“Now I am become Death”: Oppenheimer’s Tragic Misreading of the Bhagavad Gita.
<p>However, his famous quote upon witnessing the inaugural 1945 Trinity atomic test, “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds,” reflects a superficial appreciation of Gita’s profound message. The Gita records the dialogue between Prince Arjuna and Lord Krishna — appearing as Arjuna’s charioteer — on the Kurukshetra battlefield. With the war against his kinsmen looming, a morally conflicted Arjuna asks Krishna which path of action to take. Over 18 chapters, Krishna expounds that the path of action with detachment, adhering to sacred duty and honour for its own sake without regard for personal reward or consequence, represents the highest moral good.</p>
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