Universal
Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya — Gita 4.7–8
यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत । अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम् ॥ परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् । धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे ॥
Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām, dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge
Simple reading: Ya-daa ya-daa hi dhar-mas-ya glaa-nir bha-va-ti bhaa-ra-ta, abh-yut-thaa-nam a-dhar-mas-ya ta-daat-maa-nam sri-jaam-ya-ham. Pa-rit-raa-naa-ya saa-dhoo-naam vi-naa-shaa-ya cha dush-kri-taam, dhar-ma san-sthaa-pa-naar-thaa-ya sam-bha-vaa-mi yu-ge yu-ge
About this mantra
Krishna's promise — whenever dharma declines, he arises, age after age, to protect the good and re-establish the right.
Meaning
Whenever dharma declines and adharma rises, O Bharata, then I bring myself forth. For the protection of the good, for the destruction of wrongdoing, and to establish dharma, I arise age after age. The promise lives in the present tense of eternity — sambhavami, I arise — not once, but whenever. Dharma's low points, the verse says, are not abandonments; they are appointments.
When to recite it
Gita Jayanti and Janmashtami hold it; recited when the news is dark, when institutions fail, and whenever hope needs its oldest guarantee.
Word by word
- यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिःyadā yadā hi dharmasya glāniḥ
- whenever dharma declines
- अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्यabhyutthānam adharmasya
- and adharma rises
- तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम्tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham
- then I bring myself forth
- परित्राणाय साधूनांparitrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ
- for the protection of the good
- विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम्vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām
- and for the destruction of wrongdoers
- धर्मसंस्थापनार्थायdharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya
- to establish dharma firmly
- सम्भवामि युगे युगेsambhavāmi yuge yuge
- I arise age after age
Source: Bhagavad Gītā 4.7–4.8