Dharma — Righteousness

यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत ।
अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम् ॥

yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānirbhavati bhārata / abhyutthānamadharmasya tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmyaham

Shri Bhagavan

Whenever dharma declines, I come.

Whenever dharma grows weak and what stands against dharma rises up, Bharata, at that time I send myself forth into the world.

हिंदी · जब-जब धर्म क्षीण होता है और अधर्म सिर उठाता है, भारत, तब-तब मैं स्वयं को प्रकट करता हूँ।

The Trust’s reading · Whenever righteousness weakens and unrighteousness rises, Arjuna, I bring Myself into being.

परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् ।
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे ॥

paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām / dharmasaṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge

Shri Bhagavan

Age after age, to establish dharma.

To protect those who are good, to put an end to those who do harm, and to set dharma firmly in place again, I come into being age after age.

हिंदी · साधुओं की रक्षा के लिए, दुष्कर्म करने वालों के नाश के लिए, और धर्म को फिर से दृढ़ रूप से स्थापित करने के लिए मैं युग-युग में प्रकट होता हूँ।

The Trust’s reading · To protect the good, to destroy the wicked, and to establish dharma firmly, I appear in every age.

त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मनः ।
कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत् ॥

trividhaṁ narakasyedaṁ dvāraṁ nāśanamātmanaḥ / kāmaḥ krodhastathā lobhastasmādetattrayaṁ tyajet

Shri Bhagavan

Three gates to ruin: desire, anger, greed.

This gate to hell is of three kinds, and it destroys a person: desire, anger and greed. Therefore one should let all three go.

हिंदी · नरक का यह द्वार तीन प्रकार का है, और यह मनुष्य को नष्ट कर देता है: काम, क्रोध और लोभ। इसलिए इन तीनों को छोड़ देना चाहिए।

The Trust’s reading · Three gates lead to the ruin of the self — desire, anger and greed. Therefore give up all three.

तस्माच्छास्त्रं प्रमाणं ते कार्याकार्यव्यवस्थितौ ।
ज्ञात्वा शास्त्रविधानोक्तं कर्म कर्तुमिहार्हसि ॥

tasmācchāstraṁ pramāṇaṁ te kāryākāryavyavasthitau / jñātvā śāstravidhānoktaṁ karma kartumihārhasi

Shri Bhagavan

Let scripture be your guide to what should be done.

So let the scriptures be your measure in settling what should be done and what should not. Know what the scriptures lay down, and do your work here accordingly.

हिंदी · इसलिए क्या करना चाहिए और क्या नहीं, यह तय करने में शास्त्र को ही अपना प्रमाण मानो। शास्त्र का विधान जानकर तुम्हें यहाँ अपना कर्म करना चाहिए।

The Trust’s reading · Let the scriptures be your authority in deciding what should and should not be done. Knowing what they lay down, act accordingly.

प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च कार्याकार्ये भयाभये ।
बन्धं मोक्षं च या वेत्ति बुद्धिः सा पार्थ सात्त्विकी ॥

pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca kāryākārye bhayābhaye / bandhaṁ mokṣaṁ ca yā vetti buddhiḥ sā pārtha sāttvikī

Shri Bhagavan

The sattvic intellect knows what to do and what to avoid.

The understanding that knows engagement and withdrawal, what is to be done and what is not, fear and fearlessness, bondage and liberation — that understanding, O Partha, is of goodness.

हिंदी · जो बुद्धि प्रवृत्ति और निवृत्ति को, कर्तव्य और अकर्तव्य को, भय और अभय को, तथा बन्धन और मोक्ष को यथार्थ जानती है — हे पार्थ! वह सात्त्विकी है।

The Trust’s reading · A clear mind knows when to act and when to hold back, what is right to do and what is not, what truly deserves fear and what does not, and what binds a person and what sets them free. The Gita calls this discernment sattvic.