BG 11.42 — Viśvarūpa-Darśana-Yoga

Bhagavad Gītā 11.42Chapter 11 · Viśvarūpa-Darśana-Yoga · Krishna → Arjuna · upajāti

यच् चावहासार्थमसत्कृतो ऽसि विहारशय्यासनभोजनेषु ।

एको ऽथ वाप्यच्युत तत्समक्षं तत् क्षामये त्वामहमप्रमेयम् ॥

yac cāvahāsārtham asatkṛto 'si

vihāra-śayyāsana-bhojaneṣu

eko 'tha vāpy acyuta tat-samakṣaṃ

tat kṣāmaye tvām aham aprameyam

spokensingle-voice recital; rendered via IndicF5 conditioned on a Sanskrit reference clip

meaning

For teasing you in play, at rest, at meals, and in travel, whether alone or in front of others who laughed along, forgive me, Acyuta, whose greatness I could not fathom.

ekras · bhāṣya

In jest — in vihara, on the bed, at the seat, at meals — whether alone or before others — Achyuta — for that, I beg your pardon, aprameya. The verse is precise: the disciple lists the daily intimacies that, in retrospect, took Krishna's measure too lightly.

Shankara reads each context. Vihara — playful sport. Shayya — bed. Asana — seat. Bhojana — meals. Each is a sphere where the disciple was casual. Avahasa-artham — for the sake of joking. A-sat-kritah — disrespected. Whether alone or with others present, the disciple acknowledges the casual disregard and asks pardon.

Madhusudana reads with characteristic warmth: the verse is the bhakta's complete inventory of the friendship's daily intimacy. The verse is not breaking the friendship; it is acknowledging the asymmetry that the friendship has been resting upon.

Krishna's compassion has carried it.

Ramanuja reads with characteristic warmth: Bhagavan is pati-vatsala — like a father with a child — and accepts the casual intimacies because of his own affectionate nature. The disciple asks pardon as a structural acknowledgment, not because the affection was wrong.

Madhva reads on the bheda-frame: the eternally distinct jiva acknowledges the inappropriate familiarity from the standpoint of structural dependence.

Vallabha reads through pushti-marga: the friendship's intimacies were prasada; the bhakta now asks pardon because the recognition has shifted.

Shridhara reads cleanly: jest, sport, bed, seat, meals; alone or with others; please forgive.

Context

where

Chapter 11 · Viśvarūpa-Darśana-Yoga · meter upajāti

who speaks

Krishna → Arjuna

preceded by — BG 11.41

Not knowing your true greatness, I called out to you as “Krishna, Yadava, friend” with careless familiarity, whether from distraction or the ease of affection.

What's going on

For teasing you in play, at rest, at meals, and in travel, whether alone or in front of others who laughed along, forgive me, Acyuta, whose greatness I could not fathom.

Sūtras through this verse (46)

AbhinavaguptaclassicalB

Recognition, not additionbetween

11.1Now: experience what was taught.───→here11.42───→11.55See the world as Śiva's own body.

RāmānujaclassicalB

The śāstra is one bracket (2.12 → 18.66)between

11.1Arjuna confirms the bracket from inside.───→here11.42───→18.66The teaching closes with one command.

VallabhaclassicalA

Two paths — rule-bound and grace-onlybetween

10.14Faith comes only from the Lord's own giving.───→here11.42───→11.55Grace-soul acts only when the Lord wills.

show all 46

AbhinavaguptaclassicalC

Vision is the structural centerbetween

11.8The eye is given, never earned by work.───→here11.42───→11.49Cosmic returns to gracious; ananya means non-dual.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalD

Avatāra: appearance without departurebetween

9.4He pervades, yet is not in any of it.───→here11.42───→11.46Cosmic and gracious one self-luminous.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalG

Saṃvit: one referent under many namesbetween

11.34Consciousness itself swallows the cosmos.───→here11.42───→12.5Every 'Me' from Krishna is Śiva-consciousness speaking.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalH

Bhakti as non-dual recognitionbetween

9.22Consciousness tending its own self-knowing modes.───→here11.42───→11.49Ananya bhakti is non-dual recognition.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalI

Anugraha: grace as the active powerbetween

11.35By grace-nature, the secret discloses itself.───→here11.42───→18.62Peace by grace — never by accumulation of work.

RāmānujaclassicalC

Three ṣaṭkas (1–6 / 7–12 / 13–18)between

11.1The aiśvarya-delusion now to be removed.───→here11.42───→12.1Sa-guṇa or nir-guṇa, which path wins?

RāmānujaclassicalD

Karma-yoga as kainkarya (worship)between

9.27Whatever you do, do it as offering.───→here11.42───→11.55Five clauses, one shelter: mat-karma-kṛt.

RāmānujaclassicalE

Bhakti as continuous recollectionbetween

10.10I give the buddhi-yoga to those who love.───→here11.42───→11.54Undivided love beholds it.

RāmānujaclassicalH

Prapatti / śaraṇāgati — universal upāyabetween

9.32Even the lowest birth reaches Me through this.───→here11.42───→11.55Five clauses for the one who is Mine.

RāmānujaclassicalI

Vibhūti as evidence for antaryāminbetween

11.13Arjuna sees all at once.───→here11.42───→13.2The whole vibhūti clinches sāmānādhikaraṇya.

RāmānujaclassicalJ

Śeṣa-śeṣī · pati-vrata similebetween

9.34Set toward Me, the seeker's whole posture.───→here11.42───→11.55He is the one telos.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalE

Field and field-knower as Parameśvaraapproach

───→here11.42───→13.1One knower in every field — Parameśvara.

RāmānujaclassicalK

Tri-guṇa diagnostic for the bhaktaapproach

───→here11.42───→13.20Both natures cause the body's binding.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalA

Knowing and acting are one powerexit

11.34Already slain — the question is finally retired.───→here11.42───→

Madhusūdanaclassicalmadhusudan_bhagavad_arpana

Madhusudan Bhagavad Arpanabetween · other

9.22Yogakshema as offering returned───→here11.42───→11.55Five offering-clauses

MadhusūdanaclassicalD

Offer the act to the Lord and it stops bindingbetween

9.22The undivided ones the Lord himself sustains.───→here11.42───→11.55The whole Gītā distilled to five offering-clauses.

MadhusūdanaclassicalE

Devotion is how knowing actually arrivesbetween

9.22Constant thought of Me is self-contemplation itself.───→here11.42───→11.55The five-clause crystal is bhakti named whole.

MadhusūdanaclassicalF

Every middle chapter opens with a bow to the teacherbetween

11.1I worship the unborn, the self-luminous teacher.───→here11.42───→11.55With awe I praise him, Kāśirāja, my teacher.

MadhusūdanaclassicalH

Krishna with form is the ground beneath formless Brahmanbetween

10.8From Me everything flows; wise ones know this and worship.───→here11.42───→11.55The crystal verse names the saguṇa in absolute form.

MadhusūdanaclassicalK

Arjuna's grief has two roots, not onebetween

11.1Arjuna marks the universal moha cured.───→here11.42───→18.73Confusion gone, memory gained — the cure complete.

JayatīrthaclassicalC

Refuting Śaṅkara-style readings, named or unnamedbetween

11.16Aneka- is not just two-or-more.───→here11.42───→13.5Brahma-sūtra is text, not just utterance.

JayatīrthaclassicalE

Vishnu-sarvottamatva read into apparently neutral wordsbetween

11.16Many-armed is Viṣṇu, not a pantheon.───→here11.42───→12.1Beyond avyakta is puruṣa, and Viṣṇu.

JayatīrthaclassicalF

Bhakti-tāratamya: gradation among devotees, gradation in fruitbetween

9.25Each worship reaches its own destination.───→here11.42───→11.55Five-clause sādhana names the apex.

JayatīrthaclassicalG

Citation as proof — śruti, smṛti, MB, Aṣṭādhyāyī, Pañcarātrabetween

11.16Aṣṭādhyāyī 5.4.78 settles aneka-.───→here11.42───→15.1Aṣṭādhyāyī 3.2.4 settles aśvattha.

JayatīrthaclassicalI

Lakṣaṇā-control — literal preferred when availablebetween

11.16Aneka- means many; no upacāra needed.───→here11.42───→13.5Brahma-sūtra is text, not paraphrase.

VallabhaclassicalB

Grace alone — the technical markbetween

9.32The unsheltered take shelter and reach Me.───→here11.42───→11.54Undivided love — sādhana stripped, grace-clothed.

VallabhaclassicalG

The Lord plays — calf-affection, not contractbetween

9.32The unsheltered run to their cowherd-Lord.───→here11.42───→11.54The form revealed is Krishna in blue, not abstract.

VallabhaclassicalH

Stilling the mind — into the Lordbetween

6.47Stilling the mind into Vāsudeva — not into nothing.───→here11.42───→11.54Vision opens only to the love-stilled mind.

VallabhaclassicalI

A closed three-source citation gridbetween

9.32Even the unsheltered reach the highest goal.───→here11.42───→11.54Bhāgavata + Brahmasūtra fuse at the vision-verse.

VallabhaclassicalJ

Strategic silence — pointers, not absencesbetween

11.21The cosmic-form catalogue is bracketed.───→here11.42───→11.45The frame, not the catalogue, carries the doctrine.

ŚrīdharaclassicalB

The Lord descends out of compassionbetween

11.1By high compassion He showed the world-form.───→here11.42───→11.43Teacher, and teacher's teacher beyond compare.

ŚrīdharaclassicalC

Devotion is both the way and the homebetween

9.34Mind on Me, bowed to Me — you reach Me.───→here11.42───→11.54By undivided love alone — knowable, seen.

ŚrīdharaclassicalH

The grammar of single-pointednessbetween

9.22The undivided are my one foundation.───→here11.42───→11.54Undivided love alone unlocks the world-form.

ŚrīdharaclassicalD

The path that turns no one awayexit

9.32Women, śūdras, all, also reach the goal.───→here11.42───→

VedāntadeśikaclassicalB

Prapatti — bhakti's access for those the long path defeatsbetween

9.34Mind on Me, devoted — you reach Me.───→here11.42───→11.54Bhakti without rival is the seeing-instrument.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalF

Saṅgati — anticipation-and-resolutionbetween

9.1Chapter 7's residue of wonder forces 9's disclosure.───→here11.42───→11.54The saguṇa-bhakta privileged ahead of 12.1.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalJ

Sañjaya's frame — evidentiary, not ornamentalbetween

1.2Dṛṣṭvā tu — Sañjaya speaks to be heard later.───→here11.42───→11.50Sañjaya names the viśva-rūpa as witness.

Ekrasmodernbhakti

Bhakti — devotion pathbetween · v2

9.30Even the wrong-doer───→here11.42───→11.54Only by undivided bhakti

RamsukhdasclassicalF

Surrender — the single shelterbetween

9.30Even a great wrongdoer, fixed on Me, is good.───→here11.42───→11.55Five clauses join into one shelter.

Ramsukhdasclassical

Sādhaka Sañjīvanī commentary at this versebetween

───→here11.42───→

Ekrasmodernforgiveness

Forgivenessapproach · other

───→here11.42───→12.13Friendly, compassionate

Gauravmodernkarma_yoga_hand

Karma Yoga Handbetween

11.32Wrist, kalai. Kala, time. 'Kalo'smi loka-kshaya-krit pravriddhah.' Gaurav arrive───→here11.42───→18.47Pointing finger. Svadharma. 'Shreyan svadharmo vigunah para-dharmat svanushthita

ŚaṅkaraclassicalH

The Lord is friend of every beingbetween

10.42With one part I pervade this whole world, and stand.───→here11.42───→11.55Acting for Me, holding Me supreme — that is the road.

Śabda · lemmas (21 unique · 22 occurrences)

अच्युत acyuta — the unfallen, imperishable (a- + cyuta, from √cyu); epithet of Kṛṣṇa · vocative masculine singular noun
क्षामये √kṣāmay — to pardon, ask forgiveness (caus. of √kṣam) · present indicative 1st person singular verb
शय्या śayyā — bed, couch (from √śī 'lie down') · compound
त्वाम् tvad — you (2nd person pronoun stem) · accusative singular noun · also at 10.13, 11.44, 12.1, 12.5
अप्रमेयम् aprameya — immeasurable (a- + prameya, from pra- + √mā 'measure') · accusative masculine singular noun

show all 21

तद्·तत् tad ×2 — that (distal demonstrative); also 3rd-person pronoun · compound / accusative neuter singular noun
यत् yat — who, which (relative pronoun, variant of yad); also: to strive, exert (verbal root)
च ca — and; (homonym: also the consonant ca)
अवहास avahāsa — ridicule, mockery (ava- + √has) · compound
अर्थम् artha — meaning, purpose, wealth, goal · accusative masculine singular noun
असत्कृतः a-√satkṛ — to dishonor (asat + √kṛ: 'to make untrue / treat as nothing') · nominative masculine singular participle noun
असि √as — to be (verbal root) · present indicative 2nd person singular verb
विहार vihāra — recreation, sport, walking about (vi- + √hṛ) · compound
आसन āsana — seat, posture (from √ās 'sit') · compound
भोजनेषु bhojana — food, eating (from √bhuj) · locative neuter plural noun
एकः eka — one, alone, single · nominative masculine singular noun
अथ atha — now, then (auspicious opening particle)
वा vā — or; either-or; (also: alternative)
अपि api — also, even, although
समक्षम् samakṣa — before the eyes, in presence of (sam + akṣi) · accusative neuter singular noun
अहम् mad — I, me (1st person pronoun stem); also: to rejoice (verbal root) · nominative singular noun

Praśna · so what (7)

01What does it mean to dishonor the sacred through casual familiarity — and is intimacy always a spiritual risk or sometimes a grace?
02Arjuna's offense was unknowing (ajānatayā): does the quality of ignorance — whether willful, innocent, or structural — change the nature of the moral wrong?

show all 7

03Each school reads 'aprameya' (immeasurable) differently as the ground for forgiveness: is forgiveness possible only from one who is beyond being wounded, or can the wounded also forgive completely?
04The verse lists vihāra, śayyā, āsana, bhojana — the most embodied, mundane domains of life. Why does the cosmic apology land precisely here, in the everyday, not in battle or doctrine?
05Madhva's 'ekas tvam eva kārayitā' (you alone are the agent) implies even Arjuna's disrespect was Hari's permission. Can an act be a genuine transgression if the one offended permitted it?
06Vallabha sees Arjuna's error as misreading tāmasic-appearing līlā as actual limitation. How do we distinguish divine concealment from human failure in those we love or follow?
07The word 'eka' — alone, singular — appears for both Arjuna (sinning in private) and Kṛṣṇa (singled out publicly). What does it mean when solitude and exposure share the same word in a moment of reckoning?

Vyavahāra · try it in your life

Advaita

When you realize you have treated something sacred — a teacher, a practice, a moment of clarity — as ordinary furniture in your life, the Advaita move is not endless guilt but precise naming: catalogue the exact moments (aprameya is beyond measure, so your offense is also beyond individual accounting), offer the aggregate, and recognize that the witness who receives the apology is the same awareness that was never actually diminished. The apology is for you, not for what is beyond measurement.

Viśiṣṭādvaita

Rāmānuja's lens asks: who in your life have you addressed by their casual name and role when they deserved their full dignity? A parent called only by function, a teacher treated as a service-provider, a colleague whose depth you never acknowledged. The practice is to reconstruct their mahimā — their actual qualities, not your projection — and let that recognition be the act of forgiveness-seeking. Dishonor rooted in ajānatā (not-knowing) is healed by learning, not only by apology.

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Dvaita

Madhva's compressed teaching lands hard in workplaces and institutions: if you have treated the source of your competence, opportunity, or formation as a peer you can casually override, the corrective is not self-flagellation but ontological reorientation — they are not your equal in this axis, and pretending otherwise was the error. Re-establish the proper hierarchy not through submission but through accurate acknowledgment of where the real agency lies.

Śuddhādvaita

Vallabha's application: when someone you dismissed as limited or ordinary suddenly reveals an unexpected depth — a parent you thought you'd outgrown, a friend whose suffering you underestimated — the sampratam (now, at this moment) is the grace-point. Do not explain the past. Do not negotiate the apology. Receive the revelation, let it transform the relationship forward, and treat what prasāda asks for as what it is: an act of receiving, not performing.

Bhakti

Śrīdhara's double reading of 'eka' is the practical gift: whether your disrespect was private (something only you and the other person know) or public (witnessed by a community), both require the same aparādhajāta offering. Stop calculating which offenses 'count enough' to apologize for. The aggregate is the unit. Name the whole thing, not only the visible part.

Advaita-Bhakti

Madhusūdana's synthesis offers the hardest and most freeing daily application: the person you wronged may be, in their deepest nature, nirvikāra (unchanged by your offense) — and yet the full weight of aparādhajāta still demands expression from you. The practice is to hold both simultaneously: do not use their imperviousness as an excuse to skip the apology, and do not use the apology as proof of their woundedness. Offer it fully, knowing it is received by one who needed it less than you needed to give it.

Adhiṣṭhāna · substrate signature

substratev2.6-frozen

parserByT5-Sanskrit-multitask (Nehrdich/Hellwig/Keutzer EMNLP 2024)

mūlaBelvalkar critical edition (BORI 1947), via Ambuda multi-witness

show all metadata

weightsa=1 · b=0.01 · e_v=0.005 · z=0.2 · h=0 · th=0.01

anchorfit on Ramsukhdas's Sādhak Sañjīvanī (1980), frozen across the eight-commentator panel; cross-validated R@4 = 71.6% on Śaṅkara

extracted2026-04-21

methodPaper 1, Section II.B

↓ view raw per-verse object (JSON)↗ per-verse-object schema ↗ substrate code (MIT) + data (CC-BY 4.0)

The schema generalizes to any bounded-polysemy corpus with discrete primary text units, attested witness traditions, identifiable schools, and formal substrate. Port the per-verse object; refit weights on a domain-appropriate Layer-3 anchor; ship.

Bhagavad Gītā Chapter 11, Verse 42: Krishna to Arjuna — Viśvarūpa-Darśana-Yoga