Krishna is friend, father, guru, and Lord.
Arjuna speaks to Krishna
पितासि लोकस्य चराचरस्यत्वमस्य पूज्यश्च गुरुर्गरीयान् |न त्वत्समोऽस्त्यभ्यधिकः कुतोऽन्योलोकत्रयेऽप्यप्रतिमप्रभाव ||११-४३||
pitāsi lokasya carācarasya tvamasya pūjyaśca gururgarīyān . na tvatsamo.astyabhyadhikaḥ kuto.anyo lokatraye.apyapratimaprabhāva ||11-43||
Use this verse to personalize prayer mood.
Meaning
You are the father of the moving and unmoving world, its worshipful and greatest teacher. None is equal to You; how could anyone be greater in the three worlds, O incomparable one?
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Arjuna recognizes Krishna as father, guru, and incomparable Lord.
Word-by-word meaning
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Explanation
The relationship expands: Krishna is friend, father, teacher, and supreme Lord. Devotion can hold many relational moods together.
Read the traditional commentary
Arjuna now establishes Krishna's supremacy with rising certainty. He is pita — the Father of all that moves and does not move, the origin of every creature. He is the supreme object of worship and the gurur gariyan, the most venerable teacher of all. The familiar friend is revealed as the source, the worshipped one, and the first guru of the cosmos.
The logic reaches its peak in a memorable line: na tvat-samah asti — there is none equal to You; how then, abhyadhikah kuto'nyah, could anyone be greater? In all the three worlds there is nothing comparable, for Krishna is apratima-prabhava, of unequalled power. Arjuna's progression through this hymn has been complete — from terror, to remorse, to this serene declaration of the Lord's absolute supremacy.
The recognition of a Father who is also Teacher carries a quiet comfort: the overwhelming Reality that consumes the worlds is also the loving origin and patient guide of every soul that turns toward it.
In daily life
Relate to Krishna in the mood your heart needs, with reverence.
A person may pray to Krishna as guide during confusion and as father during fear.
Try this today
Choose one relational mood for today’s prayer.
Krishna is my guide, father, friend, and Lord.Reflect
Which relationship with Krishna do I need today?
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Quick check
What does ‘लोकस्य चराचरस्य’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on guru, in other chapters
- Verse 4.34Wisdom is earned through humility, sincere questioning, and service — approach those who have truly realized the truth.
- Verse 7.9The same divine life glows in every creature and fuels every sincere effort — let that recognition deepen your reverence.
- Verse 9.11Do not judge the sacred by its outward appearance; the divine often comes clothed in the humble and ordinary.
- Verse 10.2The Divine source of all things cannot be fully grasped by the mind — true knowledge begins in humble reverence.
Swipe left for 11.44 · True surrender includes apology and trust in love.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 11.43
Who says Bhagavad Gita 11.43, and to whom?
Arjuna speaks to Krishna in verse 11.43, in Chapter 11, Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga (Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 11.43 mean?
You are the father of the moving and unmoving world, its worshipful and greatest teacher. None is equal to You; how could anyone be greater in the three worlds, O incomparable one? (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 11.43 for daily life?
Relate to Krishna in the mood your heart needs, with reverence. A person may pray to Krishna as guide during confusion and as father during fear.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 11.43 mean?
पिता असि — You are the father; लोकस्य चराचरस्य — of the world, moving and unmoving; त्वम् अस्य पूज्यः — You are its object of worship; गुरुः गरीयान् — the most venerable teacher; न त्वत्समः अस्ति — there is none equal to You.
Where does verse 11.43 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 43 of 55 in Chapter 11, Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga. The next verse is 11.44.