Gita 11.41
सखेति मत्वा प्रसभं यदुक्तं हे कृष्ण हे यादव हे सखेति।
अजानता महिमानं तवेदं मया प्रमादात्प्रणयेन वापि।।
sakheti matvā prasabhaṁ yad uktaṁ he kṛṣṇa he yādava he sakheti ajānatā mahimānaṁ tavedaṁ mayā pramādāt praṇayena vāpi
"Whatever I said presumptuously, thinking You a friend—'Hey Krishna! Hey Yadava! Hey friend!'—not knowing Your greatness, either through negligence or affection..."
What This Means:
Arjuna apologizes for past casual address—calling Krishna 'Hey!' as a friend without knowing His true greatness. Whether from carelessness (pramada) or affection (pranaya), he was too casual.
Going Deeper:
This shows the tension between intimacy and reverence. Arjuna's friendship with Krishna was genuine, but now he fears it was disrespectful. Intimacy can blind us to majesty.
How To Apply This:
Intimacy with the Divine is precious, but don't lose reverence. You can have both friendship and awe. Arjuna didn't need to abandon closeness—he needed to add respect.
Key Sanskrit Terms:
Sakha= FriendPrasabha= PresumptuouslyPraṇaya= Affection, love