verse) 26

व्याख्या--'वेदाहं समतीतानि ৷৷. मां तु वेद न कश्चन'--यहाँ भगवान्ने प्राणियोंके लिये तो भूत, वर्तमान और भविष्यकालके तीन विशेषण दिये हैं; परन्तु अपने लिये 'अहं वेद' पदोंसे केवल वर्तमानकालका ही प्रयोग किया है। इसका तात्पर्य यह है कि भगवान्की दृष्टिमें भूत, भविष्य और वर्तमान--ये तीनों काल वर्तमान ही हैं। अतः भूतके प्राणी हों, भविष्यके प्राणी हों अथवा वर्तमानके प्राणी हों--सभी भगवान्की दृष्टिमें वर्तमान होनेसे भगवान् सभीको जानते हैं। भूत, भविष्य और वर्तमान--ये तीनों काल तो प्राणियोंकी दृष्टिमें हैं, भगवान्की दृष्टिमें नहीं। जैसे सिनेमा देखनेवालोंके लिये भूत, वर्तमान और भविष्य-कालका भेद रहता है, पर सिनेमाकी फिल्ममें सब कुछ वर्तमान है, ऐसे ही प्राणियोंकी दृष्टिमें भूत, वर्तमान और भविष्यकालका भेद रहता है, पर भगवान्की दृष्टिमें सब कुछ वर्तमान ही रहता है। कारण कि सम्पूर्ण प्राणी कालके अन्तर्गत हैं और भगवान् कालसे अतीत हैं। देश, काल, वस्तु, व्यक्ति, घटना, परिस्थिति आदि बदलते रहते हैं और भगवान् हरदम वैसे-के-वैसे ही रहते हैं। कालके अन्तर्गत आये हुए प्राणियोंका ज्ञान सीमित होता है और भगवान्का ज्ञान असीम है। उन प्राणियोंमें भी कोई योगका अभ्यास करके ज्ञान बढ़ा लेंगे तो वे 'युञ्जान योगी' होंगे और जिस समय जिस वस्तुको जानना चाहेंगे, उस समय उसी वस्तुको वे जानेंगे। परन्तु भगवान् तो 'युक्त योगी हैं' अर्थात् बिना योगका अभ्यास किये ही वे मात्र जीवोंको और मात्र संसारको सब समय स्वतः जानते हैं।भूत, भविष्य और वर्तमानके सभी जीव नित्य-निरन्तर भगवान्में ही रहते हैं, भगवान्से कभी अलग हो ही नहीं सकते। भगवान्में भी यह ताकत नहीं है कि वे जीवोंसे अलग हो जायँ! अतः प्राणी कहीं भी रहें, वे कभी भी भगवान्की दृष्टिसे ओझल नहीं हो सकते।

जिस योगमायासे छिपे हुए मुझ परमात्माको संसार नहीं जानता वह योगमाया मेरी ही होनेके कारण मुझ मायापति ईश्वरके ज्ञानका प्रतिबन्ध नहीं कर सकती जैसे कि अन्य मायावी ( बाजीगर ) पुरुषोंकी माया भी उनके ज्ञानको ( आच्छादित नहीं करती ) इसलिये हे अर्जुन जो पूर्वमें हो चुके हैं उन प्राणियोंको एवं जो वर्तमान हैं और जो भविष्यमें होनेवाले हैं उन सब भूतोंको मैं जानता हूँ। परंतु मेरे शरणागत भक्तको छोड़कर मुझे और कोई भी नहीं जानता और मेरे तत्त्वको न जाननेके कारण ही ( अन्य जन ) मुझे नहीं भजते।

If the Lord is covered by Maya, then would His knowledge also be obstructed just like that of the world? Anticipating this doubt, He says "By which" (yayā). Indeed, this Maya does not obstruct the special knowledge (vijñāna) of the wielder of Maya (māyāvin), precisely because it is Maya, just like worldly magic. Or, the meaning is that the Lord does not have His knowledge obstructed by Maya because He is the wielder of Maya, like a worldly magician.

Since the Lord's knowledge is not obstructed by Maya, His omniscience is established as unobstructed; this He states with "Since" (yataḥ). Because the world's knowledge is indeed obstructed by Maya, it is devoid of orientation towards the Lord; this He states with "But Me" (māṃ tu). The word "Tu" (But) is to indicate that there is no obstruction for the Lord regarding the complete knowledge of all objects limited by the three times (past, present, future). "But Me" indicates the obstruction of the world's knowledge regarding the reality of God.

(Objection): Then is devotion to Him fruitless? Anticipating this, He refers to "My devotee." (Objection): Then will everyone know You through devotion to You? "No," He implies with "My reality..." The meaning is that worship of Me belongs to the discriminating one, not to everyone who is devoid of discrimination.

"If You are covered by Maya, then like the world, Your knowledge would also be obstructed?" Anticipating this doubt, He says "I know" (veda). I—possessing the unobstructed power of knowledge—"know" (veda), i.e., comprehend, "the passed" (samatītāni)—those completely gone by—the present, and the future beings, comprising all moving and unmoving things.

"Even you, having become pure-minded through the practice of Yoga etc., are capable of knowing; so what need is there to speak of Me, who am eternally pure, devoid of the dirt of identification with the attributes of all limiting adjuncts, knowing [everything]?"—Suggesting this, He addresses him as "Arjuna" (Arjuna).

"But Me" (māṃ tu)—the Supreme Self—no one "knows" (veda), except My devotee, the one who has taken sole refuge in Me. And thus, the Maya by which I am covered and the world does not recognize Me, being Mine, does not obstruct the knowledge of Me, the Lord, the Wielder of Maya; because it is Maya, like worldly magic. Or, the sentiment is: I do not have knowledge obstructed by Maya, because I am the Wielder of Maya, like a worldly magician.

Maya does not bind Me; this He states with "I know" (veda).

"No one" (na kaścana)—even if he is extremely capable—[knows Me] by his own capability.

(Objection): If Your Maya deludes the world which is non-different from You, why does it not delude You? To this, He says "I know" (vedāham).

True. Even though there is non-difference between the world and Me, because of the existence of difference based on limiting adjuncts (aupādhika), the world is deluded due to identifying with the attributes of the limiting adjuncts; whereas I am Omniscient due to the absence of that [identification]; this is the distinction.

The literal meaning is clear.

I "know" (veda)—comprehend—all beings of the past, present, and future; but no one knows Me.

Among the beings existing in the three times who are being surveyed by Me, no one is found who, having known Me as such a Vāsudeva incarnated to be the object of refuge for all, takes refuge in Me alone; this is the meaning.

Therefore, the Wise one (Jñānī) is indeed very rare.

It was stated that "they do not know My supreme nature." Showing that very supremacy of His by the fact of possessing the power of unveiled knowledge, He states the ignorance of others with "I know" (veda). I "know" (veda)—comprehend—all "beings" (bhūtāni)—moving and unmoving—existing in the three times: the "passed" (samatītāni) i.e., destroyed, the present, and the future. Because I am the locus (āśraya) of Maya, and because it is well-known that Maya does not have the capacity to delude its own locus.

But no one knows Me, due to being deluded by My Maya. For it is indeed well known in the world that Maya is dependent on its possessor and is the deluder of others.

By the statement "this world does not recognize," one should not suspect that it refers only to the present time; rather, it is stated that even beings existing in the three times do not know [Me], with "I know" (vedāham), etc.

Here, since "past" etc., are specified separately, the word "beings" (bhūtāni) refers to the individual souls (kṣetrajña).

Why is His own omniscience mentioned here? To this, he [Ramanuja] says "By Me" (mayā).

To show that the fruit of knowing Him is indeed taking sole refuge in Him, "taking refuge in Me alone" was stated.

He connects this with the primary context [of the rarity of the Jnani] with "Therefore" (ataḥ).

विश्व के सभी धर्मों में ईश्वर को सर्वज्ञ माना गया है किन्तु केवल वेदान्त में ही सर्वज्ञता का सन्तोषजनक विवेचन मिलता है। उपनिषदों के सन्दर्भ ग्रन्थ के रूप में गीता का विशेष स्थान है जिसमें यह स्पष्ट किया गया है कि वास्तव में सर्वज्ञता का अर्थ क्या है।आत्मा ही वह चेतन तत्त्व है जो मनबुद्धि की समस्त वृत्तियों का प्रकाशित करता है। बाह्य भौतिक जगत् का ज्ञान हमें तभी होता है जब इन्द्रियां विषय ग्रहण करती हैं जिसके फलस्वरूप मन में विषयाकार वृत्तियां उत्पन्न होती हैं। इन वृत्तियों का वर्गीकरण करके विषय का निश्चय करने का कार्य बुद्धि का है। मन और बुद्धि की वृत्तियां नित्य चैतन्य स्वरूप आत्मा से ही प्रकाशित होती हैं।सूर्य का प्रकाश जगत् की समस्त वस्तुओं को प्रकाशित करता है। जब मेरे नेत्र या श्रोत रूप या शब्द को प्रकाशित करते हैं तब मैं कहता हूँ कि मैं देखता हूँ या मैं सुनता हूँ। संक्षेप में वस्तु का भान होने का अर्थ है उसे जानना और जानने का अर्थ है प्रकाशित करना। जैसे सूर्य को जगच्चक्षु कहा जा सकता है क्योंकि उसके अभाव में हमारी नेत्रेन्द्रिय निष्प्रयोजन होकर गोलक मात्र रह जायोगी वैसे ही आत्मा को सर्वत्र सदा सबका ज्ञाता कहा जा सकता है। आत्मा की सर्वज्ञता भगवान् के इस कथन में कि मैं भूत वर्तमान और भविष्य के भूतमात्र को जानता हूँ स्पष्ट हो जाती है।यहाँ ध्यान देने योग्य बात यह है कि आत्मा न केवल वर्तमान का ज्ञाता है बल्कि अनादिकाल से जितने विषय भावनाएं एवं विचार व्यतीत हो चुके है उन सबका भी प्रकाशक वही था और अनन्तकाल तक आने वाले भूतमात्र का ज्ञाता भी वही रहेगा विद्युत से पंखा घूमता है परन्तु पंखा विद्युत को गति नहीं दे सकता एक व्यक्ति दूरदर्शी यन्त्र से नक्षत्रों का निरीक्षण करता है किन्तु वह यन्त्र उस द्रष्टा व्यक्ति का निरीक्षण नहीं कर सकता इन्द्रिय मन और बुद्धि को चेतना प्रदान करने वाले द्रष्टा आत्मा को किस प्रकार कोई जान सकता है भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण इस आत्मदृष्टि से कहते हैं यद्यपि मैं सबको सर्वत्र सदा जानता हूँ लेकिन मुझे कोई भी नहीं जानता है।वेदान्त में वर्णित पारमार्थिक दृष्टि से तो आत्मा को ज्ञाता या द्रष्टा भी नहीं कहा जा सकता जैसे शुद्ध तार्किक दृष्टि से यह कहना गलत होगा कि सूर्य जगत् को प्रकाशित करता है। हमें रात्रि के अन्धकार में वस्तुएं दिखाई नहीं देतीं इस कारण दिन में उनके दृष्टिगोचर होने पर सूर्य को प्रकाशित करने के धर्म से युक्त मानते हैं। तथापि नित्य प्रकाश स्वरूप सूर्य की दृष्टि से ऐसा कोई क्षण नहीं है जब वह वस्तुओं को प्रकाशित करके उन्हें अनुग्रहीत न करता हो। अत यह कहना कि सूर्य जगत् को प्रकाशित करता है उतना ही अर्थहीन है जितना यह कथन कि आजकल मैं श्वासोच्छ्वास में अत्यन्त व्यस्त हूँ आत्मा का ज्ञातृत्व औपाधिक है अर्थात् माया की उपाधि से उसे प्राप्त हुआ है। शुद्ध सत्त्वगुण प्रधान माया में व्यक्त आत्मा या ब्रह्मा को ही वेदान्त में ईश्वर कहा जाता है। भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण सत्य का साकार रूप या ईश्वर का अवतार हैं और इसलिए उनका स्वयं को सर्वज्ञ घोषित करना समीचीन ही है।परन्तु दुर्भाग्य से आत्मकेन्द्रित र्मत्य जीव परिच्छिन्न संकीर्ण और सीमित मन तथा बुद्धि के छिद्र से जगत् को देखते हुए समष्टि की तालबद्ध लय को पहचान नहीं पाता। जो व्यक्ति स्वनिर्मित अज्ञान के बन्धनों को तोड़कर विश्व के साथ तादात्म्य कर सकता है वही व्यक्ति श्रीकृष्ण के दृष्टिकोण को निश्चय ही समझ सकता है उसका अनुभव कर सकता है। जो व्यक्ति सफलतापूर्वक समष्टि मन के साथ तादात्म्य प्राप्त कर जीता है वह व्यक्ति अपने तथा तत्पश्चात् आने वाले युग का कृष्ण ही है।यदि सभी औपाधिक ज्ञानों का प्रकाशक आत्मा ही है तो किन प्रतिबन्धों के कारण आत्मा का साक्षात्कार नहीं हो पाता है भगवान् कहते हैं

I am not... (nāham) and I know... (vedāham) [referring to the connection between the verses].

I do not become an object of perception for everyone.

Why is His own omniscience mentioned suddenly without context? To this, he says "No" (Na - referring to Madhva's commentary starting with 'Na mām...'). Just as there is mutual ignorance between those standing on both sides of a curtain, etc., [one might doubt that] You also might not have knowledge regarding beings—to refute this doubt, [this verse is spoken]; this is the remainder [to be supplied].

(Objection): Even so, "But no one knows Me" seems like a repetition (of verse 25)? To this, he says "No one" (na kaścana). (Reply): Let the incapable world not know, but [one might think] extremely capable ones like Brahma might know—to refute this doubt, this has been said. The sentiment is: because of the qualification "anyone/no one whatsoever" (kaścana).

(Objection): Then there is a contradiction with statements like "And the Wise one, O Best of Bharatas" (7.16)? To this, it is said "Own" (sva - referring to Madhva's explanation: "no one knows by one's own capability").

Therefore, since Maya is under My control and deludes everyone, and I Myself possess unobstructed knowledge; I—possessing unobstructed total knowledge—while deluding all worlds through Maya, "know" (veda) the "passed" (samatītāni)—long destroyed—the present, and the future; thus all "beings" (bhūtāni)—moving and unmoving—existing in the three times.

O Arjuna, therefore, there is no doubt that I am the Omniscient Supreme Lord; this is the meaning.

"But Me" (māṃ tu)—the word "tu" (but) is to indicate the obstruction of knowledge. "Me"—who sees everything—"no one" (kaścana) "knows"—except My devotee who is the recipient of My grace; just as [people do not know] a magician, because of being deluded by My Maya.

Therefore, the intention is that living beings generally do not worship Me precisely due to the absence of knowing My reality.

(Objection): Those whom You manifested for Your service—if You do not know them again as "Your own," then does Maya delude them? Or is it otherwise? Anticipating this doubt, He says "I know" (vedāham).

I "know" (veda) the "passed" (samatītāni)—those who perished without performing service; the "present" (vartamānāni)—those performing service now; and the "future" (bhaviṣyāṇi)—those to be manifested for service; [meaning] those "beings" (bhūtāni)—manifested by My existence, moving and unmoving, existing in the three times—[I know them] as being Mine (madīyatvena).

"But" (tu)—however, even after My knowing [them], "no one" (kaścana)—among those existing in the three times—"knows" (veda) Me as the Master (Prabhu). The meaning is that he does not recognize [Me].

But I "know"—comprehend—the "passed"—those completely gone by—beings, and the present ones, O Arjuna, and the future beings; I know [them].

"But no one knows Me"—except My devotee, the one who has taken sole refuge in Me. It is precisely due to the absence of knowledge of My Reality that one does not worship Me.

(Introduction to next verse): Again, obstructed by what obstacle to the knowledge of My Reality do all beings who are being born not know Me? Anticipating this query, He states this.

"They do not know My supreme nature," thus it was stated. Showing that very supremacy—transcendence—of His by virtue of possessing the power of unveiled knowledge etc., He states the ignorance of others with "I know" (vedāham).

I know all beings—past, present, and future. But no one knows Me.

Among the [beings] existing in the three times who are being surveyed by Me, no one is found who, having known Me as Vasudeva of such glory incarnated for the liberation of all, surrenders to Me alone; this is the meaning.

Therefore, the Wise one (Jñānī) belonging to the path of the Lord is indeed rare.

वेद know? अहम् I? समतीतानि the past? वर्तमानानि the present? च and? अर्जुन O Arjuna? भविष्याणि the future? च and? भूतानि beings? माम् Me? तु verily? वेद knows? न not? कश्चन any one.Commentary Persons who are deluded by the three alities of Nature do not know the Lord. As they lack in the knowledge of His real nature? they do not adore Hi. But the Lord knows through His omniscience the beings of the past? the present and the future. He who worships the Lord with singleminded devotion knows Him in essence. He has knowledge of His real nature.

O Arjuna, aham, I, however; veda, know; samatitani, the past beings; and vartamanani, the present. I know ca, also; bhavisyani, the future; bhutani, beings. Tu, but; na kascana, no one; veda, knows; mam, Me. Except the one person who is My devotee and has taken refuge in Me, no one adores Me, jus because he does not know My reality.
'What, again,is the obstruction to knowing Your reality, being prevented by which the creatures that are born do not know You?' In anticipation of such a estion, the Lord says this:

I know all being that have passed away, those that live now and those that will hereafter. But no one knows Me. Among the beings existing in the three-fold divisions of time whom I look after, no one understands Me as of the nature described and as Vasudeva incarnated to be a refuge for all. So no one resorts to Me. Therefore, the one who knows Me really (Jnanin) is extremely difficult to be found. Such is the meaning.
So also: