Bhagavad-Gita: Chapter 7, Verse 26

Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Visnuswami

Sridhara Swami's Commentary

Lord Krishna has previously stated that the ignorant are oblivious about His supreme nature. Now He reveals that a part of His nature consists of omniscience. He confirms that He knows all beings movable and immovable in their present existence, all those that perished in their past existence and the future lives of all those that are yet to come into existence. His external energy known as maya is illusory impressions superimposed upon the mind which deludes all living entities; but as He is the foundation of maya He alone can never be deluded for maya is subservient and dependent upon Him.

Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Madhvacarya

Madhvacarya's Commentary

Lord Krishna explains that for Him there is never any illusion; but the embodied beings without His grace emanating through the bonafide spiritual master in authorised disciplic succession will find it impossible to extricate themselves from maya or illusory impressions superimposed upon the mind. It should be clearly understood that no one can know Lord Krishna by their own efforts regardless how great. He is only known by His own desire.

Now begins the summation.

As much as Lord Krishna is known to Himself none other can know Him. Brahma the demigod responsible for material creation and Shiva the demigod responsible for material destruction, by His grace know Him partially to some extent according to their ability and gradation. The Katha Upanisad I.II.XXIII is categorical in its declaration that: The Supreme Lord cannot be attained by instruction or by intelligence or even by constant hearing about. Whom the Supreme Lord Himself chooses, only is able to attain Him and none other. Only to the one He chooses doe He reveal His rupa form, guna or qualities and lila His phenomenal pastimes.

Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Ramanuja

Ramanuja's Commentary

Lord Krishna reveals that He knows the destiny of all living beings and this includes their past existence, their present existence and there future existence. This confirms His omniscient and magnanimous nature that all movable and immovable sentient beings throughout creation are continuously objects of His loving concern in the past, present and future; yet who discerns Him as Vasudeva the cause of all causes, the Supreme Lord incarnate, always ready to give swift refuge and protection from all calamities and difficulties to one who may seek or call out for Him. Thus such a spiritually mature and evolved, enlightened sage is very rare and the reason why Lord Krishna gives next.

Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Nimbaditya

Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary

Lord Krishna emphasises by the words mam tu veda na kascam which means that no one is able to know Him and because He is the controller of all, anywhere that He is not veiled is only by His express directive for His veiling is not for His devotees but for those who are in the clutches of maya or illusory impressions superimposed upon the mind, so that they will not be able to know Him. This He is indicating by the word vedaham meaning He knows. That He knows by His divine potency and unveiled knowledge. Although His external energy known as maya veils the mind in varying degrees of all created beings; it should clearly understood that that all living beings movable or immovable, belonging to the past, existing in the present or manifesting in the future are under His complete control and this is an example of how He is omniscient. It should also be clearly understood that no one bereft of devotion to the Supreme lord due to being bewildered and under the control of maya has the qualification to know that Lord Krishna is the Supreme Lord within their heart and within the heart of every living entity being present everywhere. Hence such ignorant living entities do not become devoted to Him.