Shloka 21

Kāla-vibhāga: The Divisions of Time from Atom to Brahmā, and the Lord Beyond Time

Devanagari script

धर्मश्चतुष्पान्मनुजान् कृते समनुवर्तते । स एवान्येष्वधर्मेण व्येति पादेन वर्धता ॥ २१ ॥

Transliteration

dharmaś catuṣ-pān manujān kṛte samanuvartate sa evānyeṣv adharmeṇa vyeti pādena vardhatā

Translation

ឱ វិទុរ! ក្នុងសត្យយុគ ធម៌មានបួនជើង ឈរយ៉ាងពេញលេញក្នុងមនុស្សលោក; តែក្នុងយុគផ្សេងៗ ពេលអធម៌កើនឡើង ធម៌ក៏ថយចុះម្តងមួយជើង។

Synonyms

• धर्मः: dharma/righteousness
• धर्मः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• चतुष्पात्: four-footed (complete in four quarters)
• चतुष्पात्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (चत्वारः पादाः यस्य = having four feet/quarters)

• मनुजान्: humans
• मनुजान्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• कृते: in the Kṛta age
• कृते: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Time-context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (युगनाम)

• समनुवर्तते: follows/prevails (in)
• समनुवर्तते: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-अनु-√वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• सः: that (dharma)
• सः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• अन्येषु: in the other (yugas)
• अन्येषु: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Time-context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; (अन्येषु युगेषु)

• अधर्मेण: by/through unrighteousness
• अधर्मेण: करण/हेतु (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• व्येति: declines/diminishes
• व्येति: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√इ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• पादेन: by a quarter/foot
• पादेन: करण/परिमाण (Instrument/Measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• वर्धता: increasing (as it grows)
• वर्धता: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्धत् (कृदन्त; √वृध्)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अधर्मेण) / सहचर्ये

Purport

In the Satya millennium, complete execution of religious principles prevailed. Gradually, the principles of religion decreased by one part in each of the subsequent millenniums. In other words, at present there is one part religion and three parts irreligion. Therefore people in this age are not very happy.

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the decline of dharma in the yugas?

This verse explains that dharma is complete in Satya-yuga but in subsequent yugas it diminishes quarter by quarter as adharma correspondingly increases.

Why does Śukadeva Gosvāmī describe dharma as having four legs?

He uses the image of a four-legged support to show dharma’s full strength in Satya-yuga and its progressive weakening in later ages, where one “leg” is lost in each yuga.

Practical application of yuga-dharma teachings in modern life?

Recognize that adharma naturally expands in Kali-yuga, so consciously strengthen truthfulness, cleanliness, mercy, and austerity—and anchor life in bhakti to remain steady.