Why does Bhagavān not manifest now when adharma is increasing?

Q: Bhagavān says that He manifests to protect dharma and destroy adharma in the Bhagavad-Gītā. Why does He not manifest now, when it is especially needed? Dharma has been all but destroyed.

A: We have to properly understand the Gītā verses 4.7 and 4.8. Below, I present their translations along with commentaries. Verse 4.7 is as follows:

yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānam sṛjāmy aham

O Bhārata, whenever at all there occurs a decline of righteousness (dharma) and an uprising of unrighteousness, at that time I manifest Myself.

I reproduced Babaji’s translation above. Below, I translate Śrī Viśvanātha’s commentary:

kadā sambhavāmīty apekṣāyām āha yadeti | dharmasya glānir hānir adharmasyābhyutthānaṁ vṛddhis te dve soḍhum aśaknuvan tayor vaiparītyaṁ kartum iti bhāvaḥ | ātmānaṁ dehaṁ sṛjāmi nitya-siddham eva taṁ sṛṣṭam iva darśayāmi māyayā iti śrī-madhusūdana-sarasvatī-pādāḥ ||7||

When do I appear? He replies with this verse. Unable to tolerate these two: damaging (glāni) of dharma, and the proliferation of adharma (abhyutthāna), i.e. in order to reverse them [He manifests]. Śrī Madhusūdana Sarasvatī-pāda [explains] as follows: ātmānam means body. ātmānam sṛjāmi means I display it [my body], which is eternally existing, as if it is created by māyā.

Clearly, Bhagavān manifests for the two reasons presented in the verse. However, what do the words ‘dharma’ and ‘adharma’ mean here? For this, we have to turn to Śrī Viśvanātha’s commentary to the next verse. Verse 4.8 is as follows:

paritrāṇāya sādhūnām vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge

I will first translate the commentary —

nanu tvad-bhaktā rājarṣayo brahmarṣayo’pi vā dharma-hāny-adharma-vṛddhī dūrīkartuṁ śaknuvanty eva | etāvad artham eva kiṁ tavāvatāreṇa ?

Objection: your devotees, the rajarṣis, or even the brahmarṣis, are capable of reversing the damaging of dharma and the proliferation of dharma. Why then do you manifest just for doing this?

The point here is that Bhagavān does not need to manifest for these two reasons per se. Others, such as righteous kings, can establish dharma (principles such as speaking the truth, non-violence etc) and mitigate adharma (stop stealing, exploitation of others etc.). This means, then, that the two reasons given above for His appearance have to be interpreted properly. Thus, Śrī Viśvanātha offers the following explanation —

iti cet, satyam | anyad api anya-duṣkaraṁ karma kartuṁ sambhavāmīty āha parīti | sādhūnāṁ paritrāṇāya mad-ekānta-bhaktānāṁ mad-darśanotkaṇṭhā-sphuṭa-cittānāṁ yad vaiyāgrya-rūpaṁ duḥkham | tasmāt trāṇāya | tathā duṣkṛtāṁ mad-bhakta-loka-duḥkha-dāyināṁ mad-anyair avadhyānāṁ rāvaṇa-kaṁsa-keśy-ādīnāṁ vināśāya | tathā dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya madīya-dhyāna-yajana-paricaryā-saṅkīrtana-lakṣaṇaṁ parama-dharmaṁ mad-anyaiḥ pravartayitum aśakyaṁ samyak prakāreṇa sthāpayitum ity arthaḥ | yuge yuge prati-yugaṁ pratikalpaṁ vā | ||8||

If this objection is raised, then [the reply is] True. I manifest for doing other activities which are not possible for others to do. [I manifest] to protect my one-pointed devotees (sādhunām) whose hearts are overcome with intense longing for my darśana, from the suffering of intense agitation. And [I manifest] for destroying those who cause suffering to my devotees (duṣkṛtāṁ), who are not slayable by anyone other than Me, like Rāvaṇa, Kaṁsa, Keśi and others. And [I manifest] for properly establishing the supreme dharma, which is characterized by meditation on me, my worship, my service and my kīrtana, which is not possible for someone else other than me to propagate. [I do so] in every yuga, or in every kalpa.

As we see here, there are three reasons for Bhagavān’s manifestation:

1. to offer darśana to His pure devotees who intensely suffer because of seeing Him, which can be accomplished by Him alone,
2. to destroy asuras like Rāvaṇa who cause suffering to His devotees and who cannot be killed by anyone else,
3. for propagating the supreme dharma, bhakti, which cannot be properly established and taught by anyone else.

These three functions define the purpose of His manifestation; they are not functions that can be fulfilled by others. Bhagavān’s manifestation does not occur ‘on demand’.

I now translate verse 4.8 —

I manifest in every yuga for [these activities which no one else can do:] the protection of my one-pointed devotees, the destruction of asuras like Rāvaṇa, and the establishment of the supreme dharma of bhakti.