Bhagavad Gita BG 4.7
Chapter 4, Verse 7 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत । अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम् ॥
yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata abhyutthanam adharmasya tadatmanam srjamy aham
Meaning
Whenever dharma declines and adharma rises, O Bharata — then I project Myself forth.
Understanding
The principle of avatara (divine descent): not a random event but a cosmic law. Whenever there is glanis (decline, waning, exhaustion) of dharma (the ordering principle, righteousness) AND abhyutthana (rising up, flourishing) of adharma — the response is inevitable: tadatmanam srjamy aham — 'I project forth My Self.' Not 'I send someone' but 'I Myself manifest.' This is the intimacy of divine care.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| यदा यदा | yada yada | whenever, at whatever time |
| धर्मस्य | dharmasya | of dharma, of righteousness |
| ग्लानिः | glanih | decline, waning, exhaustion |
| अभ्युत्थानम् | abhyutthanam | rising up, flourishing |
| सृजामि | srjami | I project, I manifest, I create |
| हि | hi | for / whenever (causal) |
| भवति | bhavati | there is / arises |
| भारत | bhārata | O Bharata (Arjuna) |
| अधर्मस्य | adharmasya | of irreligion / of unrighteousness |
| तदा | tadā | then / at that time |
| आत्मानम् | ātmānam | Myself / my own self |
| अहम् | aham | I |