# SB 8.14.4 > चतुर्युगान्ते कालेन ग्रस्तान्छ्रुतिगणान्यथा > तपसा ऋषयोऽपश्यन्यतो धर्मः सनातनः ॥४॥ ## Text > catur-yugānte kālena > grastāñ chruti-gaṇān yathā > tapasā ṛṣayo 'paśyan > yato dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ ## Synonyms *catuḥ-yuga-ante*—at the end of every four *yugas* (Satya, Dvāpara, Tretā and Kali); *kālena*—in due course of time; *grastān*—lost; *śruti-gaṇān*—the Vedic instruction; *yathā*—as; *tapasā*—by austerity; *ṛṣayaḥ*—great saintly persons; *apaśyan*—by seeing misuse; *yataḥ*—wherefrom; *dharmaḥ*—occupational duties; *sanātanaḥ*—eternal. ## Translation **At the end of every four yugas, the great saintly persons, upon seeing that the eternal occupational duties of mankind have been misused, reestablish the principles of religion.** ## Purport In this verse, the words *dharmaḥ* and *sanātanaḥ* are very important. *Sanātana* means "eternal," and *dharma* means "occupational duties." From Satya-yuga to Kali-yuga, the principles of religion and occupational duty gradually deteriorate. In Satya-yuga, the religious principles are observed in full, without deviation. In Tretā-yuga, however, these principles are somewhat neglected, and only three fourths of the religious duties continue. In Dvāpara-yuga only half of the religious principles continue, and in Kali-yuga only one fourth of the religious principles, which gradually disappear. At the end of Kali-yuga, the principles of religion, or the occupational duties of humanity, are almost lost. Indeed, in this Kali-yuga we have passed through only five thousand years, yet the decline of *sanātana-dharma* is very prominent. The duty of saintly persons, therefore, is to take up seriously the cause of *sanātana-dharma* and try to reestablish it for the benefit of the entire human society. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has been started according to this principle. As stated in *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* (12.3.51): > kaler doṣa-nidhe rājan > asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ > kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya > mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet The entire Kali-yuga is full of faults. It is like an unlimited ocean of faults. But the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very authorized. Therefore, following in the footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who five hundred years ago inaugurated the movement of *saṅkīrtana, kṛṣṇa-kīrtana,* we are trying to introduce this movement, according to superior orders, all over the world. Now, if the inaugurators of this movement strictly follow the regulative principles and spread this movement for the benefit of all human society, they will certainly usher in a new way of life by reestablishing *sanātana-dharma,* the eternal occupational duties of humanity. The eternal occupational duty of the human being is to serve Kṛṣṇa. *Jīvera 'svarūpa' haya-kṛṣṇera 'nitya-dāsa.'* [[cc/madhya/20/108-109|[Cc. Madhya 20.108] ]]. This is the purport of *sanātana-dharma. Sanātana* means *nitya,* or "eternal," and *kṛṣṇa-dāsa* means "servant of Kṛṣṇa." The eternal occupational duty of the human being is to serve Kṛṣṇa. This is the sum and substance of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.