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Bhagavad-gītā 11.32

श्रीभगवानुवाच कालोऽस्मि लोकक्षयकृत्प्रवृद्धो लोकान्समाहर्तुमिह प्रवृत्त: । ‍ऋतेऽपि त्वां न भविष्यन्ति सर्वे येऽवस्थिता: प्रत्यनीकेषु योधा: ॥ ३२ ॥
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
[shree-bhagavaan uvaacha]
kālo ’smi loka-kṣaya-kṛt pravṛddho
[kaalo ’smi loka-kshaya-krit pravriddho]
lokān samāhartum iha pravṛttaḥ
[lokaan samaahartum iha pravrittah]
ṛte ’pi tvāṁ na bhaviṣyanti sarve
[rite ’pi tvaam na bhavishyanti sarve]
ye ’vasthitāḥ praty-anīkeṣu yodhāḥ
[ye ’vasthitaah praty-aneekeshu yodhaah]
Word-for-word
śrī - bhagavān uvāca — the Personality of Godhead said kālaḥ — time asmi — I am loka — of the worlds kṣaya - kṛt — the destroyer pravṛddhaḥ — great lokān — all people samāhartum — in destroying iha — in this world pravṛttaḥ — engaged ṛte — without, except for api — even tvām — you na — never bhaviṣyanti — will be sarve — all ye — who avasthitāḥ — situated prati - anīkeṣu — on the opposite sides yodhāḥ — the soldiers .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
śrī - bhagavān uvāca
the Personality of Godhead said
kālo ’smi loka-kṣaya-kṛt pravṛddho
kālaḥ
time
lokān samāhartum iha pravṛttaḥ
ṛte ’pi tvāṁ na bhaviṣyanti sarve
ye ’vasthitāḥ praty-anīkeṣu yodhāḥ
asmi
I am
loka
of the worlds
kṣaya - kṛt
the destroyer
pravṛddhaḥ
great
lokān
all people
samāhartum
in destroying
iha
in this world
pravṛttaḥ
engaged
ṛte
without, except for
api
even
tvām
you
na
never
bhaviṣyanti
will be
sarve
all
ye
who
avasthitāḥ
situated
prati - anīkeṣu
on the opposite sides
yodhāḥ
the soldiers .
Important Words
  • kālaḥ — Time
    Nominative — and one of the most consequential single words Kṛṣṇa speaks in the Gītā. He identifies Himself not as a god above time but as Time itself. The Bhāgavatam will later devote entire books to expanding this declaration.
  • asmi — I am
    First-person singular of as. Two-word self-identification: kālo 'smi. The form of the great I-am statements that punctuate chapters 7, 9, 10, and 15.
  • kṣaya - kṛt — the destroyer
    Compound: kṣaya (decay) + kṛt (doer). The agent-noun for the active wasting-away of things. Time is not passive decay; it is active doing.
  • pravṛddhaḥ — grown fully
    Past participle of pra-vṛdh, 'to grow completely.' Time has come to its full strength at this moment of the war. The verb implies that destruction is in its appointed season.
  • samāhartum — to engage in destruction
    Infinitive of sam-ā-hṛ, 'to draw together and take.' Even destruction is a gathering — the Lord is collecting what is His.
  • ṛte — except for
    Indeclinable — 'apart from.' Even without Arjuna's action, the result will occur. Arjuna is offered a part, not the only part.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Time I am, the great destroyer of the worlds, and I have come here to destroy all people. With the exception of you [the Pāṇḍavas], all the soldiers here on both sides will be slain.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Kṛṣṇa answers: 'I am Time, swollen, destroyer of worlds.' The fierce form is not a side-aspect — it is His identity as cosmic time-process. Whether or not Arjuna fights, the warriors before him are already on their way out. His action neither causes nor prevents.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The most famous verse of the chapter — quoted by J. Robert Oppenheimer at Trinity. 'Kālaḥ asmi' identifies Kṛṣṇa with kāla, the principle that ripens and reaps every being. The argument is liberating, not crushing: Arjuna's anguish in ch. 1 over killing kinsmen presupposed that his fighting decided their deaths. The cosmic vision shows him that death is already underway by another agent.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
लोक-क्षय-कृत् प्रवृद्धः कालः अस्मि; इह लोकान् समाहर्तुं प्रवृत्तः (अस्मि); प्रति-अनीकेषु अवस्थिताः ये सर्वे योधाः, त्वाम् ऋते अपि (ते) न भविष्यन्ति ।
loka-kṣaya-kṛt pravṛddhaḥ kālaḥ asmi; iha lokān samāhartuṃ pravṛttaḥ (asmi); prati-anīkeṣu avasthitāḥ ye sarve yodhāḥ, tvām ṛte api (te) na bhaviṣyanti |
I am Time, grown mighty, destroyer of the worlds; here I am set out to gather in the worlds. Even without you, all the warriors arrayed in the opposing battle-ranks shall cease to be.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
श्री-भगवान् उवाच
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
कालः अस्मि लोक-क्षय-कृत् प्रवृद्धः लोकान् समाहर्तुम् इह प्रवृत्तः । ऋते अपि त्वां न भविष्यन्ति सर्वे ये अवस्थिताः प्रति-अनीकेषु योधाः ॥
kālaḥ asmi loka-kṣaya-kṛt pravṛddhaḥ lokān samāhartum iha pravṛttaḥ | ṛte api tvāṃ na bhaviṣyanti sarve ye avasthitāḥ prati-anīkeṣu yodhāḥ ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
कालः kālaḥ काल (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) Time
अस्मि asmi √अस् pres. (present) 1sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) I am
लोक-क्षय-कृत् loka-kṣaya-kṛt लोक (m.) + क्षय (m.) + कृत् (adj./suffix) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m., tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) maker of world-destruction
प्रवृद्धः pravṛddhaḥ प्र + √वृध् p.p.p. (past passive participle) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. grown great, augmented
लोकान् lokān लोक (m.) acc.pl. (accusative plural) the worlds, peoples
समाहर्तुम् samāhartum सम् + आ + √हृ inf. (infinitive) to gather up, withdraw
इह iha ind. (indeclinable), adv. here
प्रवृत्तः pravṛttaḥ प्र + √वृत् p.p.p. (past passive participle) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. engaged, set out
ऋते ṛte ind. (indeclinable), postpos. with acc. without, except for
अपि api ind. (indeclinable) even
त्वाम् tvām युष्मद् (pron. (pronoun)) acc.sg. (accusative singular) you
न na ind. (indeclinable), neg. not
भविष्यन्ति bhaviṣyanti √भू fut. (future) 3pl.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) they will be
सर्वे sarve सर्व (adj.) nom.pl. (nominative plural)m. all
ये ye rel. pron. (pronoun) nom.pl. (nominative plural)m. who
अवस्थिताः avasthitāḥ अव + √स्था p.p.p. (past passive participle) nom.pl. (nominative plural)m. stationed
प्रति-अनीकेषु prati-anīkeṣu प्रति (ind. (indeclinable)) + अनीक (n.) loc.pl. (locative plural), tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) in the opposing armies
योधाः yodhāḥ योध (m.) nom.pl. (nominative plural) warriors
Purport

Although Arjuna knew that Kṛṣṇa was his friend and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he was puzzled by the various forms exhibited by Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he asked further about the actual mission of this devastating force. It is written in the Vedas that the Supreme Truth destroys everything, even the brāhmaṇas. As stated in the Kaṭha Upaniṣad (1.2.25), yasya brahma ca kṣatraṁ ca ubhe bhavata odanaḥ mṛtyur yasyopasecanaṁ ka itthā veda yatra saḥ Eventually all the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and everyone else are devoured like a meal by the Supreme. This form of the Supreme Lord is the all-devouring giant, and here Kṛṣṇa presents Himself in that form of all-devouring time. Except for a few Pāṇḍavas, everyone who was present on that battlefield would be devoured by Him. Arjuna was not in favor of the fight, and he thought it was better not to fight; then there would be no frustration. In reply, the Lord is saying that even if he did not fight, every one of them would be destroyed, for that was His plan. If Arjuna stopped fighting, they would die in another way. Death could not be checked, even if he did not fight. In fact, they were already dead. Time is destruction, and all manifestations are to be vanquished by the desire of the Supreme Lord. That is the law of nature.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
32. The Lord said: I am time, the destroyer of the worlds. Increasing in power, I am here engaged in destroying these men. Even without You, all these warriors arrayed in confronting armies will cease to be.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
32. The Lord said: I am time, the destroyer of the worlds. Spread everywhere, I am here engaged in destroying these men. Other than you, all these warriors arrayed in confronting armies will not exist in the future.
Commentary

Being implored, the Lord answers. I am time, the destroyer of the worlds. I am spread everywhere (pravṛddhaḥ). yasya brahma ca kṣatraṁ ca ubhe bhavata odanaḥ mṛtyur yasyopasecanaṁ ka itthā veda yatra saḥ Who knows the Lord, for whom the brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas are His food and death is the sauce? Kaṭha Upaniṣad .2.25 I am glorified in this verse as time. Understand that action—at the proper time (iha), I will be engaged in swallowing, in destroying Duryodhana and others. And know the result of that action—except for you, Yudiṣṭhira and a few others, all will not live. Another meaning is derived by taking this verse as a response to the Arjuna supposedly asking, “If I give up the fight, how will they be destroyed?” Even without you fighting, they will be killed. In the form of time, I will take away their lifespan. Who are all those who will be killed? All those troops situated on both sides beginning with Bhīṣma will be killed. But you, if you give up the battle, will have deviated from your dharma.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

Srila Prabhupada explains is his Purport: "Eventually all the brahmanas, ksatriyas and everyone else are devoured like a meal by the Supreme. This form of the Supreme Lord is the all‑ devouring giant, and here Krsna presents Himself in that form of all‑devouring time. Except for a few Pandavas, everyone who was present on that battlefield would be devoured by Him. Arjuna was not in favor of the fight, and he thought it was better not to fight; then there would be no frustration. In reply, the Lord is saying that even if he did not fight, every one of them would be destroyed, for that was His plan. If Arjuna stopped fighting, they would die in another way. Death could not be checked, even if he did not fight. In fact, they were already dead. Time is destruction, and all manifestations are to be vanquished by the desire of the Supreme Lord. That is the law of nature." Whether Arjuna would fight or not, all would be killed. But if Arjuna would not fight he would be the looser ‑ he would loose his religious principles.

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study Key verse
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Krishna in the form of Universal Time replies to Arjuna’s two questions

“Time I am” (Kala-rupa)
Mission – To destroy everything – “All the people in all the worlds, except Pandavas”
Indicates – Even if Arjuna did not want to fight, they will die anyway
Ref. Katha Upanisad – All brahmanas, ksatriyas and everyone else are devoured like a meal by the Supreme as the All-devouring giant

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 11.32 & 11.33: Theme of Texts 11.33 & 11.34 mentions Krishna’s instructions to

Arjuna

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
11.32 Asmi, I am; the loka-ksaya-krt, world-destroying; kalah, Time; pravrddhah, grown in stature. Hear the purpose for which I have grown in stature: I am iha, now; pravrttah, engaged; samahartum, in annihilating; lokan, the creatures. Api, even; rte tva, without you; sarve, all-from whom your apprehension had arisen; the yodhah, warriors-Bhisma, Drona, Karna and others; ye, who are; avasthitah, arrayed; pratyanikesu, in the connfronting armies-in every unit of the army confronting the other; na bhavisyanti, will cease to exist. Since this is so-
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
11.32 The Lord said Kala (Time) is the calculator which calculates (Kalayati). Calculating the end of the lives of all those under the leadership of Dhrtarastra's sons, I am causing their destruction. Fully manifesting Myself with this fierce form, I have begun to destroy the hosts of kings. Therefore, by My will, even without you, namely, even without your effort, all these hostile warriors under the leadership of Dhrtarastra's sons, shall cease to be, i.e., will be destroyed.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
11.32 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
11.32 The Blessed Lord said I am the full-grown world-destroying Time, now engaged in destroying the worlds. Even without thee, none of the warriors arrayed in the hostile armies shall live.
Commentary

11.32 कालः time? अस्मि (I) am? लोकक्षयकृत् worlddestroying? प्रवृद्धः fullgrown? लोकान् the worlds? समाहर्तुम् to destroy? इह here? प्रवृत्तः engaged? ऋते without? अपि also? त्वाम् thee? न not? भविष्यन्ति shall live? सर्वे all? ये these? अवस्थिताः arrayed? प्रत्यनीकेषु in hostile armies? योधाः warriors.Commentary Even without thee Even if thou? O Arjuna? wouldst not fight? these warriors are doomed to die under My dispensation. I am the alldestroying Time. I have already slain them. You have seen them dying. Therefore thy instrumentality is not of much importance.Such being the case? therefore? stand up and obtain fame.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
11.32 The Blessed Lord said I am the world-destroying Time, [Time: The supreme God with His limiting adjunct of the power of action.] grown in stature [Pravrddhah, mighty-according to S.-Tr.] and now engaged in annihilating the creatures. Even without you, all the warriors who are arrayed in the confronting armies will cease to exist!
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
11.32 Lord Shri Krishna replied: I have shown myself to thee as the Destroyer who lays waste the world and whose purpose is destruction. In spite of thy efforts, all these warriors gathered for battle shall not escape death.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 10.30 BG 10.33 BG 11.34 SB 3.29.45 SB 10.1.23 SB 12.4.37 CC Madhya 20.262 CC Madhya 20.296 CC Madhya 20.323 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.25Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.2.1
Concepts
Dharma
Study Q&A referencing this verse
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
I am terrible time, the destroyer of worlds, here engaged in destroying all — even without you, all these warriors will die.
Practical Applications
  • Recognize time as Kṛṣṇa's specific manifestation.
  • Don't fight time; align with it.
  • Use mortality as motivation, not despair.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I fighting time?
  • What alignment would free me?
Analogy

The clock on the wall is the most unhurried thing in the room and the most relentless. It does not run after anyone. It simply is the passing — and what is passing eventually ends. Kṛṣṇa names Himself as that clock at the heart of the universe.

Stories
The Vow of the Pāṇḍavas Already Underway

Long before this moment on the battlefield, in the assembly hall after the dice-game (Mahābhārata, Sabhā-parva 71–72), Bhīma had vowed to break Duryodhana's thigh, and Draupadī had vowed to remain uncombed until her dishonor was avenged. The deaths of the Kaurava chiefs were already pledged into the cosmic ledger years before any arrow flew.

Kṛṣṇa's words in 11.32 — ṛte 'pi tvāṁ na bhaviṣyanti — only ratify what was already so. The vows of saintly persons, the curse of Gāndhārī, the arithmetic of adharma had all converged. Time was simply executing what had been written.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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