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Chapter 11 · The Universal Form · 55 verses

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Bhakti & surrenderChapter 11 · The Universal Form

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 11.41

Arjuna seeks forgiveness and familiar refuge

सखेति मत्वा प्रसभं यदुक्तं

हे कृष्ण हे यादव हे सखेति ।

अजानता महिमानं तवेदं

मया प्रमादात्प्रणयेन वापि ॥ ४१ ॥

यच्च‍ावहासार्थमसत्कृतोऽसि

विहारशय्यासनभोजनेषु ।

एकोऽथवाप्यच्युत तत्समक्षं

तत्क्षामये त्वामहमप्रमेयम् ॥ ४२ ॥

sakheti matvā prasabhaṁ yad uktaṁ

he kṛṣṇa he yādava he sakheti

ajānatā mahimānaṁ tavedaṁ

mayā pramādāt praṇayena vāpi

yac cāvahāsārtham asat-kṛto ’si

vihāra-śayyāsana-bhojaneṣu

eko ’tha vāpy acyuta tat-samakṣaṁ

tat kṣāmaye tvām aham aprameyam

Translation

Thinking of You as my friend, I have rashly addressed You “O Kṛṣṇa,” “O Yādava,” “O my friend,” not knowing Your glories. Please forgive whatever I may have done in madness or in love. I have dishonored You many times, jesting as we relaxed, lay on the same bed, or sat or ate together, sometimes alone and sometimes in front of many friends. O infallible one, please excuse me for all those offenses.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
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Understand it

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

Friendship and Forgiveness

  1. 1Arjuna asks Kṛṣṇa to forgive his careless words and actions as a friend, done without knowing His glories.
  2. 2Prabhupāda explains that Kṛṣṇa mercifully shares loving friendship with Arjuna. Their eternal relationship remains even after Arjuna sees His universal form.
  3. 3Like Arjuna, we can humbly ask Kṛṣṇa to forgive our offenses.

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.

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Key ideas in this verse

The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.

Key ideas: bhakti, śaraṇāgati.

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Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does BG 11.41 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to bhakti & surrender?

Practice

Offer one act today with devotion.

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The story behind it

Mahābhārata episodes and stories from the purports that shed light on this verse.

All stories for chapter 11 ›
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Related verses

Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.

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

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