यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत । अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम् ॥ ७ ॥
yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānaṁ sṛijāmyaham
Translation
Whenever there is a decline in righteousness, Arjun, and a rise in unrighteousness, I manifest Myself.
Hindi Meaning (हिंदी अर्थ)
हे अर्जुन, जब-जब धर्म की हानि होती है और अधर्म बढ़ता है, तब-तब मैं स्वयं को प्रकट करता हूँ।
Commentary
This is the Gita's foundational statement on avatarhood — the idea that the divine periodically takes birth in the world, not on a fixed schedule but specifically when the balance between dharma and adharma tips too far. It reframes Krishna's presence on the Kurukshetra battlefield not as an isolated event but as one instance of a recurring pattern, completed by the next verse.