Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 4, verse 8 · Krishna
Bhagavad Gita 4.8 · Paritranaya Sadhunam
परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् ।
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे ॥
paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṃ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām |
dharmasaṃsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge ||
Translation
To protect the good, to destroy the wicked and to re-establish dharma, I take birth age after age.
Explanation
The purpose of the avatara: protection, correction and restoration. Many also read it inwardly — the Divine awakens within us whenever our own sense of right begins to fail.
Context
Spoken by Krishna in chapter 4, Jnana Karma Sannyasa Yoga — “The Yoga of Knowledge and the Renunciation of Action”, which has 42 verses.
Frequently asked questions
What does Bhagavad Gita 4.8 mean?
To protect the good, to destroy the wicked and to re-establish dharma, I take birth age after age.
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 4.8?
Krishna, speaking to Arjuna, in chapter 4, Jnana Karma Sannyasa Yoga (The Yoga of Knowledge and the Renunciation of Action).
Sanskrit text: traditional, public domain. Translation and explanation are our own.