Path of Knowledge and the Disciplines of Action
Verse 4.7
यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत। अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदाऽऽत्मानं सृजाम्यहम्।।4.7।।
yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānaṁ sṛijāmyaham
Word Meanings
yadā yadā—whenever; hi—certainly; dharmasya—of righteousness; glāniḥ—decline; bhavati—is; bhārata—Arjun, descendant of Bharat; abhyutthānam—increase; adharmasya—of unrighteousness; tadā—at that time; ātmānam—self; sṛijāmi—manifest; aham—I
Translation · English
Whenever there is a decline of righteousness and an increase of unrighteousness, O Arjuna, then I manifest Myself.
Deep Meaning · English
This iconic verse marks the intersection of the Divine’s timeless nature and the temporal needs of the world. Krishna asserts that while He is unborn and eternal (Aja), He periodically assumes a form through His own creative potency, known as Maya. The 'decline of Dharma' is not merely an external social collapse, but an internal erosion of the truth within the human soul. When the ego, driven by adharma, obscures the light of the Self, the Divine manifests to restore the cosmic equilibrium, reminding the seeker that God is not a distant spectator but an active participant in the liberation of consciousness. This is the promise of Avatara: the descent of the Absolute into the relative, ensuring that whenever human effort falters under the weight of darkness, grace rises to bridge the gap. It is a profound act of divine compassion, demonstrating that the preservation of truth is the ultimate purpose of the manifestation of the Divine.
The Avatara is the descent of divine consciousness into the world of form to realign the human heart with its inherent nature of righteousness and truth.
Connected Verses
Reflects the ultimate protective promise of the Divine to those who surrender, echoing the same compassionate intent behind the Avatara.
Establishes Krishna as the Self seated in the hearts of all beings, grounding the outer manifestation in the inner reality.
Explains how the ignorant overlook the Divine when He adopts a human form, highlighting the necessity of spiritual perception.
This verse immediately follows and clarifies the purpose of the incarnation: to protect the virtuous and annihilate the forces of chaos.
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