← Bhagavad-gītā

Chapter 11: The Universal Form

Verse 41–42 of 52
Bg 11.41-42

सखेति मत्वा प्रसभं यदुक्तं हे कृष्ण हे यादव हे सखेति अजानता महिमानं तवेदं मया प्रमादात्प्रणयेन वापि यच्चावहासार्थमसत्कृतो ऽसि विहारशय्यासनभोजनेषु एको ऽथवाप्यच्युत तत्समक्षं तत्क्षामये त्वामहमप्रमेयम्

sakheti matvā prasabhaṁ yad uktaṁ he kṛṣṇa he yādava he sakheti ajānatā mahimānaṁ tavedaṁ mayā pramādāt praṇayena vāpi yac cāvahāsārtham asatkṛto 'si vihāra-śayyāsana-bhojaneṣu eko 'thavāpy acyuta tat-samakṣaṁ tat kṣāmaye tvām aham aprameyam

Synonyms

sakhāfriend; itithus; matvāthinking; prasabhamtemporary; yatwhatever; uktamsaid; he krṣṇaO Kṛṣṇa; he yādavaO Yādava; he sakhā itiO my dear friend, ajānatā—without knowing; mahimānamglories; tavaYour; idamthis; mayāby me; pramādātout of foolishness; pranayenaout of love; vā apieither; yatwhatever; caalso; avahāsārthamfor joking; asatkṛtaḥdishonor; asihave been done; vihārain relaxation; śayyāin joking; āsanain a resting place; bhojaneṣuor while eating together; ekaḥalone; athavāor; apiothers; acyutaO infallible one; tat-samakṣamas Your competitor; tatall those; kṣāmayeexcuse; tvāmYou; ahamI; aprameyamimmeasurable..

Translation

I have in the past addressed You as "O Kṛṣṇa," "O Yādava," "O my friend," without knowing Your glories. Please forgive whatever I may have done in madness or in love. I have dishonored You many times while relaxing or while lying on the same bed or eating together, sometimes alone and sometimes in front of many friends. Please excuse me for all my offenses.

Purport

Although Kṛṣṇa is manifested before Arjuna in His universal form, Arjuna remembers his friendly relationship with Kṛṣṇa and is therefore asking pardon and requesting Him to excuse him for the many informal gestures which arise out of friendship. He is admitting that formerly he did not know that Kṛṣṇa could assume such a universal form, although He explained it as his intimate friend. Arjuna did not know how many times he may have dishonored Him by addressing Him as "O my friend, O Kṛṣṇa, O Yādava," etc., without acknowledging His opulence. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind and merciful that in spite of such opulence He played with Arjuna as a friend. Such is the transcendental loving reciprocation between the devotee and the Lord. The relationship between the living entity and Kṛṣṇa is fixed eternally; it cannot be forgotten, as we can see from the behavior of Arjuna. Although Arjuna has seen the opulence in the universal form, he could not forget his friendly relationship with Kṛṣṇa.

Verse 41–42 of 52
Prabhupāda Says