Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 11, verse 32 · Krishna
Bhagavad Gita 11.32 · Kalo Asmi Lokakshayakrit
कालोऽस्मि लोकक्षयकृत्प्रवृद्धो
लोकान्समाहर्तुमिह प्रवृत्तः ।
ऋतेऽपि त्वां न भविष्यन्ति सर्वे
येऽवस्थिताः प्रत्यनीकेषु योधाः ॥
kālo’smi lokakṣayakṛtpravṛddho
lokānsamāhartumiha pravṛttaḥ |
ṛte’pi tvāṃ na bhaviṣyanti sarve
ye’vasthitāḥ pratyanīkeṣu yodhāḥ ||
Translation
The Lord said: I am Time, grown mighty, the destroyer of worlds, here engaged in drawing in the worlds. Even without you, none of the warriors arrayed in the opposing armies will survive.
Explanation
Spoken from the cosmic form. J. Robert Oppenheimer famously recalled a version of this line after the first atomic test. In the Gita it teaches Arjuna that he is an instrument of a far larger order.
Context
Spoken by Krishna in chapter 11, Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga — “The Vision of the Universal Form”, which has 55 verses.
Frequently asked questions
What does Bhagavad Gita 11.32 mean?
The Lord said: I am Time, grown mighty, the destroyer of worlds, here engaged in drawing in the worlds. Even without you, none of the warriors arrayed in the opposing armies will survive.
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 11.32?
Krishna, speaking to Arjuna, in chapter 11, Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga (The Vision of the Universal Form).
Sanskrit text: traditional, public domain. Translation and explanation are our own.