8.19

Sanskrit

भूतग्रामः स एवायं भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते । रात्र्यागमेऽवशः पार्थ प्रभवत्यहरागमे ॥

bhūtagrāmaḥ sa evāyaṃ bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate rātryāgame'vaśaḥ pārtha prabhavaty aharāgame

Translation

This multitude of beings, going forth repeatedly, is dissolved at the coming of night: by ordination, O Pârtha, it streams forth at the coming of day.

Annie Besant · The Bhagavad-Gita, translated by Annie Besant (4th ed., 1922) — Wikisource · Public Domain

Explanation

The same cycle as verse 18, restated with its subject now named directly: “this multitude of beings” (bhuta-gramah), driven out and reabsorbed repeatedly and involuntarily — avashah, without any choice in the matter. The repetition across verses 18-19 is deliberate, landing the scale of the cycle before verse 20 pulls back to reveal something beyond it entirely.