Verses
For the protection of the righteous, the destruction of the wicked, and the establishment of righteousness, I manifest myself in every age.
Worship Guidelines & Chanting Benefits (Phalashruti)
PhalashrutiWednesday (Budhwar), Thursday (Guruwar) & Ekadashi
Early Morning (Brahma Muhurta) or Sandhya (Twilight)
Tulsi leaves, Butter (Makhan), Mishri, Yellow flowers & Chandan
- Awakening of pure divine love (Prema Bhakti), mental joy, and freedom from anxiety
Background
This verse is from the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Hindu scripture that forms part of the epic Mahabharata. It is spoken by Lord Krishna to the warrior Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. The verse is widely recited in devotional contexts, especially during discourses on divine incarnation and the purpose of God's descent into the world. It is considered a key statement of the concept of avatar (divine descent) in the Vaishnava tradition.
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Context
This verse is from the Bhagavad Gita, spoken by Krishna to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. It summarizes the purpose of divine incarnation in Hindu thought: to protect the righteous, destroy evil, and restore cosmic order.
Structure
The verse is composed in the anustubh meter, a common Sanskrit poetic form of eight syllables per line. The repeated phrase yuge yuge (age after age) emphasizes the cyclical nature of time in Hindu cosmology, where God appears in every era.
Meaning
The three actions in this verse protection of the good, destruction of the wicked, and reestablishment of dharma form the core mission of an avatar. This triad is referenced throughout Hindu scriptures to explain why the divine intervenes in worldly affairs.
Significance
This verse appears in the fourth chapter, which focuses on the yoga of knowledge and the mystery of Krishna's birth. It teaches that although Krishna is unborn and eternal, he voluntarily takes on a human form whenever dharma declines, using his own divine power (maya).
Krishna
Khatu Shyam Chalisa: 39 chaupai couplets between two dohas, naming Shyam (Barbarik) as Krishna's form and the saviour of devotees in Kali Yuga.
A forty-verse hymn glorifying Krishna's divine pastimes, recited by devotees seeking his protection, love, and liberation.
Eight verses and a closing benefit verse call on Vishnu by many names, each verse ending with a plea to Shripati to calm all sorrow.
Eight verses and a closing benefit verse that honor Vishnu as Krishna and Rama by listing his divine names, chanted for blessings and protection.
More from Hinduism
See allA joyful devotional song (bhajan) in Hindi that calls upon Lord Krishna by many of his beloved names, celebrating his beauty, playful childhood, and divine nature.
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The Krishna Ashtottara Shatanamavali: 108 names of Lord Krishna, from his Gokula childhood to the Gita, chanted on Janmashtami and in daily Vaishnava worship.
A guided devotional chant that takes the listener on a mental pilgrimage through Braj, repeating the name of Radha.
Sant Bahinabai's abhanga on the Varkari temple: Dnyaneshwar laid its foundation, Namdev extended it, Eknath raised a pillar, Tukaram became its golden crest.
Connected Teachings
The same teaching, echoed across traditions