Gita : Ch-11. Slo-41& 42.

Srimad Bhagavad Gita :

Chapter-11. ( Visvarupa-darsana-yogam)

Slokam-41-42. ( I have in the past addressed You as "O Krishna," "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.)

41.

sakheti  matva  prasabham  yad  uktam

he  krishna  he  yadava  he  sakheti,

ajanata  mahimanam  tavedam

maya  pramadat  praṇayena  vapi.

 41

tava  idam  mahimanam  ajanata  =  without  knowing  Your  Glories;

saka  iti  matva  =  thinking  ( You )  as  friend;

pramadat  pranayena  va  api  =  out  foolishness  and  out  of  love;

he  krishna  he  yadava  he  sakheti  =  O, Krishna!, O, Yadhava!, O, Friend!,

iti  maya   prasabham  yat  uktam  =  likewise  I  called  You carelessly;
 
42.

yaccavahasarthamasatkrtosi

viharasayyasanabhojaneshu,

ekothavapyacyuta  tat samaksham

tat  kshamaye  tvamahamaprameyam.

42.

vihara-sayya-asana-bhojaneshu  =  while  playing,  or  while  lying  down,  or  while  sitting,  or  while  eating;

ekah  athava  =  or  while  alone  together;

tat  samaksham  api  =  or  in  front  of  others;

apahasarttham  =  or  playfully;

yat  asatkrtah  ca  asi  =  I  was  making  fun  of  You;

acyuta!  tat  =  O, Lord!  all  those  things;

aprameyam  tvam  =  O, Lord  the immeasurable;

aham  kshamaye  =  I  pray  to  You  for  forgiveness.


Arjuna is humbly beseeching the Supreme Lord to forgive him for any impropriety he may have inadvertently made before he was aware of Lord Krishna's supreme ultimate position as the creator of all.

Whatever he may have done rashly, inopportunely or accidentally he is imploring Lord Krishna for forgiveness for them all.

What are these things he is referring to?

Some are his words of simple address such as calling out O' Krishna or not even using His name but simply calling Him O' Yadava the royal clan of kings from which He appeared in.

Other ways are eating before He eats, sitting before He sits, resting before He rests etc.

The reason for addressing Lord Krishna inappropriately is that he was completely unaware of His impeccable greatness being ignorant of His visvarupa or divine universal form.

Then Arjuna addresses Lord Krishna as Acyuta meaning infallible, whose glory is one and entreats Him that if in any way whatsoever He may have been slighted or minimised in fun or by chance in the presence of companions or just the two of them; all those unintentional offences should be kindly forgiven as well.

In this way Arjuna requests the omnipotent and omniscient Supreme Lord Krishna to forgive him fully.


In regard to not knowing the extent of Lord Krishna's glory, His infinite power, His immeasurable prowess, His omnipresent nature as being all pervasive, His greatness as the sole creator of all creation; Arjuna is apologising that he might have through heedlessness, or folly due to familiarity might have put himself on equal status as the Supreme Lord and out of affection and friendship might have addressed Him disrespectfully by calling Him simply as He Krishna or He sakhe O' friend or He Yadava which is the name of the family clan in which He appeared.

Addressing the Supreme Lord such could be taken as lacking in humility.

 Also on occasions of jesting and merriment while sitting, eating and resting together if any impropriety or omission of proper respect was inadvertently committed then for all these indiscretions Lord Krishna is being humbly beseeched to forgive.


If Lord Krishna were to ask why Arjuna was saluting Him and offering obeisance to Him repeatedly again and again from all directions it is because he earnestly wants the Supreme Lord to forgive the offence of not recognising His Supreme Absolute position as the Sovereign Lord of all creation.

Arjuna previously was ignorant of Lord Krishna's unparalleled divine glory as the progenitor and controller of all living entities in existence even Brahma and looked upon Lord Krishna simply as his best friend and comrade in arms.

Now Arjuna is feeling remorse for any indiscretion he may have made rashly or wantonly which could have shown a lack of respect for the Supreme Lord.

He is worried that due to feelings of affection and familiarity he may have by impropriety or through negligence offended the Supreme Lord in some way and he is beseeching Him to look at these things as minor misdemeanours and magnanimously forgive them.


Lord Krishna is addressed as acyuta meaning He who is infallible.

The word ekah refers to Him being the one and only, the best of all beings.

It also denotes the knower of all things eka eva karoti yat which means as He alone does.

To be continued  ...