श्रीशुक उवाच कृते प्रवर्तते धर्मश्चतुष्पात्तज्जनैर्धृत: । सत्यं दया तपो दानमिति पादा विभोर्नृप ॥ १८ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca kṛte pravartate dharmaś catuṣ-pāt taj-janair dhṛtaḥ satyaṁ dayā tapo dānam iti pādā vibhor nṛpa
- śrī-śukaḥ uvāca
- Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said
- kṛte
- in the Satya-yuga, the age of truth
- pravartate
- exists
- dharmaḥ
- religion
- catuḥ-pāt
- with four legs
- tat
- of that age
- janaiḥ
- by the people
- dhṛtaḥ
- maintained
- satyam
- truth
- dayā
- mercy
- tapaḥ
- austerity
- dānam
- charity
- iti
- thus
- pādāḥ
- the legs
- vibhoḥ
- of mighty religion
- nṛpa
- O King
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King, in the beginning, during Satya-yuga, the age of truth, religion is present with all four of its legs intact and is carefully maintained by the people of that age. These four legs of powerful religion are truthfulness, mercy, austerity and charity.