Shloka 13

युगधर्मवर्णनम् — चतुर्युग, गुण, धर्मपाद, तथा वार्तोत्पत्ति

Devanagari script

आद्ये कृतयुगे धर्मश् चतुष्पादः सनातनः त्रेतायुगे त्रिपादस्तु द्विपादो द्वापरे स्थितः

Transliteration

ādye kṛtayuge dharmaś catuṣpādaḥ sanātanaḥ tretāyuge tripādastu dvipādo dvāpare sthitaḥ

Translation

في العصر الأول، كِرتا-يوغا، يقوم الدَّرما—النظام الأزليّ—ثابتًا على أربع قوائم. وفي تريتَا-يوغا يبقى على ثلاث؛ وفي دْفابَرا-يوغا يستقرّ على اثنتين. وهكذا يتكشّف انحسار الاستقامة بحكم الزمان؛ غير أنّ شِيفا، البَتي المتعالي عن الغونات، يظلّ الملجأ الذي لا يتبدّل للپَشو المقيَّدين.

Word by Word

• ādye: in the first

• kṛta-yuge: in the Kṛta-yuga (Satya-yuga)

• dharmaḥ: Dharma, righteousness/cosmic order

• catuṣ-pādaḥ: four-footed, having four supports

• sanātanaḥ: eternal

• tretā-yuge: in the Tretā-yuga

• tri-pādaḥ: three-footed

• tu: indeed/but

• dvi-pādaḥ: two-footed

• dvāpare: in the Dvāpara-yuga

• sthitaḥ: established, standing

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Purana to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Dharma

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

By showing Dharma’s gradual weakening across the yugas, the verse implies why Śiva-linga worship and Śiva-anuṣṭhāna become essential supports for pashus (souls) as worldly righteousness diminishes.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Even though the verse speaks of Dharma changing with time, the Shaiva implication is that Śiva as Pati is not subject to yuga-variation; He is the stable ground of liberation when dharma in society loses its ‘feet’.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

It points toward adopting stronger sādhana as Dharma declines—regular Śiva-pūjā (especially linga-arcana), mantra-japa, and Pāśupata-oriented discipline to cut pasha (bondage) when social dharma is reduced.