Robert oppenheimer quote from the bhagavad gita i am become death, destroyer of worlds after the first successful detonation of the atomic bomb. Any philosophical attempts to speak about killing people or devouring them by krishna are incredible superficial and superstitious materialistic unders. After witnessing the worlds first nuclear test in 1945, he said he had thought of the quotation now i am become death, the destroyer of worlds, which is in verse 32 from chapter 11 of the bhagavad gita. Robert oppenheimer, translating krishnas famous line note a rather liberal interpretation, nevertheless the most wellknown one. Bhagavadgita, krishna quote cafe society straight dope. The quote is indeed from the bhagavad gita song of the lord. Jul 25, 2019 a few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent. Mar 02, 2020 i remembered the line from the hindu scripture, the bhagavad gita. Jun 10, 2014 he had studied a vast number of sanskrit books in original, including the bhagavad gita which is part of the bhishma parva of the mahabharata. The bhagavad gita the song of god is a book within a larger epic based on the conversation in the hindu epic mahabharata between warrior prince arjuna and his charioteer krishna during the kurushetra war. I remembered the line from the hindu scripture, the bhagavadgita.
Robert oppenheimer delivers his famous quote from the bhagavadgita. What did oppenheimer mean when he said, now i am become. Chapter 11, verse 32 bhagavad gita, the song of god swami. Few people laughed, few people cried, most people were silent. Bhagavadgita project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Upon witnessing the world s first nuclear test in 1945, he later said he had thought of the quotation now i am become death, the destroyer of worlds, verse 32 from chapter 11 of the bhagavad gita. The bhagavad gita study guide literature guide litcharts. Jun 06, 2005 the famously missquoted line from bhagavad gita i have done some web based research with no certain result what was oppenheimers actual quotation. Now i am become death, the destroyer of worlds youtube.
Hindu scripture the bhagavad gita came to his mind. Robert oppenheimer explains how he recited a line from. Vishnu is trying to persuade the prince that he should do his duty and, to impress him, takes on his multiarmed form and says, now i am become death, the destroyer of worlds. Elon musk just referred to the bhagwad gita and called. Bhagavad gita is seen both as a treatise on war and peace as well as laying one of the foundations of hindu religion. That tweet arrives following the gamestop fiasco in where a bunch of.
The article then proposes that the psychic structure. Seek refuge in the attitude of detachment and you will amass the wealth of spiritual. I am mighty time, the source of destruction that comes forth to annihilate the commentary. I remembered the line from the hindu scripture, the bhagavad gitai am become death, the destroyer of worlds. No one can bring an end to spirit which is everlasting. Now i am become death, the destroyer of the worlds bhg. I remembered the line from the hindu scripture the bhagavad gita. They say that life is an accident, driven by sexual desire, that the universe has no moral order, no truth, no god. The robert oppenheimer line from the hindu sacred text the bhagavad gita has come to define the father of the atomic bomb but its meaning is more complex than many realise. I am become death is the fourth episode of the third season of the nbc superhero drama series heroes and thirtyeighth episode overall. Robert oppenheimer explains how he recited a line from bhagavad gita now i am become death, the destroyer of worlds upon. As with any religious text, the meaning of this passage is highly disputed, and so without commentary, here are two dozen or so translations at least 273 english translations exist of this.
With apologies to robert oppenheimer, who quoted the bhagavad gita. Robert oppenheimer famously spoke this quote of krishnas in the bhagavad gita in reference to the decision to drop the atomic bomb on japan. Elon musk, who loathed shortsellers on the stock trade is the stuff of mythopoeia, has just cited a quote from bhagavad gita, calling himself destroyer of shorts all over twitter twitter, tesla and spacex ceo penned, i am becoming meme, destroyer of shorts. That tweet arrives following the gamestop fiasco in where a bunch of redditors pulled a takeover on wall street. Sep 20, 2003 the quote, i am become death, destroyer of worlds, has been attributed to robert oppenheimer as he witnessed the first atomic bomb test, and he certainly took it from the hindu scripture, having learnt sanskrit so he could read it in the original.
Death fell from the sky and the world was changed, us. This video was posted on the 66th anniversary of the atomic bombing of hiroshima. This quote has become infamous and it is actually chapter 11 verse 32 of the bhagavad gita, a scripture which has been revered by hindus for thousands of years. The line, from the hindu sacred text the bhagavad gita, has come to define robert. Now i am become death, the destroyer of worlds when he saw the first test of a nuclear bomb. Feb 05, 2021 the original line is now i am become death, the destroyer of worlds and was uttered by lord krishna to prince arjuna to persuade him to take up his duty and go to war against the kauravas. In full metal jacket, the soldier animal mother has i am become death. The gita which can be found in hotel bedstands throughout india is a classic summary of the core beliefs of hinduism. Doom am i, fullripe, dealing death to the worlds engaged in devouring mankind.
It is, perhaps, the most wellknown line from the bhagavad gita, but also the most misunderstood. I am become death, the destroyer of worlds we knew the world would not be the same. In response to arjuns question regarding who he is, shree krishna reveals his nature as allpowerful time, the destroyer of the universe. The use of this line by a figure of oppenheimers stature, on national television, has indelibly linked it with the development and use of this. I am become death the destroyer of worlds full quote. For the kreative people group weekly challenge treat this no 76.
What is the original meaning of the quote from the. I am death, the mighty destroyer of the world, out to destroy. Bhagavad gita arguna of those steadfast devotees who love you and those who seek you as the eternal formless reality, who are the more established in yoga krishna those who set their hearts on me and worship me with unfailing devotion and faith are more established in yoga. Chapter 11, verse 32 bhagavad gita, the song of god.
Elon musk butchered iconic line from bhagavad gita and called. That quote is actually from the hindu epic bhagavad gita, and oppenheimer turned to hinduism. A thumbnail link to the starter image supplied by abstractartangel77 is in the first comment field. He summed up the effect the first experimental test, code named trinity, of an atom bomb had on him. Archived from the original pdf on september 1, 2006. Now i am become death, the destroyer of worlds colin marshall recently wrote a brief retrospective on oppenheimer, the bomb, and the quote, which is oppenheimers own translation from the sanskrit. Aug 09, 2015 he later said that he could not help but think of a line from the bhagavad gita. Elon musk, whose hatered for shortsellers on the stock market is the stuff of myths, has just paraphrased a quote from the bhagavad gita and called himself the destroyer of shorts on twitter. Oppenheimer quotes the bhagavad gita by rajendra kumar.
I am death, shatterer of worlds, annihilating all things. Oppenheimer quotes the bhagavad gita by rajendra kumar bera. You have the right to work, but for the works sake only. The bhagavadgita, oppenheimer and nuclear weapons hindu. The story of oppenheimers infamous quote the line, from the hindu sacred text the bhagavad gita, has come to define robert oppenheimer, but its. The sight of the terrible apparitional mushroom cloud climbing into the heavens made oppenheimer remember a line from the bhagavad gita. The title is a reference to a phrase from the bhagavad gita and was famously quoted by j. Pleasures conceived in the world of the senses have a beginning and an end and give birth to misery. Ive seen i am become death, the destroyer of worlds i am become time, the destroyer of worlds i am become death, the shatterer of worlds i am become time, the. The ramayana, which narrates the prince ramas war to rescue his wife, sita, after she is kidnapped by the demonic king ravana, is the other major ancient hindu epic and centers philosophical themes. Elon musk butchered iconic line from bhagavad gita and.
What did oppenheimer mean when he famously said, now i am become death, destroyer of worlds. It lighted every peak, crevasse, and ridge of the nearby mountain range with a clarity and beauty that cannot be described. The bhagavad gita forms a small portion of a longer sanskrit epic, the mahabharata, which chronicles the long power struggle between the pandava and kaurava branches of the bharata family. Oppenheimer made this statement in 1965 during a televised interview. What is the deal with death, the destroyer of worlds. Bhagavad gita burst death hinduism hiroshima mighty one nagasaki radiance. The song of god, often referred to as the gita, is a 701verse hindu scripture that is part of the epic mahabharata chapters 2340 of bhishma parva, dated to the second century bce. The bhagavad gita quotes and pdf in hindi srimad bhagavatam.
Aug 12, 2012 now, i am become death, the destroyer of worlds, after he had seen the fireball glowing after the bomb had been dropped. I remembered the line from the hindu scripture, the bhagavad gita. Jul 17, 2018 he summed up the effect the first experimental test, code named trinity, of an atom bomb had on him. What does i am become death, the destroyer of worlds mean. Vishnu is trying to persuade the prince that he should do his duty and, to impress him, takes on his multiarmed form and says now i am become death, the destroyer of worlds. I am terrible time the destroyer of all beings in all worlds, engaged to destroy all beings in this world. Now i am become death, the destroyer of worlds waggish. From vivekanandaisherwood translation of the gita ch. When the father of the atomic bomb quoted the bhagwad gita india. Elon musk, who loathed shortsellers on the stock trade is the stuff of mythopoeia, has just cited a quote from bhagavad gita, calling himself destroyer of shorts all over twitter. Years later, another witness, robert oppenheimer, would describe trinity in much darker terms.
According to oppenheimer himself, the bhagavad gita was a primary source of his philosophical views. For him, it brought to mind a line from the bhagavad gita. I remembered the line from the hindu scripture, the. Why did robert oppenheimer quote a verse from the bhagavad gita at the sight of the atomic. Time i am, destroyer of the worlds, and i have come to engage all people. In their 2006 pulitzer prize winning biography, bird. Arjuna had to fight his cousin evil prince big bad duryodhana, his archnemesis karna, his teacher and mentor drona and kuru patriach and beloved grandfather bhishma after exhausting all. Time i am, the great destroyer of the worlds, and i have come here to destroy all people. Stephen mitchell 2002 i am death, shatterer of worlds, annihilating all things. The translations grammatical archaism made it even more powerful, resonating with lines in. What is the original meaning of the quote from the bhagavad.
As he witnessed the first detonation of a nuclear weapon on july 16, 1945, a piece of hindu scripture ran through the mind of robert oppenheimer. The quotation appears throughout the literature on nuclear weapons, often in a slightly different form. Robert oppenheimer was an american theoretical physicist and professor of physics at the. The issue is, why krishna said it what the message is. The full quote really reveals the misquoting that oppenheimer did. Pdf a discussion of the sociocultural and intellectual forces that influenced the science, teaching, successes, and failures of j. Robert oppenheimer after witnessing atomic bomb test, 1945. Elon musk became meme after quoting bhagavad gita the next hint. Robert oppenheimer apocryphically recited the verse from chapter 11 i have become death, destroyer of worlds, just before the first test of the atom bomb, which. The bhagavad gita strives continually to serve the welfare of the world. Jan 27, 2019 the quote is from the bhagavad gita part of the hindu sweeping tome the mahabharata. Upon witnessing the worlds first nuclear test in 1945, he later said he had thought of the quotation now i am become death, the destroyer of worlds, verse 32 from chapter 11 of the bhagavad gita. I am become death this text is also available in swedish i am become death, the destroyer of worlds j. Conversely, after watching the worlds first nuclear explosion, father of the atomic bomb robert oppenheimer famously quoted krishna in an older translation of the bhagavad gita.
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