tasmāt praṇamya praṇidhāya kāyaḿ
prasādaye tvām aham īśam īḍyam
piteva putrasya sakheva sakhyuḥ
priyaḥ priyāyārhasi deva soḍhum
Translation of Bhagavad Gita 11.44
You are the Supreme Lord, to be worshiped by every living being. Thus I fall down to offer You my respectful obeisances and ask Your mercy. As a father tolerates the impudence of his son, or a friend tolerates the impertinence of a friend, or a wife tolerates the familiarity of her partner, please tolerate the wrongs I may have done You.
Commentary by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
Krishna’s devotees relate to Krishna in various relationships; one might treat Krishna as a son, or one might treat Krishna as a husband, as a friend, or as a master. Krishna and Arjuna are related in friendship. As the father tolerates, or the husband or a master tolerates, so Krishna tolerates.
Commentary by Sri Vishvanatha Chakravarthi Thakur of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
Pranidhaya means placing the body on the earth like a rod, out of respect. The samdhi in priyayarhasi is poetic license.
Commentary by Sri Ramanuja of Sri Sampradaya:
11.44 Therefore, bowing down and prostrating, I implore You, O adorable Lord, for Your mercy. Just as, when entreated with salutation, a father will show mercy to his son, or a friend to a friend, even if he has been at fault, even so it is meet that You, most compassionate and dear to me, should bear with me, who is dear to You in all respects.
Commentary by Sri Sridhara Swami of Rudra Sampradaya:
Lord Krishna is addressed as isam idyam the most adorable Lord and is humbly entreated to be merciful and compassionate. How is He being entreated? The phrase pranidhaya kayam which means falling flat like a stick when prostrating oneself answers this question. By Arjuna supplicating himself in total surrender warrants Lord Krishna to forgive him and excuse his offenses. In what way should Lord Krishna forgive the offences? As a father forgives the offences made by a son, or as a friend tolerates the mistakes of another friend or as a lover excuses the fault of a beloved. In all these ways Lord Krishna is being earnestly beseeched to forgive as well.
Commentary by Sri Madhvacharya of Brahma Sampradaya:
Sri Madhvacharya did not comment on this sloka.
Commentary by Sri Keshava Kashmiri of Kumara Sampradaya:
Since the Supreme Lord Krishna is the highest object of adoration and attainment beyond comparison to anything else it is natural that Arjuna seeking to propitiate Him would prostrate his full body upon the ground in supplication. The Supreme Lord who is worthy of all praise and honour from everyone. Who has equanimity towards all. Who is the complete refuge of everyone is being humbly beseeched by Arjuna to mercifully forgive any offences he may have incurred exactly like a father, a friend or a lover mercifully forgives the faults of a son, another friend and the beloved respectively. The word arhasi means be merciful and the word sodhum means forgive.
Commentary by Sri Adi Shankaracharya of Advaita Sampradaya:
11.44 Tasmat, therefore; pranamya, by bowing down; and pranidhaya kayam, prostrating, laying, the body completely down; prasadaye, I seek to propitiate; tvam, You; who are isam, God, the Lord; and are idyam, adorable. Deva, O God; You are Your part, arhasi, should; sodhum, bear with, i.e. forgive (my faults); iva, as would; a pita, father; forgive all the faults putrasya, of a son; and as a sakha, friend; the fautls sakhyuh, of a friend; or as a priyah, lover; forgives the faults priyayah, of a beloved.
Commentary by Sri Abhinavagupta of Kaula Tantra Sampradaya:
11.44 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Sanskrit Shloka Without Transliteration Marks:
tasmat pranamya pranidhaya kayam
prasadaye tvam aham isam idyam
piteva putrasya sakheva sakhyuh
priyah priyayarhasi deva sodhum
Sanskrit to English Word for Word Meanings:
tasmāt — therefore; praṇamya — offering obeisances; praṇidhāya — laying down; kāyam — the body; prasādaye — to beg mercy; tvām — unto You; aham — I; īśam — unto the Supreme Lord; īḍyam — worshipable; pitā iva — like a father; putrasya — with a son; sakhā iva — like a friend; sakhyuḥ — with a friend; priyaḥ — a lover; priyāyāḥ — with the dearmost; arhasi — You should; deva — my Lord; soḍhum — tolerate.
