Bhagavad Gita BG 11.32
Chapter 11, Verse 32 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
श्रीभगवानुवाच कालोऽस्मि लोकक्षयकृत् प्रवृद्धो लोकान्समाहर्तुमिह प्रवृत्तः । ऋतेऽपि त्वां न भविष्यन्ति सर्वे येऽवस्थिताः प्रत्यनीकेषु योधाः ॥
shri bhagavan uvaca kalo 'smi loka-kshaya-krt pravrddhah lokan samahartu miha pravrttah rte 'pi tvam na bhavishyanti sarve ye 'vasthitah pratya-nikeshu yodhah
Meaning
The Blessed Lord said: I am Time, the great World-Destroyer, matured, engaged here in destroying the worlds. Even without you, all the warriors arrayed in the opposing armies shall cease to exist.
Understanding
The most famous declaration in the Gita. Kalo 'smi loka-kshaya-krt pravrddhah (I am Time, the great world-destroyer, fully matured/grown). Lokan samahartu miha pravrttah (engaged here in the destruction of the worlds). And the crucial personal implication: rte api tvam (even without you — even if you do not act) — na bhavishyanti sarve (all of them shall not be — shall cease to exist) — ye avasthitah pratyanikeshu yodhah (these warriors arrayed in the opposing armies). This is the core teaching: the warriors are already dead by the working of Time/Karma. Arjuna is not the cause; he is the occasion.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| कालः | kalah | Time, Kala (the Cosmic Devourer) |
| लोकक्षयकृत् | loka-kshaya-krt | world-destroyer, cause of the world's dissolution |
| प्रवृद्धः | pravrddhah | fully grown, matured, developed |
| समाहर्तुम् | samahartu | to destroy, to bring together (into dissolution) |
| ऋते अपि | rte api | even without, even excepting you |
| श्री भगवान् उवाच | śrī bhagavān uvāca | the blessed Lord said |
| कालः | kālaḥ | time, the destroyer |
| अस्मि | asmi | I am |
| लोक-क्षय-कृत् | loka-kṣaya-kṛt | destroyer of worlds |
| प्रवृद्धः | pravṛddhaḥ | grown great, mighty |
| लोकान् | lokān | the worlds |
| समाहर्तुम् | samāhartum | to destroy, to devour |
| इह | iha | here |
| प्रवृत्तः | pravṛttaḥ | engaged, proceeding |
| ऋते | ṛte | except for, without |
| अपि | api | even |
| त्वाम् | tvām | you |
| न | na | not |
| भविष्यन्ति | bhaviṣyanti | will exist, will survive |
| सर्वे | sarve | all |
| ये | ye | those who |
| अवस्थिताः | avasthitāḥ | arrayed, standing |
| प्रत्य-नीकेषु | pratya-nīkeṣu | in the opposing armies |
| योधाः | yodhāḥ | warriors, soldiers |