Bhagavad Gita 11.44
Spoken by Arjuna · Verse 44 of 55 · Arjuna's Journey
तस्मात्प्रणम्य प्रणिधाय कायं प्रसादये त्वामहमीशमीड्यम्। पितेव पुत्रस्य सखेव सख्युः प्रियः प्रियायार्हसि देव सोढुम् ॥
tasmātpraṇamya praṇidhāya kāyaṃ prasādaye tvāmahamīśamīḍyam| piteva putrasya sakheva sakhyuḥ priyaḥ priyāyārhasi deva soḍhum ||
Prostrating my body, I seek Your grace — as father forgives son, friend friend, beloved beloved — O Lord, forgive!
Word by word (3)
- tasmāt praṇamya praṇidhāya kāyam / prasādaye tvām aham īśam īḍyam
- — Therefore, having prostrated — having placed the body down — I propitiate You, O Adorable Lord! · Tasmāt = therefore (ablative = from that reason; connecting to V43's recognition of Krishna's supreme greatness). Praṇamya = having bowed (gerund of pra + √nam = to bow down; praṇāma = full prostration). Praṇidhāya kāyam = having placed the body down (pra + ni + √dhā = to place before; praṇidhāya = having placed/prostrated; kāyam = the body — the full physical body is placed prostrate). Two gerunds in sequence: bow + place-body-down = complete physical prostration, not just a nod. Prasādaye = I propitiate, I request grace of (from √prasad = to make gracious/clear; prasādaye = I cause to be gracious = I seek grace from). Īśam = O Lord! Īḍyam = O Worthy of praise! (gerundive of √īḍ = to praise; īḍya = to-be-praised). The full-body prostration (praṇamya + praṇidhāya kāyam) is the physical counterpart to Arjuna's verbal confession of V41-V43.
- piteva putrasya sakheva sakhyuḥ / priyaḥ priyāyārhasi deva soḍhum
- — As a father (forgives) a son, as a friend (forgives) a friend, as a beloved (forgives) a beloved — O God, please bear (with me)! · Pitā iva = like a father (simile). Putrasya = of/for a son (genitive). Sakhā iva = like a friend. Sakhyuḥ = of a friend (genitive). Priyaḥ = a beloved one. Priyāyāḥ = of a beloved (genitive feminine). Arhasi = You ought to / please do (from √arh = to be worthy/fitting for; arhasi = you are worthy to = please deign to). Soḍhum = to bear, to forgive (infinitive of √sah = to bear, endure). Three triadic similes: (1) father-son = unconditional parental love that forgives regardless; (2) friend-friend = reciprocal, equal love that forgives in intimacy; (3) beloved-beloved = romantic love that forgives in desire and closeness. These three cover the full spectrum of human intimate relationship. In every human relationship-type, forgiveness flows from love. Arjuna invokes all three to reach the divine love that must surely also forgive.
- prasādaye / arhasi soḍhum
- — I seek grace / You ought to bear/forgive · The structural relationship between prasādaye (I seek grace from You) and arhasi soḍhum (You ought to bear/forgive) creates a gentle pressure: the request is framed not just as petition (please forgive me) but as an appeal to what is appropriate (You are the kind of being who forgives — it befits You). Arhasi soḍhum = 'You are worthy of bearing this' = 'it is in accordance with Your nature to forgive.' The devotee's prayer doesn't beg as a pauper — it invokes the divine's own loving nature as the reason the forgiveness will come. This is the bhakta's bold confidence: I know You will forgive because that is who You are.
Arjuna physically prostrates himself and asks for forgiveness using three beautiful human analogies: as a father naturally forgives his child, as a friend forgives a friend, as lovers forgive each other — in that same spirit of intimate love, please forgive me.
A modern analogy
Like kneeling before someone and saying: 'I know you love me the way a parent loves a child, the way a best friend loves you, the way a devoted partner loves — and because I know that love, I know you'll forgive me.' The appeal uses the beloved's own nature as the argument.
Sit with this: Arjuna appeals to three types of forgiving love: parental (unconditional), friendly (reciprocal), romantic (devoted). Which of these feels most natural to you in your relationship with the Divine? And which would be hardest to accept — being forgiven by God as a parent forgives a child, with no conditions at all?
Public-domain translations (5) compare all →
[V44 MISSING in SH indexed JSON] [1]
So prostrating my body in adoration, I crave Thy forgiveness, Lord adorable! As a father forgiveth his son, friend a dear friend, a beloved one his love, even so shouldst Thou forgive me, O Deva. [4]
Therefore, with body bent And reverent intent, I praise, and serve, and seek Thee, asking grace. As father to a son, As friend to friend, as one Who loveth to his lover, turn Thy face In gentleness on me! [7]
O god! to pardon (my guilt) as a father (that of his) son, a friend (that of his) friend, or a husband (that of his) beloved. [9]
[included in combined prose passage] As a father forgives his son, or a friend his friend, or a loved one forgives the beloved — so shouldst thou forgive me, O Deva. [13]
This verse speaks to
Where this thread continues
I called You 'Hey Kṛṣṇa! Hey Friend!' not knowing Your greatness — from carelessness or love — please forgive!
Duryodhana catalogues the Pandava heroes — naming his fears, one by one.
Not hating, friendly, compassionate, without 'mine' or 'I', equal in pain and joy, forgiving — the dear devotee!
I give you this ancient yoga today because you are My devotee and friend — this is the supreme secret.
I am the Goal, Lord, Witness, Abode, Refuge, Friend — and the Origin, Dissolution, Seed imperishable.
Equal in honor and disgrace, equal to friend and foe, abandoning all undertakings — he has gone beyond guṇas.
Verse 44 of 55 · back to Chapter 11