bhagavad-gitagitakrishnavishwarupa

Bhagavad Gita 11.32 — Kalo'smi Loka-kshaya-krit

श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता ११.३२ — कालोऽस्मि लोकक्षयकृत् in English · English

🕉️ hindu·📿 11× repetitions·🕐 Early morning (Brahma Muhurta) or while studying the Bhagavad Gita; especially powerful when contemplating life, death and duty·📜 Bhagavad Gita Chapter 11, Verse 32

Read in your language / script

हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

In this thunderous verse from the Vishvarupa (Universal Form) revelation of Chapter 11, Lord Krishna declares Himself to be Time (Kala) — the mighty world-destroyer that has already set out to consume the worlds. He tells Arjuna that, even without him, the warriors arrayed against him are already doomed. It is one of the most awe-inspiring statements in all of scripture, revealing the Lord as the supreme power behind creation and dissolution.

Origin & Story

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 11, Verse 32 · Sage Veda Vyasa (as part of the Mahabharata, Bhishma Parva) · Ancient (traditionally Dvapara Yuga; text compiled c. 5th century BCE – 2nd century BCE)

This verse occurs in the eleventh chapter, the Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga, where Krishna grants Arjuna divine vision to behold His cosmic Universal Form. Overwhelmed and terrified, Arjuna asks who this fierce form is. Krishna answers with this verse, declaring Himself to be world-destroying Time, already engaged in the annihilation of the assembled armies.

✦ As told in scripture

It is said that no ordinary eye could withstand the Universal Form; Krishna granted Arjuna a 'divine eye' (divya-chakshu) to behold it. Sanjaya, narrating to the blind king Dhritarashtra, declares that merely recounting this vision made his own hair stand on end and filled him with joy again and again.

0all time

The Mantra

Tap any line — or the ▶ button — to hear it recited

śhrī-bhagavān uvācha kālo ’smi loka-kṣhaya-kṛit pravṛiddho lokān samāhartum iha pravṛittaḥ ṛite ’pi tvāṁ na bhaviṣhyanti sarve ye ’vasthitāḥ pratyanīkeṣhu yodhāḥ

Meaning:The Blessed Lord said, "I am the full-grown, world-destroying Time, now engaged in destroying the worlds. Even without you, none of the warriors arrayed in the hostile armies will live."

Word-by-Word Meaning

Click any word to hear its pronunciation

śhrī-bhagavān uvācha🔊the Supreme Lord said

kālaḥ🔊time

asmi🔊I am

loka-kṣhaya-kṛit🔊the source of destruction of the worlds

pravṛiddhaḥ🔊mighty

lokān🔊the worlds

samāhartum🔊annihilation

iha🔊this world

pravṛittaḥ🔊participation

ṛite🔊without

api🔊even

tvām🔊you

na bhaviṣhyanti🔊shall cease to exist

sarve🔊all

ye🔊who

avasthitāḥ🔊arrayed

prati-anīkeṣhu🔊in the opposing army

yodhāḥ🔊the warriors

Benefits of Chanting श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता ११.३२ — कालोऽस्मि लोकक्षयकृत्

✦

Instills fearlessness by reminding the devotee that the Supreme Lord governs all life and death

✦

Cultivates surrender (sharanagati) — understanding that the Lord is the true doer behind all events

✦

Dissolves the ego's false sense of being the sole agent of action

✦

Brings courage to perform one's duty (dharma) without anxiety over outcomes

✦

Deepens reverence and awe (bhakti through aishvarya) toward Krishna's cosmic majesty

✦

Helps the seeker meditate on the impermanence of the material world and the eternity of the divine

How to Chant श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता ११.३२ — कालोऽस्मि लोकक्षयकृत्

Repetitions11times

Best TimeEarly morning (Brahma Muhurta) or while studying the Bhagavad Gita; especially powerful when contemplating life, death and duty

Sit in a calm posture facing east. Read the Sanskrit aloud slowly, then reflect on its meaning. This verse is best chanted as part of a study of the Vishvarupa Darshana (Gita Chapter 11). Visualise the Lord as the all-pervading Time that holds the universe. Chant with reverence rather than for material gain; let it inspire courage and surrender. May be recited 3, 9 or 11 times.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता ११.३२ — कालोऽस्मि लोकक्षयकृत् written in the English script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.

Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.

"Kalo'smi" means "I am Time". In this verse Krishna reveals Himself as Kala — eternal Time — the cosmic force that creates, sustains and ultimately destroys all things. It is His declaration of being the supreme power behind the dissolution of the worlds.

Arjuna hesitated to fight in the Kurukshetra war. By revealing His Universal Form and declaring Himself as all-consuming Time, Krishna showed Arjuna that the outcome was already ordained; Arjuna was only an instrument (nimitta-matra). This freed him from the burden of being the cause of death and motivated him to do his duty.

Yes. Physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer famously recalled this verse — "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds" — upon witnessing the first atomic bomb test, drawing from translations of Bhagavad Gita 11.32.

Contemplate the impermanence of all created things and the eternity of the Lord. Rather than fear, the verse should awaken surrender and courage — the understanding that one should perform one's righteous duty while leaving the results to the Divine.