श्रीभगवानुवाच । कालोऽस्मि लोकक्षयकृत्प्रवृद्धो लोकान्समाहर्तुमिह प्रवृत्तः । ऋतेऽपि त्वां न भविष्यन्ति सर्वे येऽवस्थिताः प्रत्यनीकेषु योधाः ॥ ३२ ॥
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha kālo ’smi loka-kṣhaya-kṛit pravṛiddho lokān samāhartum iha pravṛittaḥ ṛite ’pi tvāṁ na bhaviṣhyanti sarve ye ’vasthitāḥ pratyanīkeṣhu yodhāḥ
Translation
The Blessed Lord said: I am Time, grown mighty, the destroyer of worlds, now engaged here in drawing the worlds to their end. Even without you, none of these warriors arrayed in the opposing ranks will survive.
Hindi Meaning (हिंदी अर्थ)
श्रीभगवान बोले: मैं लोकों का नाश करने वाला बढ़ा हुआ काल हूँ, और इस समय इन लोकों का संहार करने में लगा हूँ। तुम्हारे बिना भी विरोधी सेनाओं में खड़े ये सभी योद्धा नहीं बचेंगे।
Commentary
"Kalo 'smi" ("I am Time") is Krishna's answer to "who are You?" This form is Time itself, which ends everything that begins. The second half is the practical point: the warriors' end is already set, with or without Arjun. It is the same verse Oppenheimer later paraphrased as "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds."
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