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bhagavad-gitagitakrishnavishwarupa

𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍀𑌮𑌦𑍍𑌭𑌗𑌵𑌦𑍍𑌗𑍀𑌤𑌾 ௧௧.௩௨ — 𑌕𑌾𑌲𑍋𑌽𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌿 𑌲𑍋𑌕𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌯𑌕𑍃𑌤𑍍

श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता ११.३२ — कालोऽस्मि लोकक्षयकृत् in Grantha · 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

🕉️ 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
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हिन्दी / देवनागरीతెలుగుதமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡമലയാളംગુજરાતીবাংলাଓଡ଼ିଆਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

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.

The Mantra

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

𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍀 𑌭𑌗𑌵𑌾𑌨𑍁𑌵𑌾𑌚 𑌕𑌾𑌲𑍋𑌽𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌿 𑌲𑍋𑌕𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌯𑌕𑍃𑌤𑍍𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌵𑍃𑌦𑍍𑌧𑍋 𑌲𑍋𑌕𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌸𑌮𑌾𑌹𑌰𑍍𑌤𑍁𑌮𑌿𑌹 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌵𑍃𑌤𑍍𑌤𑌃। 𑌋𑌤𑍇𑌽𑌪𑌿 𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌂 𑌨 𑌭𑌵𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌯𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑍇 𑌯𑍇𑌽𑌵𑌸𑍍𑌥𑌿𑌤𑌾𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌨𑍀𑌕𑍇𑌷𑍁 𑌯𑍋𑌧𑌾𑌃॥

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

Meaning:श्रीभगवान् ने कहा -- मैं लोकों का नाश करने वाला प्रवृद्ध काल हूँ। इस समय, मैं इन लोकों का संहार करने में प्रवृत्त हूँ। जो प्रतिपक्षियों की सेना में स्थित योद्धा हैं, वे सब तुम्हारे बिना भी नहीं रहेंगे।।

Word-by-Word Meaning

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𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍀𑌭𑌗𑌵𑌾𑌨𑍁𑌵𑌾𑌚🔊śhrī-bhagavān uvāchathe Supreme Lord said
𑌕𑌾𑌲𑌃🔊kālaḥtime
𑌅𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌿🔊asmiI am
𑌲𑍋𑌕𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌯𑌕𑍃𑌤𑍍🔊loka-kṣhaya-kṛitthe source of destruction of the worlds
𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌵𑍃𑌦𑍍𑌧𑌃🔊pravṛiddhaḥmighty
𑌲𑍋𑌕𑌾𑌨𑍍🔊lokānthe worlds
𑌸𑌮𑌾𑌹𑌰𑍍𑌤𑍁𑌮𑍍🔊samāhartumannihilation
𑌇𑌹🔊ihathis world
𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌵𑍃𑌤𑍍𑌤𑌃🔊pravṛittaḥparticipation
𑌋𑌤𑍇🔊ṛitewithout
𑌅𑌪𑌿🔊apieven
𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌮𑍍🔊tvāmyou
𑌨 𑌭𑌵𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌯𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌿🔊na bhaviṣhyantishall cease to exist
𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑍇🔊sarveall
𑌯𑍇🔊yewho
𑌅𑌵𑌸𑍍𑌥𑌿𑌤𑌾𑌃🔊avasthitāḥarrayed
𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌨𑍀𑌕𑍇𑌷𑍁🔊prati-anīkeṣhuin the opposing army
𑌯𑍋𑌧𑌾𑌃🔊yodhāḥthe 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 Grantha 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.

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