Bg. 11.32 · Bhagavad-gita As It Is

Devanagari

श्रीभगवानुवाच कालोऽस्मि लोकक्षयकृत्प्रवृद्धो लोकान्समाहर्तुमिह प्रवृत्त: । ‍ऋतेऽपि त्वां न भविष्यन्ति सर्वे येऽवस्थिता: प्रत्यनीकेषु योधा: ॥ ३२ ॥

Verse text

śrī-bhagavān uvāca kālo ’smi loka-kṣaya-kṛt pravṛddho lokān samāhartum iha pravṛttaḥ ṛte ’pi tvāṁ na bhaviṣyanti sarve ye ’vasthitāḥ praty-anīkeṣu yodhāḥ

Synonyms

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.

Translation

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.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

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.

Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)

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.

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.

Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)

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.

Surrender Unto Me

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.