A declaration · expansive in mood · builds on earlier teachings
“The divine returns whenever order must be restored.”
For the protection of the righteous, for the destruction of wrongdoers, and for the establishment of dharma, I appear age after age.
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Hover a word to focus on it.
Read literallyfor protection · of the righteous · for destruction · and · of wrongdoers · for the purpose of establishing dharma · I appear · age after age
Krishna says he appears again and again to protect the good, stop wrongdoing, and restore dharma.
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Jnana Karma Sanyasa Yoga" (Knowledge and Renunciation of Action).
Verse 8 sits in Chapter 4 of the Bhagavad Gita — Jnana Karma Sanyasa Yoga, "Knowledge and Renunciation of Action". The chapter has 42 verses in total.
When a family system is poisoned by one cruel person, or a workplace has become toxic, you want to believe repair is still possible. This verse insists that protection and restoration are not fantasies.
Did you like this verse?
It shifts the mind from passive despair to trust in restorative action.
What this verse means
Krishna says he appears again and again to protect the good, stop wrongdoing, and restore dharma.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna is frozen and Krishna is revealing why divine presence enters the world. After saying he appears whenever dharma declines, Krishna adds the purpose of that appearance: to protect the righteous, remove destructive forces, and restore right order.
Why this verse still matters
When a family system is poisoned by one cruel person, or a workplace has become toxic, you want to believe repair is still possible. This verse insists that protection and restoration are not fantasies.
“There is comfort in knowing order is not abandoned. What is worth protecting is protected.”
Explore related themes: adharma (12 verses)