Devanagari
स वै न आद्य: पुरुष: स्वमायामोहितात्मनाम् ।
अविज्ञतानुभावानां क्षन्तुमर्हत्यतिक्रमम् ॥ ५१ ॥
Verse text
sa vai na ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ
sva-māyā-mohitātmanām
avijṣatānubhāvānāṁ
kṣantum arhaty atikramam
Synonyms
saḥ
—
He
;
vai
—
indeed
;
naḥ
—
our
;
ādyaḥ
—
the primeval Lord
;
puruṣaḥ
—
the Supreme Personality of Godhead
;
sva
—
mayā — mohita — ātmanām — of those whose minds have been bewildered by His illusory potency
;
avijṣāta
—
who did not understand
;
anubhāvānām
—
His influence
;
kṣantum
—
to forgive
;
arhati
—
should
;
atikramam
—
the offense .
Translation
We were bewildered by Lord Kṛṣṇa’s illusory potency and thus could not understand His influence as the original Personality of Godhead. Now we hope He will kindly forgive our offense.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
We were bewildered by Lord Kṛṣṇa's illusory potency and thus could not understand His influence as the original Personality of Godhead. Now we hope He will kindly forgive our offense.
KB 10.23.51
“We therefore pray to the Lord to be kind enough to excuse us because we are simply captivated by His external energy. We transgressed His order without knowing His transcendental glories.”
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Why did the brahmanas not surrender to Krsna just then, by going to the forest of asoka trees, or later, by going to Vraja. This verse answers. At that moment, they were bewildered by grief and guilt and they were not in common agreement. Thus they did not go to the asoka grove. After some time passed, in the evening, when they agreed that they would go to Vraja, they could not go. The word "ca" indicates they made movements to go, but could not. Suddenly it occurred to all of them at the same time that Kamsa was present. They were afraid that Kamsa, hearing through messengers that they were going to Vraja, would kill them. However, fear of being killed did not create an obstacle for the wives to see Krsna. The reason was their prema. It should be understood that the shadow of fear in the brahmana’s minds that prevented them from meeting Krsna was caused by Krsna’s potency of maya.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Filled with great humility they ask Kṛṣṇa for forgiveness. Kṛṣṇa (saḥ) should forgive our offense because we did not know his glory (anubhāvānām), since we were bewildered by his māyā. If we have made offense, then he should forgive that offense like a father of the brāhmaṇas, since they arise from his head when he is the form of the first puruṣaḥ (ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ) with a thousand heads. Or, he is the best (ādyaḥ) person. Therefore he should forgive the offense of these most fallen brāhmaṇas. Moreover he is the antaryāmī (resting in the heart—puruṣaḥ). Thus he has made us act in this way. Or, he is the supreme person (ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ). Therefore he should forgive us since he is affection for brāhmaṇas and fallen souls as his natural quality.