Many Indians get excited when White People read Indian religious texts. Hindutva WhatsApp groups proudly shared how Oppenheimer, Father of Atomic Bomb, quoted lines from the Gita. But Oppenheimer quotes: “That I am death and destroyer of the world”. However, this is a mistranslation of Chapter 11, Verse 32, which states “Kala-asmi”, where Krishna identifies himself with Time. “I am time, destroyer of the world”. 

The dramatic and impactful mistranslation is for his intended audience—it allowed the translator (Arthur Ryder) and Oppenheimer to be equated with the God of the Bible who rains fire and brimstone to destroy an offending city like Sodom. But Hindu gods, unlike Biblical gods, do not punish errant people or cities (despite popular misimagination of Hindutva political groups). There is no Judgement Day in Hinduism. God in Hinduism, God of Gita, is not a judge.