偈颂 4.54.14.24.34.44.54.64.74.84.94.104.114.124.134.144.154.164.174.184.194.204.214.224.234.244.254.264.274.284.294.304.314.324.334.344.354.364.374.384.394.404.414.42

The Blessed Lord said Many births of Mine have passed as well as of thine, O Arjuna; I know them all but thou knowest not, O Parantapa (scorcher of foes).

The Lord said: Many births of mine have passed, and of yours as well, Arjuna. I know them all, but you do not know them, scorcher of foes.

Krishna answers by speaking of many past lives, both his and Arjuna's. The difference between them is not that one has been born and the other not, but that Krishna remembers all his births while Arjuna does not. This draws on the idea of rebirth taught in the second chapter. It also marks a distinction between Krishna and ordinary beings: his knowledge is unbroken across lifetimes. The verse sets up the explanation in the following verses of how and why Krishna takes birth.