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Chapter 11 · The Universal Form · 55 verses

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Bhakti & surrenderChapter 11 · The Universal Form
11.3811.40

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 11.39

Arjuna seeks forgiveness and familiar refuge

वायुर्यमोऽग्न‍िर्वरुण: शशाङ्क:

प्रजापतिस्त्वं प्रपितामहश्च ।

नमो नमस्तेऽस्तु सहस्रकृत्व:

पुनश्च भूयोऽपि नमो नमस्ते ॥ ३९ ॥

vāyur yamo ’gnir varuṇaḥ śaśāṅkaḥ

prajāpatis tvaṁ prapitāmahaś ca

namo namas te ’stu sahasra-kṛtvaḥ

punaś ca bhūyo ’pi namo namas te

Translation

You are air, and You are the supreme controller! You are fire, You are water, and You are the moon! You are Brahmā, the first living creature, and You are the great-grandfather. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto You a thousand times, and again and yet again!

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

What this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.

Respectful Obeisances to Kṛṣṇa

  1. 1Arjuna praises Kṛṣṇa as the supreme controller and offers Him respectful obeisances a thousand times, again and again.
  2. 2The purport explains that air represents the demigods because it is all-pervasive. Kṛṣṇa is called the great-grandfather because He is the father of Brahmā, the first living creature.
  3. 3Follow Arjuna’s example by offering respectful obeisances to Kṛṣṇa.

Where we are

In the story

Chapter 11, The Universal Form: arjuna seeks forgiveness and familiar refuge.

What it teaches

Theme summary

Loving service and surrender to Kṛṣṇa.

2

Key ideas in this verse

The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.

Key ideas: bhakti, śaraṇāgati.

3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does BG 11.39 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to bhakti & surrender?

Practice

Offer one act today with devotion.

4

Related verses

Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.

BG 11.35Arjuna seeks forgiveness and familiar refugeBG 11.36Arjuna seeks forgiveness and familiar refugeBG 3.30Offer every action to KrishnaBG 6.47The highest yogi is devoted

Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.

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Back to step 3The key ideasNext · Step 5 of 7 · 5 minLive the teachingsBring it into your day with a practice and a question, straight from Prabhupāda's purports.