Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4, Verse 8

Chapter 4 – Jnana Karma Sanyasa Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् ।
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे ॥

Transliteration

paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṃ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām .
dharmasaṃsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge ॥

Meaning

To protect the good, to destroy the wicked, and to firmly establish righteousness, I come into being age after age.

Word meanings

परित्राणाय – for the full protection
साधूनाम् – of the good, the virtuous
विनाशाय – for the destruction
च – and
दुष्कृताम् – of evil-doers
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय – for the firm establishment of dharma
सम्भवामि – I come into being, I manifest
युगे युगे – in every age, age after age

Anvaya (word order)

साधूनां परित्राणाय, दुष्कृतां विनाशाय च, धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय (अहं) युगे युगे सम्भवामि ।

Explanation

In the previous verse Krishna said when He manifests; in this verse He says why. The avatara has three purposes: the protection of the good, the destruction of the wicked, and the establishment of dharma. Together these two verses present the complete doctrine of divine descent.

‘Paritranaya sadhunam’ — for the protection of the good. Who is a sadhu? Not merely one who wears an ochre robe, but anyone who walks the path of truth, righteousness and devotion. The prefix ‘pari’ in ‘paritrana’ indicates that the protection is complete — not only of their bodies but of their faith, their path and their hearts. Ramanuja makes a moving observation here: the Lord's true devotees cannot bear to be without the sight of Him, and to show them His form, to speak and move among them and satisfy their longing, is itself a principal purpose of the avatara. Seen this way, the descent of God is an outpouring of love.

‘Vinashaya cha dushkritam’ — for the destruction of evil-doers. One may ask: why must the almighty Lord take birth merely to destroy the wicked? He could do it by a mere act of will. The acharyas answer that the destruction of the wicked is a secondary purpose; the primary purposes are the welfare of devotees and the restoration of dharma. Tradition also holds that death at the Lord's hands becomes a means of purification even for the wicked — their destruction is at once punishment and grace.

‘Dharma-samsthapanarthaya’ — for the firm establishment of dharma. The prefix ‘sam’ suggests that dharma is set up thoroughly and securely. An avatara does not merely avert a crisis; it leaves behind a living ideal and a teaching for the ages — as Sri Rama left the ideal of righteous conduct, and Sri Krishna the wisdom of the Gita. For Shankara, the teaching of the Gita is itself part of this re-establishment of dharma.

‘Sambhavami yuge yuge’ — I come into being in every age. This is an eternal assurance to humanity. Just as day follows night, the light of dharma inevitably returns after the darkness of adharma. For the devotee, the verse gives courage that he is never alone; for the seeker, it is an inspiration to become, in his own life, an instrument for the protection of dharma.

Context

In 4.7 Krishna said He manifests whenever dharma declines and adharma rises. Here He gives the three purposes of His descent. In the next verse (4.9) He describes the fruit of truly knowing His divine birth and actions.

Life lesson

God protects the good, so hold firm to the path of goodness however adverse the circumstances. And in our own way we can share in that divine work — by standing with good people, resisting injustice and keeping virtue alive.

Key terms

Sadhu: a good person who walks the path of truth and dharma
Dushkrit: an evil-doer, one of wicked conduct
Dharma-samsthapana: the firm and thorough establishment of righteousness
Yuga: a great cycle of time — Satya, Treta, Dvapara, Kali