I heard it from my father that in the golden age, O king, during the epoch of the Self-create Manu, the eternal Narayana, the Soul of the universe, was born as the son of Dharma in a quadrupie form, viz., as Nara, Narayana, Hari, and the Self-create Krishna.
नारायणो हि विश्वात्मा चतुर्मूर्तिः सनातनः। धर्मात्मजः सम्बभूव पितैवं मेऽभ्यभाषत॥ कृते युगे महाराज पुरा स्वायम्भुवेऽन्तरे। नरो नारायणश्चैव हरिः कृष्णः स्वयम्भुवः॥