When dharma declines, divine guidance appears.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत |अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम् ||४-७||
yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānirbhavati bhārata . abhyutthānamadharmasya tadātmānaṃ sṛjāmyaham ||4-7||
Use this verse when life feels morally confused.
Meaning
Whenever dharma declines and adharma rises, O Bharata, then I manifest Myself.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Krishna manifests when dharma declines and disorder rises.
Word-by-word meaning
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Explanation
This is one of the most famous verses of the Gita. It gives hope that the Divine does not abandon the world when disorder grows. On a personal level, when inner dharma declines and confusion, fear, anger, or desire rises, divine wisdom must be invited back.
Read the traditional commentary
This is among the most beloved verses of the Gita, a promise that echoes through the ages. Krishna assures Arjuna that the divine is not indifferent to the moral health of the world. Whenever dharma weakens (glāni) and adharma rises, the Lord takes form to restore the balance. The repetition yadā yadā — 'whenever, whenever' — makes this a recurring cosmic law, not a single historical event.
The verse offers profound reassurance: injustice is never the final word. Yet it also implies responsibility. The divine response comes when righteousness has declined within human life and conduct. For the seeker, this is both comfort and call — comfort that grace meets every dark age, and a reminder that we ourselves are the soil in which dharma either flourishes or fades.
In daily life
Notice when your inner dharma is declining and invite guidance early.
If a person becomes dominated by anger and impulsive choices, it is time to restore inner dharma.
Try this today
Identify one area of adharma and take one corrective step.
When I return to dharma, guidance appears.Reflect
Where is dharma declining in my life right now?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘आत्मानम् सृजामि अहम्’ mean in this verse?
The Gita on dharma, in other chapters
- Verse 7.11Strength and desire are sacred when freed from greed and aligned with what is right — refine your longings rather than crush them.
- Verse 11.50 · SanjayaAfter being stretched by the vast, the soul is gently brought back to ground and consoled by the Divine.
- Verse 3.38Desire does not destroy your inner wisdom, only veils it — your clarity remains intact, waiting to shine once the covering is removed.
- Verse 6.40No sincere effort toward goodness is ever wasted — one who does good never comes to a bad end.
Swipe left for 4.8 · Dharma restoration requires protection, correction, and renewal.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 4.7
Who says Bhagavad Gita 4.7, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 4.7, in Chapter 4, Jnana Karma Sannyas Yoga (Jnana Karma Sannyas Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 4.7 mean?
Whenever dharma declines and adharma rises, O Bharata, then I manifest Myself. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 4.7 for daily life?
Notice when your inner dharma is declining and invite guidance early. If a person becomes dominated by anger and impulsive choices, it is time to restore inner dharma.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 4.7 mean?
यदा यदा — whenever; हि — indeed; धर्मस्य — of righteousness; ग्लानिः — decline, decay; भवति — there is.
Where does verse 4.7 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 7 of 42 in Chapter 4, Jnana Karma Sannyas Yoga. The next verse is 4.8.