Lord Krishna
Divine TeacherThe Supreme Lord, the charioteer and divine guide of Arjuna. Krishna delivers the eternal wisdom of the Gita, revealing the nature of the soul, duty, and the path to liberation.
Speaking: Chapter 4, Verse 7
Verse 7
Hard VerseThe Yoga of Knowledge and Action
Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I descend Myself.
Context & Meaning
Whenever dharma (righteousness) declines and adharma (unrighteousness) rises, Krishna manifests on Earth. This is the divine law of cyclical renewal.
Scholar Commentaries
1 commentary · Public domainSwami Vivekananda
VedanticThis is one of the most universal statements in all religious literature. It does not say "wherever Hinduism declines" but wherever dharma declines — dharma being the universal moral order that underlies all religions. The Avatar principle thus acknowledges that the Divine responds to the moral state of the world, not merely of one tradition.