Bhagavad-gītā 11.40
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
-
purastāt
—
from the front
Adverb — 'in front.' The first direction of Arjuna's bow. Forward is the warrior's natural orientation; he begins his prostration there.
-
pṛṣṭhataḥ
—
from behind
Adverb — 'from the rear.' Arjuna cannot turn his back even there — He is behind too. The blind side of ordinary life is closed.
-
sarvataḥ
—
from all sides
Adverb — 'in every direction.' Once front and back are claimed, the rest follows. The grammar enumerates and then totals.
-
ananta - vīrya
—
O unlimited prowess
Vocative compound: an-anta + vīrya. The same vīrya named in 11.19. Repetition concentrates the title at the verse of total obeisance.
-
amita - vikramaḥ
—
of immeasurable might
Compound: a-mita (not-measured) + vikrama (heroic stride). Vikrama recalls Vāmana's strides; Arjuna names the Lord by the very category that 11.20 described as filling heaven and earth.
-
samāpnoṣi
—
You completely pervade
Second-person singular present of sam-āp, 'to reach completely.' The verb of cosmic completion: nothing is left over, nothing is unreached.
Out of loving ecstasy for Kṛṣṇa, his friend, Arjuna is offering his respects from all sides. He is accepting that He is the master of all potencies and all prowess and far superior to all the great warriors assembled on the battlefield. It is said in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa (1.9.69): yo ’yaṁ tavāgato deva samīpaṁ devatā-gaṇaḥ sa tvam eva jagat-sraṣṭā yataḥ sarva-gato bhavān “Whoever comes before You, even if he be a demigod, is created by You, O Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
You pervade all of this universe (sarvaṁ samāpnoṣi), since it is Your product, like gold in earrings and bracelets. Thus You are everything.
“O, I have committed the greatest offense to You, who are filled with such great, great powers.” In this way, Arjuna manifests great regret. “O Kṛṣṇa (he kṛṣṇa), You are well known as the son of Vasudeva who is not famous, who was a human, a mediocre fighter situated on the same chariot as another fighter (ardha ratha). I, Arjuna, am well known as the son of a king, Pāṇḍu, a great warrior fighting on his own chariot (atiratha). [Note: This is the implication of Arjuna calling out “Kṛṣṇa.” Each of the three names of address implies that Kṛṣṇa is in a low position, not suitable in addressing the Supreme Lord.] O Yādava (he yādava), You do not have the king’s position in the Yadu dynasty. But I have kingship over the Puru dynasty. (The sandhi of sakha with iti is poetic license) O friend (he sakha), my friendship with You is not because of the greatness of Your forefathers nor because of the reputation of Your family, but it is simply based on familiarity. I beg pardon for such rough words (prasabham) I have spoken, for intending the above meanings.” The sense of verse 41 is continued in verse 42 with the verb kṣamaye. The proper form of the verb would be kṣamayām (I should beg for forgiveness). Either through negligence or out of affection, not knowing You as the universal form (mahimānam), I have treated You badly during leisure and other times, in order to joke. I have scolded You with sarcastic words saying that You are truthful, innocent, and very gullible. I beg forgiveness for the thousands of offenses produced when You were alone, not in the presence of friends, or when You were surrounded by friends who were joking (tat samakṣam). O master, I beg You to forgive me (kṣamaye).
Out of great devotion, not knowing how much could ever be sufficient, Arjuna offers repeated obeisances. O everything (sarva)! I offer respects to You who are situated in the back, in the front, everywhere (sarvataḥ). You have unlimited physical strength (vīṛya) and immeasurable mental strength (amita vikrama) so that You are expert in applying scriptures. (The compound is grammatically called karma-dhāraya.) This indicates that others have only single powers: some like Bhīma have extreme physical strength, and others like Duryodhana have extreme intelligence for learning. Arjuna then tells the cause of Kṛṣṇa being all forms. You reach everything (sarvam samāpnosi). Therefore You are everything. Viṣṇu Purāṇa confirms this: yo’yaṁ tavāgato deva samīpaṁ devatā-gaṇaḥ sa tvam eva jagat-sraṣṭā yataḥ sarva-gato bhavān O Lord, the devatās who approach You are indeed You, the creator of the universe, because You are everywhere. Viṣṇu Purāṇa1.9.70 Bg 11.41, Bg 11.42, Bg 11.41-42 Sa%eiTa MaTva Pa[Sa>a& Yadu¢&- he k*-Z<a he Yaadv he Sa%eiTa ) AJaaNaTaa MaihMaaNa& Taved& MaYaa Pa[MaadaTPa[<aYaeNa vaiPa )) 41 )) YaṀavhaSaaQaRMaSaTk*-Taae_iSa ivharXaYYaaSaNa>aaeJaNaezu ) Wk-ae_QavaPYaCYauTa TaTSaMa+a& TaT+aaMaYae TvaMahMaPa[MaeYaMa( )) 42 )) 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 sakhā—friend; iti—thus; matvā—thinking; prasabham—presumptuously; yat—whatever; uktam—said; he kṛṣṇa—O Kṛṣṇa; he yādava—O Yādava; he sakhe—O my dear friend; iti—thus; ajānatā—without knowing; mahimānam—glories; tava—Your; idam—this; mayā—by me; pramādāt—out of foolishness; praṇayena—out of love; vā api—either; yat—whatever; ca—also; avahāsa-artham—for joking; asat-kṛtaḥ—dishonored; asi—You have been; vihāra—in relaxation; śayyā—in lying down; āsana—in sitting; bhojaneṣu—or while eating together; ekaḥ—alone; atha vā—or; api—also; acyuta—O infallible one; tat-samakṣam—among companions; tat—all those; kṣāmaye—ask forgiveness; tvām—from You; aham—I; aprameyam—immeasurable.
Seeing his friend Kṛṣṇa with a thousand heads, having praising Him and offering respects to Him, Arjuna now shows suitable reverential courtesy in two verses, out of friendship mixed with knowledge of Him as the Lord.
Thinking that You, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, were only my friend, not realizing (ajānatā) Your greatness as the universal form with a thousand heads, I would suddenly speak to You carelessly, not respectfully (pramādāt) or out of affection as a friend (praṇayena). Now I beg forgiveness for that. “What would you say?” I would say, “O Kṛṣṇa, O Yādava, O friend!” The elision of words in sakheti is for metrical reasons. Addressing the Lord with these names shows lack of respect. Addressing Kṛṣṇa without the prefix Śrī is disrespectful. He should address Him as “Ṣrī Kṛṣṇa.” Addressing Him as Yādava is disrespectful because he does not announce Kṛṣṇa’s kingly position in that family. (He should address Him with such terms as “best of the Yadus.”) Addressing Him as “friend” is disrespectful, because he treats the Lord as his equal. Moreover, while playing, resting, sitting or eating, for joking, I have treated you disrespectfully. You are truthful and straightforward, but by suggestive words I have insulted You, either while alone or in the presence of other joking friends (tat samakṣam). Please forgive all that I said, or treatment I gave You, which produced offense, O Lord. In this way I entreat You, O Acyuta, who remains a friend unfailingly, even undergoing offense by me! That is possible because You have inconceivable power (aprameyam).
COMMON THEME: Arjuna prays in faltering voice
PLEASE NOTE: The mains points refer to Arjuna’s Prayers. The subpoints include all points of the purports; as such
there are no individual ‘Focus of Learning’ sections for these verses.
ARJUNA’S PRAYERS
(a) Arjuna recognizes Krishna’s action as All-good for everyone after hearing from Krishna the outcome of
battlefield and observing Universal form and response of demigods and demons (11.36)
(b) Krishna is worshipable by everyone – “You rightly deserve the obeisances of everyone” (11.37)
because:
(c) You are the ultimate rest of everything and all knowledge (11.38)
(d) You are the essence of everything (11.39)
(e) I offer you obeisances from front, behind and from all sides (11.40)
PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF SECTION IV
Lord Krishna is the Supreme Lord of all. He is simultaneously
involved in an intimate relationship of love with His pure devotees
ARJUNA’S PRAYERS continued…
(f) Begs forgiveness for treating Krishna, the Infallible One, as an ordinary friend (11.41* – 11.42*)
(g) You are the supreme father (11.43)
(h) Falls to the ground and begs for mercy – Requests Him to tolerate all wrong-doings (11.44) just like –
Analogies:
(i) Requests to withdraw the fearsome Form and reveal the form as Personality of Godhead (11.45)
(j) Wants to see the four-handed form (11.46)
11.40 नमः salutation? पुरस्तात् (from) front? अथ also? पृष्ठतः (from) behind? ते to Thee? नमः salutation? अस्तु be? ते to Thee? सर्वतः on every side? एव even? सर्व O all? अनन्तवीर्य infinite power? अमितविक्रमः infinite in prowess? त्वम् Thou? सर्वम् all? समाप्नोषि pervadest? ततः wherefore? असि (Thou) art? सर्वः all.Commentary The words I prostrate myself before Thee? behind Thee and on every side indicate the allpervading nature of the Lord. How can the allpervading Self have front and back Finite objects only have front and back sides Arjuna imagined that there were front and back sides to the Lord and so prostrated himself in his extreme faith and devotion.O All Nothing exists without Thee. As the Self is allpervading? He is called the All. There is nothing except the Self.On every side? as Thou art present everywhere or in all arters.One may be powerful but may not possess the courage to kill the enemies or he may be endowed with a mild form of courge but the Lord is infinite in courage and infinite in power.Pervadest by Thy One Self.
- Develop 360-degree reverence — Kṛṣṇa is everywhere.
- Bow not just toward an icon but in all directions internally.
- Practice all-sided respect.
- From which side do I most often forget Him?
- What practice would restore the surround?
Imagine standing at the centre of a sphere and bowing — there is no direction that is not 'toward.' Arjuna's obeisance in this verse has lost its directionality because the Lord has filled every direction; bowing forward, backward, and to every side, he ratifies what he has finally seen.
My note
Source: vedabase.io