Bhagavad Gita 4.8
Protection, accountability, and the restoration of dharma
Jnana Karma Sannyasa Yoga · Knowledge and the Renunciation of Action
Original Sanskrit
Bhagavad Gita verse 4.8 in Sanskrit
परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम्।
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय संभवामि युगे युगे॥४.८॥
paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṃ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām
dharma-saṃsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge
Plain-language meaning
What the verse says
Krishna describes divine manifestation as protecting those committed to the good, bringing destructive action to an end, and firmly re-establishing dharma age after age.
Context in the dialogue
This completes the thought begun in verse 4.7. The movement is not only against harm: it protects, restrains, and restores. Different Vedanta traditions read the nature of divine embodiment differently, while sharing the verse’s emphasis on the renewal of dharma.
Key Sanskrit terms
- paritrāṇāya
- for protection or deliverance
- sādhūnām
- of those committed to the good
- duṣkṛtām
- of harmful actors
- saṃsthāpanārthāya
- for the firm establishment
- yuge yuge
- age after age
Reflection for daily life
Practice the principle
Repair needs all three movements named here: shelter people at risk, set boundaries against harm, and build conditions in which better conduct can last. Stopping harm without rebuilding leaves the work incomplete.