Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Gita Chapter 4

From the Bhakti List Archives

surfing • July 22, 1998 


I refer to the posting from "Bharadwaj, Jagannath" in Bhakti v003.n005-4
(Friday 17 July 1998), in which the famous slokam "Yadha yadha hi
dharmasya glaanirbhavathi" is dealt with. A restricted  meaning for
"Dharma" has been given: 

"In any age (yuga), when there is a decay in the rites to be practised
by the four castes and the four stages (ashramas) within a person's life
in each caste, when there is a rise in the practice of irreligious
activities among the population, at that time, I incarnate Myself."

Geetacharyan intended to reassure the millions of suffering humanity
that He is always behind them in their constant efforts against
injustice and tyranny and, when needed in critical times, He would
incarnate and lead them in their battle to eradicate evil. As various
commentators have pointed out, Dharma has many meanings in different
contexts.  Perhaps, in this context of incarnation to uphold Dharma a
wider scope of Loka Kalyanam is intended than caste and rites.

Adiyen Dasan
MK Krishnaswamy
surfing@pacbell.net