Shloka

यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत |
अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम् ||४-७||

Transliteration

yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānirbhavati bhārata .
abhyutthānamadharmasya tadātmānaṃ sṛjāmyaham ||4-7||

Translations

Dr.S.Sankaranarayan

4.7. For, whenever there is a decay of righteousness and the rise of unrighteousness, then, O descendant of Bharata, I send forth (or create) that is which the Self is unimportant.

Shri Purohit Swami

4.7 Whenever spirituality decays and materialism is rampant, then, O Arjuna, I reincarnate Myself!

Sri Abhinav Gupta

4.7 See Comment under 4.9

Sri Ramanuja

4.7 There is no restriction as to the time of My birth; whenever the Dharma taught by the Vedas that must be observed according to the arrangements of the four stations and the four stages of life declines, and Adharma, its opposite, increases, then I Myself, by My own will and in the manner stated, incarnate Myself.

Sri Krsna gives the purpose of His birth.

Sri Shankaracharya

4.7 O scion of the Bharata dynasty, yada yada hi, whenever; bhavati, there is; a glanih, decline, decrease; dharmasya, of virtue consisting of the duties of castes and stages of life of living beings, which are the means to achieving properity and Liberation; and abhyutthanam, increase, rise; adharmasya, of vice; tada, then; do aham, I; srjami, manifest; atmanam, Myself, through Maya. Why?

Swami Adidevananda

4.7 Whenever there is a decline of Dharma, O Arjuna, and uprising of Adharma, then I incarnate Myself.

Swami Gambirananda

4.7 O scion of the Bharata dynasty, whenever there is a decline one virtue and increase of vice, then do I manifest Myself.

Swami Sivananda

4.7 Whenever there is decline of righteousness, O Arjuna, and rise of unrighteousness, then I manifest Myself.

Commentaries

Swami Sivananda

4.7 यदा यदा whenever? हि surely? धर्मस्य of righteousness? ग्लानिः decline? भवति is? भारत O Bharata? अभ्युत्थानम् rise? अधर्मस्य of unrighteousness? तदा then? आत्मानम् Myself? सृजामि manifest? अहम् I.Commentary Dharma is that which sustains and holds together. There is no proper eivalen for this term in the English language. That which helps a man to attain to Moksha or salvation is Dharma. That which makes a man irreligious or unrighteous is Adharma. That which elevates a man and helps him reach the goal of life and attain knowledge is Dharma that which drags him and hurls him down in the abyss of worldliness and ignorance is Adharma.