Bhagavad Gita Chapter 11 Verse 41
भगवद् गीता अध्याय 11 श्लोक 41

सखेति मत्वा प्रसभं यदुक्तं
हे कृष्ण हे यादव हे सखेति।
अजानता महिमानं तवेदं
मया प्रमादात्प्रणयेन वापि।।11.41।।



English Translation - Swami Gambirananda
11.41 Without knowing this greatness of Yours, whatever was said by me (to You) rashly, through inadvertence or even out of intimacy, thinking (You to be) a friend, addressing (You) as O krsna, O Yadava, O friend, etc.-.


English Translation - Swami Sivananda
11.41 Whatever I have presumptuously said from carelessness or love, addressing Thee as O Krishna! O Yadava! O Friend! regarding Thee merely as a friend, unknowing of this, Thy greatness.


English Translation - Dr. S. Sankaranarayan
11.41. Taking You for a  [mere]  companion, not knowing this greatness of Yours,  and out of my carelessness or through even affection, whatever I have importunately called You as O Krsna,  O Yadava, O Comrade; and,


English Commentary  - Swami Sivananda
11.41 सखा friend? इति as? मत्वा regarding? प्रसभम् presumptuously? यत् whatever? उक्तम् said? हे कृष्ण O Krishna? हे यादव O Yadava? हे सखा O friend? इति thus? अजानता unknowing? महिमानम् greatness? तव Thy? इदम् this? मया by me? प्रमादात् from carelessness? प्रणयेन due to love? वा or? अपि even.No Commentary.


English Translation of Sanskrit Commentary By Sri Shankaracharya's
11.41 Like a fool, ajanata, without knowing-. Not knowing what? In answer he says: idam, this; mahimanam, greatness-the Cosmic form; tava, of Yours, of God; yat, whatever; uktam, was said; maya, by me (to You); prasabham, rashly, slightingly; pramadat, through inadvertence, being in a distracted state of mind; va api, or even; pranayena, out of intimacy-itimacy is the familiarity arising out of love; whatever I have said because of that reason; erroneously matva, thinking (You); sakha iti, to be a friend, of the same age; iti, addressing You as, O Krsna, O Yadava, O friend,-.
In the clause, tava idam mahimanam, ajanata, without knowing this greatness of Yours, idam (this) (in the neutor gender) is connected with mahimanam (greatness) (in masculine gender) by a change of gender. If the reading be tava imam, then both the words would be in the same gender.


English Translation of Commentary  - Dr. S. Sankaranarayan
11.41 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.


English Translation of Ramanuja's Sanskrit Commentary
11.41 - 11.42 Infinite power, boundless valour, being the Inner Self of everything, being the creator etc., these constitute Your majesty. Being ignorant of this, and considering You only as a friend, and out of conseent love, or negligence born of life-long familiarity, whatever has been said rudely, without showing courtesy, such as O Krsna, O Yadava, O Comrade; and whatever disrespect has been shown to You in jest, while playing or resting, while sitting or eating, while alone or in the sight of others - for all these I beseech forgiveness of You who are in incomprehensible.


Commentary  - Chakravarthi Ji
“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 Krishna, you are well known as the son of Vasudeva who is not famous, who was a human, a mediocre fighter on the same chariot as another fighter. I, Arjuna, am well known as the son of a king, Pandu, a great warrior fighting on his own chariot. O Yadava, you do not have the king’s position in the Yadu dynasty. But 1 have kingship over the Puru dynasty. (The samdhi of sakha with iti is poetic license) O friend, 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 ksamaye. The proper form of the verb would be ksamayam (I should beg for forgiveness).
Either through negligence or out of affection, not knowing you as the universal form (mahimanam), I have treated you badly during leisure and other times, in order to joke. I have scolded you with crooked 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 samaksam). O master, I beg you to forgive me (ksamaye).


Rudra Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary

Arjuna is humbly  beseeching  the  Supreme  Lord  to  forgive  him  for  any
impropriety he may have inadvertently made  before  he  was  aware  of  Lord
Krishnas supreme ultimate position as the creator of all. Whatever  he  may
have done  rashly,  inopportunely  or  accidentally  he  is  imploring  Lord
Krishna for forgiveness for them all. What are these things he is  referring
to? Some are his words of simple address such as calling out O  Krishna  or
not even using His name but simply calling Him O Yadava the royal  clan  of
kings from which He appeared in. Other  ways  are  eating  before  He  eats,
sitting before He  sits,  resting  before  He  rests  etc.  The  reason  for
addressing Lord Krishna inappropriately is that he  was  completely  unaware
of His impeccable greatness  being  ignorant  of  His  visvarupa  or  divine
universal form.  Then  Arjuna  addresses  Lord  Krishna  as  Acyuta  meaning
infallible, whose glory  is  one  and  entreats  Him  that  if  in  any  way
whatsoever He may have been slighted or minimised in fun  or  by  chance  in
the presence of companions or just the two of them; all those  unintentional
offences should be kindly forgiven as well. In this way Arjuna requests  the
omnipotent and omniscient Supreme Lord Krishna to forgive him fully.


Brahma Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary





Lord Krishna is addressed as acyuta meaning He who is infallible.  The  word
ekah refers to Him being the one and only, the best of all beings.  It  also
denotes the knower of all things eka eva  karoti  yat   which  means  as  He
alone does.


Shri Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary





In regard to not knowing the extent of Lord Krishnas  glory,  His  infinite
power, His  immeasurable  prowess,  His  omnipresent  nature  as  being  all
pervasive, His greatness as the sole creator  of  all  creation;  Arjuna  is
apologising that he  might  have  through  heedlessness,  or  folly  due  to
familiarity might have put himself on equal status as the Supreme  Lord  and
out of affection and friendship might have addressed Him disrespectfully  by
calling Him simply as He Krishna or He sakhe O friend or  He  Yadava  which
is the name of the family clan in which He appeared. Addressing the  Supreme
Lord such could be taken as  lacking  in  humility.  Also  on  occasions  of
jesting and merriment while sitting, eating  and  resting  together  if  any
impropriety or omission of proper respect was inadvertently  committed  then
for all these indiscretions  Lord  Krishna  is  being  humbly  beseeched  to
forgive.


Kumara Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary
In regard to not knowing the extent of Lord Krishnas  glory,  His  infinite
power, His  immeasurable  prowess,  His  omnipresent  nature  as  being  all
pervasive, His greatness as the sole creator  of  all  creation;  Arjuna  is
apologising that he  might  have  through  heedlessness,  or  folly  due  to
familiarity might have put himself on equal status as the Supreme  Lord  and
out of affection and friendship might have addressed Him disrespectfully  by
calling Him simply as He Krishna or He sakhe O friend or  He  Yadava  which
is the name of the family clan in which He appeared. Addressing the  Supreme
Lord such could be taken as  lacking  in  humility.  Also  on  occasions  of
jesting and merriment while sitting, eating  and  resting  together  if  any
impropriety or omission of proper respect was inadvertently  committed  then
for all these indiscretions  Lord  Krishna  is  being  humbly  beseeched  to
forgive.


Transliteration Bhagavad Gita 11.41Sakheti matwaa prasabham yaduktamHe krishna he yaadava he sakheti;
Ajaanataa mahimaanam tavedamMayaa pramaadaat pranayena vaapi.


Word Meanings Bhagavad Gita 11.41sakhā—friend; iti—as; matvā—thinking; prasabham—presumptuously; yat—whatever; uktam—addressed; he kṛiṣhṇa—O Shree Krishna; he yādava—O Shree Krishna, who was born in the Yadu clan; he sakhe—O my dear mate; iti—thus; ajānatā—in ignorance; mahimānam—majesty; tava—your; idam—this; mayā—by me; pramādāt—out of negligence; praṇayena—out of affection; vā api—or else; 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