dharaṇy uvÄca
bhavÄn hi veda tat sarvaá¹
yan mÄá¹ dharmÄnupá¹›cchasi
caturbhir vartase yena
pÄdair loka-sukhÄvahaiḥ
dharaṇī uvÄca - mother earth replied; bhavÄn - your good self; hi - certainly; veda - know; tat sarvam - all that you have inquired from me; yat - that; mÄm - from me; dharma - O personality of religious principles; anupá¹›cchasi - you have inquired one after another; caturbhiḥ - by four; vartase - you exist; yena - by which; pÄdaiḥ - by the legs; loka - in each and every planet; sukha-Ävahaiḥ - increasing the happiness.
The principles of religion are laid down by the Lord Himself, and the executor of such laws is DharmarÄja, or YamarÄja. Such principles work fully in the age of Satya-yuga; in the TretÄ-yuga they are reduced by a fraction of one fourth; in the DvÄpara-yuga they are reduced to one half, and in the Kali-yuga they are reduced to one fourth, gradually diminishing to the zero point, and then devastation takes place. Happiness in the world depends proportionately on the maintenance of the religious principles, individually or collectively. The best part of valor is to maintain the principles despite all kinds of odds. Thus one can be happy during the span of life and ultimately return to Godhead.