Yoga through Beholding the Cosmic Form of God
Verse 11.42
यच्चावहासार्थमसत्कृतोऽसि विहारशय्यासनभोजनेषु। एकोऽथवाप्यच्युत तत्समक्षं तत्क्षामये त्वामहमप्रमेयम्।।11.42।।
yach chāvahāsārtham asat-kṛito ’si vihāra-śhayyāsana-bhojaneṣhu eko ’tha vāpy achyuta tat-samakṣhaṁ tat kṣhāmaye tvām aham aprameyam
Word Meanings
yat—whatever; cha—also; avahāsa-artham—humorously; asat-kṛitaḥ—disrespectfully; asi—you were; vihāra—while at play; śhayyā—while resting; āsana—while sitting; bhojaneṣhu—while eating; ekaḥ—(when) alone; athavā—or; api—even; achyuta—Krishna, the infallible one; tat-samakṣham—before others; tat—all that; kṣhāmaye—beg for forgiveness; tvām—from you; aham—I; aprameyam—immeasurable
Translation · English
In whatever way I may have insulted You for the sake of fun, while at play, reposing, sitting, or at meals, when alone (with You), O Krishna, or in company, that I implore You, immeasurable one, to forgive.
Deep Meaning · English
In this verse, Arjuna undergoes a profound shift in consciousness as the veil of his intimate, human friendship with Krishna is shattered by the revelation of the Vishvarupa. Having viewed the terrifying majesty of the Cosmic Form, he is seized by a divine remorse for the times he treated the infinite, timeless reality of the Lord as a mere mortal companion. This is the existential realization of the devotee who recognizes that the person they addressed casually in moments of play, sleep, or dining was, in truth, the substratum of all existence. Arjuna’s apology is not for a moral failing, but for an ontological blindness; he realizes that in treating the Eternal as finite, he unknowingly diminished the majesty of the Divine in his own perception. Philosophically, this highlights the tension between the personal (Saguṇa) and the impersonal (Nirguṇa) aspects of the Divine. By addressing Krishna as 'Achyuta' (the Infallible One) and 'Aprameyam' (the Immeasurable), Arjuna acknowledges that even while Krishna played the role of a friend and chariot driver, His essence remained untouched by time or change. The verse serves as a crucial bridge in the Gita, moving the seeker from the domain of human attachment to the domain of divine surrender, where the realization of the Lord’s immensity transforms every mundane interaction into a sacred encounter.
The ultimate realization of the devotee is the humble recognition that the intimate friend they once approached with familiarity is actually the Infinite, Immeasurable Source of all creation.
Connected Verses
The final invitation to abandon all egoic concerns and surrender to the Lord, echoing the spirit of total reconciliation found in Arjuna's plea for forgiveness.
Arjuna acknowledges the all-encompassing nature of Krishna's form, which serves as the direct catalyst for his subsequent apology.
Highlights the foolishness of those who disregard Krishna's supreme nature, failing to recognize His divinity beneath the human form.
Addresses the misconception that Krishna's human manifestation is a veil covering His supreme, imperishable reality.
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