FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.37.21

अथ ते कालरूपस्य क्षपयिष्णोरमुष्य वै । अक्षौहिणीनां निधनं द्रक्ष्याम्यर्जुनसारथे: ॥ २१ ॥
atha te kāla-rūpasya
[atha te kaala-roopasya]
kṣapayiṣṇor amuṣya vai
[kshapayishnor amushya vai]
akṣauhiṇīnāṁ nidhanaṁ
[akshauhineenaam nidhanam]
drakṣyāmy arjuna-sāratheḥ
[drakshyaamy arjuna-saaratheh]
atha — then te — by You kāla - rūpasya — who are assuming the form of time kṣapayiṣṇoḥ — who is intending to effect the destruction amuṣya — of (the burden of) this world vai — indeed akṣauhiṇīnām — of entire armies nidhanam — the destruction drakṣyāmi — I will see arjuna sāratheḥ — by the chariot driver of Arjuna .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
atha te kāla-rūpasya
atha
then
te
by You
kāla - rūpasya
who are assuming the form of time
kṣapayiṣṇor amuṣya vai
kṣapayiṣṇoḥ
who is intending to effect the destruction
amuṣya
of (the burden of) this world
vai
indeed
akṣauhiṇīnāṁ nidhanaṁ
akṣauhiṇīnām
of entire armies
nidhanam
the destruction
drakṣyāmy arjuna-sāratheḥ
drakṣyāmi
I will see
arjuna sāratheḥ
by the chariot driver of Arjuna .
  • kāla-rūpasya — of one assuming the form of Time
    Kāla (time) + rūpa (form). The same Kṛṣṇa who plays the flute in Vṛndāvana will appear in Kurukṣetra as Time itself. Gauḍīyas read kāla-rūpa as one of Kṛṣṇa's puruṣa-aspects, not a competing identity.
  • akṣauhiṇīnām — of (entire) armies
    An akṣauhiṇī is a full traditional army division — 21,870 chariots, the same number of elephants, three times that many horses, five times that many footmen. Nārada names whole units, plural — the Mahābhārata war in one word.
  • arjuna-sāratheḥ — of the chariot-driver of Arjuna
    Sārathi — charioteer. Kṛṣṇa volunteered for the humblest battlefield role. Gauḍīyas read pārtha-sārathi as the doctrinal companion of gopa-veśa: the Lord chooses servant-roles, never master-roles, with His devotees.
Subsequently I will see You appear as time personified, serving as Arjuna’s chariot driver and destroying entire armies of soldiers to rid the earth of her burden.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Subsequently I will see You appear as time personified, serving as Arjuna's chariot driver and destroying entire armies of soldiers to rid the earth of her burden.
Commentary

I will see you who destroy the universe in the form of time carry out the pastime of destruction of the armies.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

After all this, you will be the driver of Arjuna. You will be subordinate to him. That is not surprising for you. You will become the universal form (kāla-rūpasya). Though you are the form of the universe, you are capable of destroying it (kṣapayiṣṇoḥ).

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Atha means “after giving up fighting” or it indicates a different topic, different from previous pastimes. You will become the universal form (kāla-rūpasya). Though you are the form of the universe, you are capable of destroying it (kṣapayiṣṇoḥ). Vai means famous. Or vai means even though. Though you are the form of the universe or time, and the inspiration for all actions, I will see you become the charioteer of Arjuna. This shows you are controlled by others. I have committed offense by having Vasudeva and Devakī, who are worshipped by Arjuna, bound up.

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Asteya (Non-stealing / Honesty)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)
Related verses
Nārada will see Kṛṣṇa as time personified, driving Arjuna's chariot, destroying armies to rid the earth of her burden. The same Lord who plays with calves will one day drive the chariot of history.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do you separate the Kṛṣṇa of intimacy from the Kṛṣṇa of history?
  • How does seeing Him as 'time personified' change how you spend yours?

Nārada's final preview: Kṛṣṇa will sit on Arjuna's chariot, holding the reins, and from that small seat will unwind whole armies the way a child unwinds a ball of thread. Kāla-rūpa — time-form — is the same Kṛṣṇa, just turned slightly so the burden of the earth slides off.

The chariot-driver who is also Time

In Bhagavad-gītā 11.32, Arjuna's friend reveals Himself as Time: kālo 'smi loka-kṣaya-kṛt — 'I am Time, the destroyer of worlds, here engaged to destroy.' Nārada is forecasting that very disclosure: the cowherd boy in front of him will, in two generations, drive Arjuna's chariot and reveal that the chariot-driver is also Time.

Gauḍīyas hold the two images together: the same hands that held the reins for Arjuna held the rope for Yaśodā. Kāla and Vraja are not different Persons.

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