BHAGAVAD-GITA 11:32

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 11:32

 

sri-bhagavan uvaca

kalo 'smi loka-ksaya-krt pravrddho

lokan samahartum iha pravrttah

rte 'pi tvam na bhavisyanti sarve

ye 'vasthitah pratyanikesu yodhah

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

sri-bhagavan uvaca--the Personality of Godhead said; kalah--time;

asmi--I am; loka--of the worlds; ksaya-krt--the destroyer;

pravrddhah--great; lokan--all people; samahartum--in destroying;

iha--in this world; pravrttah--engaged; rte--without, except for;

api--even; tvam--you; na--never; bhavisyanti--will be; sarve--all;

ye--who; avasthitah--situated; prati-anikesu--on the opposite sides;

yodhah--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 Pandavas], all the soldiers here on

both sides will be slain.

 

PURPORT

 

Although Arjuna knew that Krsna was his friend and the Supreme

Personality of Godhead, he was puzzled by the various forms exhibited

by Krsna. 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 brahmanas. As stated in the Katha

Upanisad (1.2.25),

 

yasya brahma ca ksatram ca

ubhe bhavata odanah

mrtyur yasyopasecanam

ka ittha veda yatra sah

 

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.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.