तस्मात्प्रणम्य प्रणिधाय कायं प्रसादये त्वामहमीशमीड्यम् । पितेव पुत्रस्य सखेव सख्युः प्रियः प्रियायार्हसि देव सोढुम् ॥
tasmātpraṇamya praṇidhāya kāyaṃ prasādaye tvāmaham īśamīḍyam | pitieva putrasya sakheva sakhyuḥ priyaḥ priyāyārhasi deva soḍhum ||
Translation
Therefore, bowing down, prostrating my body, I seek Your grace — O Lord, O adorable one. As a father bears with his son, as a friend with a friend, as a lover with the beloved — so, O God, may You bear with me.
Interpretation
The prayer reaches its most intimate moment. Three analogies for the grace Arjuna seeks: father-to-son (a father's patient, unconditional tolerance), friend-to-friend (a friend's understanding and forgiveness), and priya-priyaya (lover-to-beloved — the most tender, most personal bond). Arjuna invokes all three relationships simultaneously — not just the cosmic, not just the formal, but the intimacy of all these bonds combined. This is the fullness of bhakti: the devotee approaching the infinite with complete vulnerability and complete love.