True surrender includes apology and trust in love.
Arjuna speaks to Krishna
तस्मात्प्रणम्य प्रणिधाय कायंप्रसादये त्वामहमीशमीड्यम् |पितेव पुत्रस्य सखेव सख्युःप्रियः प्रियायार्हसि देव सोढुम् ||११-४४||
tasmātpraṇamya praṇidhāya kāyaṃ prasādaye tvāmahamīśamīḍyam . piteva putrasya sakheva sakhyuḥ priyaḥ priyāyārhasi deva soḍhum ||11-44||
Use this verse as a bedtime forgiveness prayer.
Meaning
Therefore, bowing down fully, I seek Your grace, O worshipful Lord. As a father forgives a son, a friend a friend, and a beloved a beloved, please bear with me.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Arjuna asks Krishna to forgive him through love.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
This is one of the most emotionally rich verses of Chapter 11. Arjuna combines surrender, apology, friendship, family, and love.
Read the traditional commentary
Arjuna now prostrates his whole body and seeks grace: prasadaye — 'I beg Your favour'. Having recognised Krishna as the adorable Lord, he asks for forgiveness with three of the tenderest images of human love. Forgive me, he prays, pita iva putrasya — as a father pardons his son; sakha iva sakhyuh — as a friend forgives a friend; priyah priyayah — as a lover forgives the beloved.
These three relationships reveal the many ways the soul may relate to the Divine. The Lord is at once the protecting parent, the trusted companion, and the cherished beloved. Even in the presence of overwhelming cosmic majesty, Arjuna does not relate to Krishna as a distant, frightening power, but appeals to the bonds of intimate love.
This is the Gita's beautiful resolution of awe and affection: the Supreme is not less near for being infinitely great. We may bow before the boundless and, in the very same breath, ask its forgiveness as we would a loving father or a dear friend.
In daily life
Bow inwardly and ask for grace where you were careless.
A person can use this as a forgiveness prayer before sleep.
Try this today
Bow mentally and ask Krishna for grace.
Krishna receives my apology with compassion.Reflect
Where do I need Krishna’s forgiveness and patience?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘अर्हसि देव सोढुम्’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on intimacy, in other chapters
- Verse 7.17The purest devotion seeks the Divine for nothing but Itself — and there, love flows mutually between the soul and God.
- Verse 18.64The deepest spiritual truths are shared not as commands but as tender gifts of love to the beloved devotee.
- Verse 6.47The highest of all yogis is the one who worships the Divine with faith and a heart wholly given in love.
- Verse 12.20Living this teaching with faith, holding God as your supreme goal, makes you exceedingly dear to Him.
Swipe left for 11.45 · The heart also needs Krishna’s gentle form.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 11.44
Who says Bhagavad Gita 11.44, and to whom?
Arjuna speaks to Krishna in verse 11.44, in Chapter 11, Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga (Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 11.44 mean?
Therefore, bowing down fully, I seek Your grace, O worshipful Lord. As a father forgives a son, a friend a friend, and a beloved a beloved, please bear with me. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 11.44 for daily life?
Bow inwardly and ask for grace where you were careless. A person can use this as a forgiveness prayer before sleep.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 11.44 mean?
तस्मात् — therefore; प्रणम्य — bowing down; प्रणिधाय कायम् — prostrating the body; प्रसादये त्वाम् — I seek Your grace; ईशम् ईड्यम् — the adorable Lord.
Where does verse 11.44 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 44 of 55 in Chapter 11, Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga. The next verse is 11.45.