Dedicated to all of you
who are entering the spirit of the new millennium:
You are not afraid to investigate the possibilities
of what may be in the future,
yet remain steadfast in the courage to help bring in
light, love, and spiritual improvement for one and all.
You are the people forming the new species of humanity.
Copyright © October, 1997, and March, 2011 by Stephen Knapp
Updated with additional information in March, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-1461002246
ISBN-10: 1461002249
E-Book ISBN: 978-1-4392-7897-0
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form
without permission from the publisher, except for brief quotations.
Cover photo: An image of Lord Shiva as Nataraja or Rudra doing the
cosmic Tandiva Nitrya dance of destruction that brings the huge universal,
multicolored clouds that play a part in causing the annihilation of the
universe. Photo taken by Stephen Knapp.
Other books by the author:
1. The Secret Teachings of the Vedas: The Eastern Answers to the
Mysteries of Life
2. The Universal Path to Enlightenment
3. The Vedic Prophecies: A New Look into the Future
4. How the Universe was Created and Our Purpose In It
5. Toward World Peace: Seeing the Unity Between Us All
6. Facing Death: Welcoming the Afterlife
7. The Key to Real Happiness
8. Proof of Vedic Culture’s Global Existence
9. The Heart of Hinduism: The Eastern Path to Freedom, Enlightenment
and Illumination
10. The Power of the Dharma: An Introduction to Hinduism and Vedic
Culture
11. Vedic Culture: The Difference it can Make in Your Life
12. Reincarnation & Karma: How They Really Affect Us
13. The Eleventh Commandment: The Next Step for Social Spiritual
Development
14. Seeing Spiritual India: A Guide to Temples, Holy Sites, Festivals and
Traditions
15. Crimes Against India: And the Need to Protect its Ancient Vedic
Tradition
16. Destined for Infinity, a spiritual adventure in the Himalayas
17. Yoga and Meditation: Their Real Purpose and How to Get Started
18. Avatars, Gods and Goddesses of Vedic Culture: Understanding the
Characteristics, Powers and Positions of the Hindu Divinities
19. The Soul: Understanding Our Real Identity
20. Prayers, Mantras and Gayatris: A Collection for Insights, Protection,
Spiritual Growth and Many Other Blessings
You can find out more about Stephen Knapp and his books, free
ebooks, research, and numerous articles and photos, along with
many other spiritual resources at:
http://www.Stephen-Knapp.com
Contents
TITLE PAGE
COPYRIGHT PAGE
FOREWORD, By Bhakti Tirtha Swami
INTRODUCTION
What is Considered Vedic
CHAPTER ONE
THE STORY OF VYASADEVA’S VISIONS
More Prophecies From the Great Sage Markandeya
CHAPTER TWO
THE PROPHECIES THAT HAVE ALREADY HAPPENED
The Prophecy of Lord Buddha’s Appearance * Prediction of Shiva
appearing in Kali-yuga as Shankaracharya * The Prophecies about Sri
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
CHAPTER THREE
THE BEGINNING OF THE AGE OF KALI-YUGA
Why Puranas Repeat the Same Series of Events * The Story of Kali-
yuga’s Appearance * The Dangers of Kali in Standardized Gold * The
Basic Pattern of Events for the Future in Kali-yuga
CHAPTER FOUR
THE COMING CHANGES DURING KALI-YUGA
Effects of Demoniac Forces in Kali-yuga * General Conditions and
Characteristics of People in Kali-yuga * The Effects of Low-Class Rulers *
The Immoral Qualities of People * The Cheating in Business, Money, and
Social Positions * The Disappearance of Religiosity * Disappearance of the
Holy Rivers * The Degradation in Family Life and Relations Between
People * Droughts and Rampant Famine * The Worst Conditions at the End
of Kali-yuga
CHAPTER FIVE
THE GOLDEN AGE IN KALI-YUGA: A TIME FOR UPLIFTMENT
The Advantages of Kali-yuga * Prophecies on the Importance of
Mayapur, India * How the New Spiritual Awareness Will Spread Around
the World * How to Get Free of the Influence of Kali-yuga * A New
Species Of Humanity * Conclusion
CHAPTER SIX
THE NEXT AVATARA OF GOD: LORD KALKI AND THE END OF
KALI-YUGA
The Appearance of Lord Kalki * The Activities of Lord Kalki * Lord
Kalki Predicted in the Book of Revelations * The Return of the Golden Age
—Satya-yuga
CHAPTER SEVEN
THE DESTRUCTION OF THE WORLD
The Next Annihilation of the World * The Final Annihilation of the
Universe
WHEN THE WINDS OF KALI RAGE
APPENDIX ONE
TIMING THE AGES
APPENDIX TWO
DESCRIPTION OF KALI-YUGA FROM THE RAMAYANA
APPENDIX THREE
THE BHAVISHYA PURANA
The Bhavishya Purana * The Prophecy of Jayadeva Goswami * The
Prediction of Nimbarkacharya * The Prediction of Madhvacharya * The
Prediction of Sridhara * The Prophecy of Jesus Christ * Jesus in Kashmir *
Was Jesus Really Predicted in the Bhavishya Purana? * Is Prophet
Mohammed Really Prophesied in the Bhavishya Purana?
APPENDIX FOUR
MORE ABOUT THE RETREATING GLACIERS OF THE HIMALAYAS
APPENDIX FIVE
IF THERE IS A GOD, WHY IS THE WORLD LIKE THIS?
Foreword
Several years ago I got a very desperate call from one of the directors of
the NBC Television Network program on “Prophecies.” They requested
information on our Vedic tradition for their program. They were particularly
interested in millennium prophecies. I explained to the director the
difference between assorted types of psychics and clairvoyance in contrast
to one who is connected with a transcendental heritage that is endowed with
various siddhis (mystic powers), which includes prophecy. I explained
further that all prophecies are somewhat secondary to the Vedic prophecies.
The Vedas are the oldest scriptures in the world dealing with such subject
matter. They are reliable and authentic because several of the prophecies in
the Vedas are given to humanity by God or by his specially empowered,
fully realized ambassadors. Not only do these ambassadors perceive past,
present, and future, but they are distinctly enlivened in making or arranging
for the future. Uniquely, I explained, the Vedas are not limited to this
universe or planet. Given that many future events are happening or have
happened already on other planets and will later manifest on this planet, it is
very easy for such events to be accurately explained or described by the
Vedas and by bona fide followers of the Vedic tradition. I sent them a
volume of the Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana) on predictions,
written by the great teacher His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Srila Prabhupada. Although authentic, it did not address sufficiently the
millennium concerns in the way they desired. Furthermore, I could
understand they needed more preparation to appreciate properly this gem I
had sent them.
As I look back at this encounter, my regret is that I did not have this
wonderful little book by my colleague, Stephen Knapp, to give them.
Stephen has done a great service by painstakingly putting together such
important prophecies from the Vedic tradition so that those who are
familiar, as well as the novice, will reflect on world prophecy from the most
sacred and authentic scriptures known to humankind. The Vedas give
predictions that extend throughout all planets and all traditions.
According to Indian philosophy, there are 10 pramanas (different ways
of knowing truth). They are:
1. Arsa—a statement of an authoritative sage or Demigod.
2. Upamana—comparison (something like something else).
3. Arthapatti—presumption due to some other known fact.
4. Abhava—absence (perceiving the object’s absence).
5. Sambhava—inclusion (a larger quantity includes a smaller).
6. Arthya—tradition.
7. Cesta—gesture or symbols (someone making a “V” sign or mudra
gesture).
8. Pratyaksa—direct perception.
9. Anumana—inference (based on generalized experience derived by
reason or deduction).
10. Shabda—sound (revealed knowledge).
The last three are the only ones accepted by transcendental scholars and
holy men like Jiva Goswami and Madhavacharya. Number ten, shabda
pramana, revealed knowledge of the Vedas from superhuman sources, is the
supreme superior method. In one of my books, Spiritual Warrior:
Uncovering Spiritual Truths in Psychic Phenomena, I sometimes rely on
anumana, which is inferior to shabda. In The Vedic Prophecies: A New
Look into the Future, the author relies almost exclusively on shabda
pramana for elucidating prophecy. What a wonderful offering! By this
approach, Stephen gives the reader information about the prophecies that
have already happened, the beginning of Kali-yuga (the last age—the age of
quarrel), the changes during this age, the special age of enlightenment (the
Golden Age) in Kali-yuga, the next incarnation of God, and the destruction
of the world. Even the author’s explanation of the Federal Reserve System
helps the reader to get a clearer understanding of how some of the evil
effects of Kali-yuga are already fully operational.
Let us investigate a few millennium concerns in this Kaliyuga.
Nostradamus proclaimed a number of things that would happen around the
turn of the century. Edgar Cayce proclaimed that Japan would slide into the
Pacific Ocean, earthquakes would destroy California, coastal areas would
flood, and New Lands would appear. It is predicted by psychics affiliated
with Buddhism that Buddhism will last for only 2,500 years. Buddhism has
been in existence for 2,500 years. Also, it has been predicted that Tibetan
Buddhism will end some time after the thirteenth Dalai Lama has been
dethroned. He has been dethroned. Psychic pyramidologists report that the
turns and measurement of the Great Pyramid at Gizeh predicts the end of
present civilization. The decline is said to have started in 1965. The Aztecs
and Hopis predict the coming of a New Age within the next decade. Islam
proclaims it will last until man sets foot on the moon. (Have we or have we
not gone to the moon?) Gordon-Michael Scallion predicts serious earth
changes and a new era for humankind in the next several years. At Fatima,
the predictions proclaim holocaust, earth changes, and the dawning of a
new era in the near future. From the Bible in Revelations, many things are
described about the destruction of civilization.
Also, information is given from the Brahma-vaivarta Purana where
Krishna tells Ganga Devi that there will be a Golden Age within the Kali-
yuga that will start 5,000 years after the beginning of the age of Kali-yuga.
It will last for 10,000 years, i.e., 15,000 years into the age of Kali-yuga the
full force of Kali will manifest. We are considered to be in the first phase of
this Golden Age, for Lord Krishna departed 5,000 years ago. Therefore,
millennium predictions coincide with Krishna’s message.
Stephen does not leave us with the dismal effects of this age, but he
explains how to get free of the influences of Kali-yuga, how spiritual
awareness will spread around the world, and, most important, how a new
species of humanity will evolve.
I quote the author in Chapter Five:
“There will be a higher and progressive energy shift, as predicted by the
Vedic scriptures, and it is already in progress. In this cycle, the planetary
changes, whether they appear to be good or severe, will be a cleansing
process to help bring in the needed progress and new species of humanity,
at least while the Golden Age within Kali-yuga continues.
“What this means is that we are at a decisive period. There will be a
transformed world. It will be attained by force, through an apocalypse, or
through cooperation by a planetary awakening.”
If you are particularly interested in doing your part to bring about this
Golden Age, then I am sure you will value this book as much as I do.
Bhakti Tirtha Swami
Vedic Psychotherapist
Global Consultant
Author of such books as:
Leadership For an Age of Higher Consciousness
Spiritual Warrior: Uncovering Spiritual Truths in Psychic
Phenomena
Spiritual Warrior II: Transforming Lust into Love
The Beggar: Meditations and Prayers on the Supreme Lord
Introduction
Although many books have been written about various predictions of
the future, this is the first book that focuses on the ancient prophecies
recorded in the Vedic literature, which are known for being the oldest and
most spiritual writings in the world. Now for the first time you will be able
to understand from where and how these prophecies came to be, and what
they may mean for you and the future of life on this planet.
Everyone wants to know the future of the world. Some of the general
futuristic views circulating in popular books paint a very rosy and
progressive picture of what it will be like hundreds or thousands of years
into the future. Many people seem to think that with the advancement of
technology life will be long, healthy, and all sorts of unimaginable
conveniences will be available for everyone. And some of these things will
happen. Nevertheless, some descriptions in the Vedic literature are quite to
the contrary, even shocking and not at all what you may expect.
These descriptions are not only of things we can see presently
happening around us, but they also provide a look at how things will be
many thousands of years from now, even up to the end of time and the
destruction of the universe. In fact, many of the Vedic prophecies give a
long term view of the future and focus on the changing times over the
course of many hundreds and thousands of years through the age of Kali-
yuga. Naturally, there will be some prophecies that overlap from one text to
another and are similar to those of other cultures, such as what you find
with the Mayans, or from Nostradamus, or in the Bible. But most of the
Vedic prophecies are completely unique and unlike any others that you will
encounter. Thus, they give a very different or new look into the future.
This book takes information that is widely scattered throughout many
volumes of Vedic literature and condenses it into the present work for a
concise explanation of the Vedic prophecies and its descriptions of the
future. The Vedic texts, being ancient but important spiritual literature, also
gives explicit information about our spiritual identity, the Supreme Being,
His avatars or incarnations, the material creation, and about the important
spiritual processes that people can use for getting free from material
existence. Some of this is directly related to the future in this age of Kali-
yuga. Therefore, to leave out this spiritual information, I feel, certainly
would make this book incomplete as far as it being a full presentation of the
Vedic prophecies and what they predict will happen in the future, and what
they prescribe as solutions for the problems of this age. Thus, I present as
much information as is relevant to understand both materially and
spiritually what the Vedic literature says regarding what will happen in the
future. I have also tried to use specific references from the Vedic texts
whenever possible to let them speak for themselves. That way we can
understand clearly what they say.
Within these Vedic references you will find that different Puranas may
repeat the same prophecy. And this book shows the variety of these texts
which express many similar views, thus corroborating one book with
another. When one Purana supports what is said in another, it often helps to
clarify and elaborate on those predictions, and also adds to the credibility as
well as emphasis on the prophecies.
I have also tried not to overburden the book with explanations or
commentaries on the connection between the Vedic Prophecies and current
events. In some cases I have done this, especially regarding the
standardization of gold or when there may be some noteworthy information
to add. Otherwise, anyone can see the connection by looking at any
newspaper or news broadcast and see what is happening and compare it to
what the Vedic texts say.
One important point about the Vedic prophecies is that they are not time
oriented. What I mean by that is that they do not say that certain events will
happen at particular points in time, or certain years, and so on. The Vedic
prophecies are like a time table in the sense that what happens is determined
by the level of consciousness amongst the masses that populate the planet.
Thus, as the general consciousness reaches certain levels of purity,
truthfulness and spirituality, or deceptiveness, materialism and selfishness,
then you will see the signs of it in the actions of the people and the
consequences in nature. As you recognize these particular signs, as
indicated by the Vedic prophecies, you will then know how far into the age
of Kali-yuga we have entered, and how much of its influence we are
experiencing. Then you will know what more to expect in regard to what
has been predicted. We should also understand that we can hold off
particular effects of Kali-yuga and its reactions if we live in harmony with
nature and cooperation with each other by employing a spiritual lifestyle.
Thus, by our actions and intentions, humanity does have some control over
its destiny. After all, why should there be so many adverse reactions in
nature if we are living in harmony with it? On the other hand the less
spiritual we become, and the more selfish, insensitive and materialistic we
are, then we will see a reflection of that amongst ourselves in society, in
nature, and how easy or difficult life becomes in this world as it merely
reflects the consciousness of those who live here. So, the choice is ours,
which will become more clear as you proceed through this book.
For some readers, the information in this book may seem so different
that it may border the fantastic and be quite controversial. For others, it may
make a lot of sense and provide an understanding of life for which they
have long been looking. For others, it may kindle a reawakening of what,
deep in their hearts, they already know but could not quite remember.
Further information on the knowledge of the East and Vedic spirituality is
supplied in my other books, such as The Secret Teachings of the Vedas, and
The Heart of Hinduism, and others that are listed in the back of this book to
answer more questions. If you would also like to have the addresses of
temples and organizations in the West that are based on the philosophy of
the East, please check my website for a free listing at:
www.stephenknapp.com or also http://stephenknapp.wordpress.com.
WHAT IS CONSIDERED VEDIC
Some people may question why I call this book Vedic Prophecies when,
actually, the original Vedic samhitas themselves, such as the Rig, Atharva,
Sama, and Yajur Vedas, do not contain prophecies. The prophecies mostly
come from the Puranas or the Smriti portion of the Vedic literature. So to
begin explaining what is Vedic or not, we can understand that the word
Veda has its root in the Sanskrit vid, which means “to know,” or simply
“knowledge.” The word Veda also has three root meanings, representing its
connection with the power of God, namely 1) that Vedic knowledge is
eternal; 2) Veda is the essential knowledge itself, which means that it
provides knowledge of God, or that we can know the Supreme through the
Veda; and 3) Veda gives the most desirable thing to the souls, which is the
Divine Bliss that comes from our connection with God. Therefore, any part
of the literature which does this and supports the Vedic conclusion is a part
of the Vedic literature. This is confirmed in the Bhavishya Purana (Brahma
Parva 4.96): “The Vedas, Vedic mantras, and Vedic literature are three parts
of the same body.”
According to Vedic tradition, when the Supreme Lord created this
material world, His transcendental energy pervaded every corner of it. This
spiritual energy was the pure vibration, shabda-brahma, in which the
Supreme Himself can be found. It is explained that first there was the subtle
vibration of spiritual sound, the eternal and spiritual vibration called the
shabda-brahman. It is explained that through the worship of this subtle
form of the Vedas, mystics can cleanse their hearts of all faults and
impurities caused by the association of various material substances and
actions. Thus they can attain liberation from further cycles of birth and
death. From this spiritual sound vibration, Srila Vyasadeva compiled the
Vedic literature. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.6.37-38)
As most scholars on Vedic philosophy know, when you say Vedas you
refer to the original four Vedas: the Rig, Yajur, Sama, and Atharva Vedas.
From the four main Vedas are branches or appendices called Brahmanas,
which relate to rituals and ceremonies. From these are derived the
Aranyakas. The Upanishads are the appendices (the secret and esoteric
knowledge) of the Aranyakas. When you say Veda (without the s) you not
only refer to the four Vedas, but also to the Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and
Upanishads, or all the texts that are considered Shruti. Shruti is considered
the original revealed knowledge which was unveiled to self-realized sages.
Shruti also means that which is heard. It was first heard from God and then
was heard and passed along in an oral tradition in the association of other
sages. In this way, it was protected from being misunderstood or misused. It
is this sound vibration that will awaken mankind’s higher awareness and
inclination to attain the spiritual dimension, thus providing the means for
mankind’s liberation from material existence.
The remaining parts of Vedic literature, besides the Tantras and
Agamas, consist of such texts as the Mahabharata and Bhagavad-gita, the
Ramayana, and the Puranas. These are the Itihasas or histories and
supplemental portions of the Vedic literature, which is called Smriti, or that
which is remembered. The Puranas are especially an elaboration of the
original Vedic concepts and philosophy of the four Vedas and Upanishads.
So, when we say “Vedic literature,” it refers to both Shruti and Smriti in a
general way. However, some scholars think that the Shruti is more
important than the Smriti. Therefore, some may object to the way I
alternately use the words “Vedas” and “Vedic literature” to refer to the same
thing, which includes all of the Vedic texts, both Shruti and Smriti.
The reason I do this is that I present Vedic evidence from any portion of
the Vedic literature, and I often use quotes from the Puranas. To leave out
the supplemental portions of the Vedic literature would deprive the reader
of an enormous amount of Vedic knowledge and elaborated explanations.
And for this book, it would leave out many of the best portions of Vedic
prophecies. Furthermore, some of the greatest of spiritual authorities, like
Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, Madhvacharya, and others, have
presented Smriti as valid evidence of spiritual truths and wrote
commentaries on Bhagavad-gita. In fact, Madhvacharya, in his commentary
on the Vedanta-sutras (2.1.6), quotes the Bhavishya Purana, stating, “The
Rig-veda, Yajur-veda, Sama-veda, Atharva-veda, Mahabharata,
Pancharatra, and the original Ramayana are all considered Vedic literature.
The Vaishnava supplements, the Puranas, are also Vedic literature.” Even
the Chandogya Upanishad (7.1.4) mentions the Puranas as the fifth Veda.
The Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.4.20) also clearly agrees with this: “The four
divisions of the original sources of knowledge (the Vedas) were made
separately. But the historical facts and authentic stories mentioned in the
Puranas are called the fifth Veda.”
The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (4.5.11) also relates: “The Rig, Yajur,
Sama, and Atharva Vedas, the Itihasas, Puranas, Upanishads, verses and
mantras, sutras, and the spiritual knowledge and explanations within, all
emanate from the Supreme Being.” It not only says it once, but the
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says it again (2.4.10), “As from a fire kindled
with wet fuel, clouds of smoke issue forth, so, my dear, verily, from this
glorious great God has been breathed forth the Rig-veda, the Yajur-veda, the
Sama-veda, Atharvanagirasa, Itihasas, Puranas, science of knowledge,
mystic doctrines or Upanishads, pithy verses, aphorisms, elucidations, and
commentaries. From Him, indeed, are all these breathed forth.” Thus, they
all have importance in presenting Vedic information, and one should not be
biased toward one set of shastra or scripture to exclude the other.
This point is confirmed again in the Bhavishya Purana (Brahma Parva
7.55): “Shruti refers to the four Vedas and Smriti refers to the revealed
scriptures that were compiled in pursuance of the Vedic version. One should
consult both kinds of scriptures as a guide to all one’s activities because
religion that does not refer to them is simply a disturbance to society.”
The Mahabharata (Adi Parva 1.267) explains the necessity of
understanding Vedic knowledge with the help of the Puranas: “One should
expand and accept the meaning of the Vedas with the help of the Itihasas
and Puranas. The Vedas are afraid of being mistreated by one who is
ignorant of the Itihasas and Puranas.” This is quite similar to what is
related in the Prabhasa-khanda section (2.93) of the Skanda Purana, where
it is said, “I consider the Puranas equal to the Vedas… The Vedas feared
that their purport would be distorted by inattentive listening, but their
purport was established long ago by the Itihasas and Puranas. What is not
found in the Vedas is found in the Smritis. And what is not found in either is
described in the Puranas. A person who knows the four Vedas along with
the Upanishads but who does not know the Puranas is not very learned.” In
this way, we should understand that one’s education in Vedic culture and
science is not complete if one excludes the understanding and knowledge
given in the Puranas.
To further verify this point, in the Naradiya Purana Lord Shiva is
quoted as saying to his wife Parvati that, “I consider the message of the
Puranas to be more important than that of the Vedas. All that is in the Vedas
is in the Puranas without a doubt.” So I relate this simply for those who
feel that there should be some further distinction between Shruti and Smriti
and may object to the way I use the terms “Vedas” and “Vedic literature” to
mean the same thing, although many parts of the Vedic literature point to
the need for using the Puranas and other portions of the Smritis to more
fully understand the depths of Vedic knowledge. This is why I call this book
“The Vedic Prophecies.”
CHAPTER ONE
The Story of Vyasadeva’s Visions
Five thousand years ago was a time when many wise and powerful
sages traversed the area of India and the Himalayan Mountains. They would
engage in potent spiritual practices that could give them mystic powers and
abilities. One such great and powerful sage was Vyasadeva. So great was he
that by the mental power of his concentrated meditations he could enter the
spiritual state of consciousness known as labdhopashanti. In this state of
being there are no effects from devastating time, which control even the
superior celestial beings and demigods who live in the higher levels of
existence. Nor is there any effect from false ego, the material nature, nor the
material modes of goodness, passion, and ignorance, which create the
appearance of past, present, and future. Vyasadeva was completely beyond
all material inclinations and influences.
In this state of consciousness, Vyasadeva could perceive the workings
of every portion of the material cosmic creation, and all events in time, both
past or future. He could see how the universe had been created and how it
expanded, and the process by which the innumerable living beings were
placed into various species of life that became scattered throughout the
universe. He could see the past ages of refined and advanced human
civilization, but also the future changes of society which would bring the
degradation of civilization, and the coming changes in the physical stature
and mental ability of human beings. He could also see the planetary
cataclysms; even the universal annihilation when this whole material
creation would be no more. He could see all of this, and he was greatly
disturbed.
One morning as the sun rose over the mountains in Shamyaprasa, in the
Badarikashrama area of the Himalayas, Vyasadeva sat alone on the western
bank of the Sarasvati River. He could see that as the present age of Kali-
yuga progressed, people would become more and more interested in
temporary material pleasures and pursuits, and more forgetful of their
spiritual identity. He could see that the duration of life would be reduced
and such materialistic people would be impatient, greedy, lustful,
unfortunate, and always disturbed.
Also, Vyasadeva could see that in the future the earth would no longer
produce sufficient food grains, cows would not give as much milk, and
fruits and vegetables would be fewer and less nourishing. This would cause
lower standards of health, intelligence, memory, duration of life, and moral
principles. People would resort to lower and lower methods to survive,
squeezing whatever pleasure they could out of their lives. Diseases
previously unknown would appear, creating incurable epidemics.
Vyasadeva also saw that the deep spiritual practices meant for the true
advancement of human society would be given up and forgotten. Gradually,
spiritual knowledge and the mode of goodness would be lost. This would
cause people to become more corrupt, dishonest, and hypocritical. The
distant condition of Kali-yuga would be a growing state of chaos and
madness.
To help prevent this rapid decay in civilization, Vyasadeva compiled the
first spiritual texts, known as the Vedas. These had originally been an oral
tradition, but he could see that people would not be able to remember them
and that it was time to put them into writing. He then also expanded them
into the Upanishads, Vedanta Sutras, the Mahabharata, and the Puranas.
Then, with the help of his disciples, he handed them down to the rest of
society. (This is explained in detail in my book The Heart of Hinduism.) In
this way, he compiled various levels of spiritual understanding so even the
less intelligent people in this age could study and assimilate this highly
developed spiritual knowledge. However, even after compiling so many
texts, Vyasadeva was still not satisfied in his heart, and he questioned his
dissatisfaction.
As Vyasadeva was contemplating this problem one morning, Narada
Muni, the sage among the gods, appeared before him. Narada, acting as
Vyasadeva’s spiritual master, instructed him to write one more book that
would elaborate the most important and confidential knowledge of our
spiritual identity and the qualities, characteristics, and pastimes of the
Supreme Being, Sri Krishna, explaining how to reach the highest levels of
spiritual realizations.
After being instructed by Narada Muni, Vyasadeva sat and fixed his
mind in bhakti-yoga and saw the Absolute Truth and, thus, wrote the
Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana) for the good of all people. In this
way, Vyasadeva wrote his own commentary on all of his previous writings.
Furthermore, because of his focus on the Absolute Truth without any
material motivations, and because Vyasadeva also is accepted as an
empowered incarnation of God, the Srimad-Bhagavatam is considered the
literary incarnation of God that can deliver from ignorance all who
approach it. Vyasadeva also recited the Srimad-Bhagavatam to his son,
Shukadeva, who later spoke it to the great Emperor Pariksit at a huge
gathering of sages.
Within the ancient text of the Srimad-Bhagavatam and many other
Puranas are numerous prophecies regarding the future of this world. Just as
Vyasadeva and Shukadeva presented it for the good of all, similarly we are
now using it, along with many other portions of Vedic literature, to explain
the many ways our world will change as time unfolds into the future.
MORE PROPHECIES FROM THE GREAT SAGE
MARKANDEYA
There are also a number of prophecies that are related to the great sage
Markandeya. As recorded in the Mahabharata, King Yudhisthira asks the
sage to explain the future of Kali-yuga. So Markandeya goes on to explain
the conditions of the age. Markandeya also appears in a few of the Puranas,
in which his prophecies are provided there as well. But many of the ones I
use are taken from the Mahabharata, which appear throughout this book in
the descriptions of Kali-yuga.
The story of how King Yudhisthira asked Markandeya about Kali-yuga
appears in the Vana Parva section of the Mahabharata, Chapter 190, verses
1 through 10. Therein it is described: Vaishampayana said, “The son of
Kunti, Yudhisthira again asked the great Rishi Markandeya about the future
government of the earth.”
Yudhisthira asked: “O rishi, O descendant of Bhrigu, O foremost of
speakers, the account of the destruction and recreation of things at the end
of the yuga which we have heard from you is highly wonderful. I am very
curious to know what will happen in Kali-yuga, and what would remain
when virtue will be destroyed. What will be the power of men then and
what will be their food and what their amusements; what will be the length
of their life, what will be their dress and what also will be the limit of time
[the end of Kali-yuga], after attaining which the Krita (age) will again
begin. O Rishi, tell me all this. All that you narrate is varied and delightful.”
Vaishampayana said: “Having been thus addressed, that great Rishi
again began to narrate, delighting that foremost of the Vrishni (Krishna)
race and the Pandavas.”
So Markandeya said: “O king, hear all that has been and heard by me
and all that has been known to me by intuition through the grace of the God
of gods. O best of the Bharata race, hear as I narrate the account of the
world when the sinful time would come. O best of the Bharata race, in the
Krita age (also called Satya-yuga), everything was free from deceit and
guile, avarice and covetousness. Virtue, like a bull, was among men with
four legs complete. In the Treta, sin took away one of its legs; and virtue
had then (only) three legs. In the Dvapara-yuga, sin and virtue are mixed
half and half.”
In this way, in Kali-yuga virtue stands on only one leg, which itself
diminishes throughout the age, while sin and wickedness increases as the
age progresses.
So, as we proceed through this book, we will see what has been
described by the sages of ancient times as they look into the future of this
world, and how these descriptions are outlined in the Vedic texts that relate
what is to be expected over the long term.
CHAPTER TWO
The Prophecies that Have Already
Happened
Nothing gives a religious or spiritual text more credit, recognition, or
trust than when its prophecies become reality. There are many prophecies in
the Vedic literature, many of which have already happened, and many more
are presently unfolding before our eyes. We just need the knowledge to
recognize them as they happen around us. The Vedic literature not only
describes histories of events on this planet, but also describes a variety of
histories and future events of other planets. Therefore, the Vedic texts are
universal in nature, dealing with important spiritual events that may happen
in any part of the universe. Thus, they are also non-sectarian. They belong
to no single culture, although on this planet they are based primarily in the
area of India.
The Vedic literature also provides descriptions of the various
incarnations or avatars of God that have appeared on earth and in other
areas of the universe, along with their purpose and pastimes. It also
describes avatars or incarnations that will appear in the future. It is said that
we can verify an avatar of God according to the descriptions provided in
the Vedic literature. There will be times, especially in this age of Kali, when
many people may be bold or foolish enough to declare that they are an
incarnation of the Supreme. Unfortunately, there will also be those ignorant
enough to accept such impostors. If they had knowledge of the Vedic
descriptions, however, they could tell which incarnations are scheduled to
appear according to the timetable given in the Vedic texts with their names
and characteristics.
THE PROPHECY OF LORD BUDDHA’S APPEARANCE
One of the earliest prophecies that we can easily recognize is the one
about Lord Buddha. The Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.3.24), which was spoken
5,000 years ago, predicted the appearance of Lord Buddha who appeared
2500 years later, according to most historians, in 560 BCE. [However, other
evidence has shown that the Buddha was born in 1887 BCE, renounced the
world in 1858 BCE, and died in 1807 BCE. But that is another story.] The
Bhagavatam says: “In the beginning of the age of Kali-yuga, the Supreme
Being will appear in the province of Gaya as Lord Buddha, the son of
Anjana, just for the purpose of deluding those who are always envious of
the faithful theists.” Similar verses are found in many other Puranas.
This is in reference to a time when unqualified people used perverted
forms of Vedic rituals to unnecessarily slaughter animals. Buddha rejected
the Vedic rites and preached nonviolence. This verse shows that Lord
Buddha was an incarnation of the Supreme Being who would appear in
Gaya, a town in central India. Nevertheless, some historians may point out
that Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, was actually born in Lumbini, Nepal,
and that his mother was Queen Mahamaya. If you go to Lumbini you will
see the shrines dedicated to Buddha and the pond that Anjana had used to
bathe in just before she gave birth to Buddha. Therefore, they might feel
that this verse is inaccurate. But Siddhartha became the Buddha after he
attained spiritual enlightenment during his meditation under the Bo tree in
Gaya. This means that his spiritual realization was his second and most
important birth. Furthermore, Siddhartha’s mother, Queen Mahamaya, died
several days after Siddhartha’s birth, leaving him to be raised by his
grandmother, Anjana. So the prediction in the Bhagavatam fits this
scenario.
PREDICTION OF SHIVA APPEARING IN KALI-YUGA
AS SHANKARACHARYA
Another interesting prediction is that Lord Shiva, one of the great Vedic
divinities, would appear in Kali-yuga as Shankaracharya. In the Padma
Purana (6.236.5-12) Shiva explains to his wife, Parvati, that he will appear
in the age of Kali to proclaim that the Buddhist doctrine is a false religion
and illusory. And through this means, he did defeat the Buddhist arguments
and caused a great decrease in the influence and growth of Buddhism in
India at the time. He also said that he would propound the mayavada or
impersonalist philosophy, emphasizing the indefinable nature of the
Brahman, the great, impersonal spiritual force.
He explained, “The philosophy of Maya (mayavada) is a wicked
doctrine and is pseudo-Buddhist. In the form of a Brahmana, I proclaim this
doctrine in Kali-yuga. It makes the words of the holy Vedic texts
meaningless and is condemned in the world. In this doctrine it recommends
giving up one’s duties of life [in order to be free of karma], which is said to
be religiousness for those who have fallen from their duties. I will propound
the identity of the Supreme Soul and the individual soul to be the [one and
the same] Brahman in nature, without qualities. O goddess, I have
conceived this mayavada (impersonalist) doctrine, which resembles a
purport of the Vedas, for deluding people in this age of Kali [to mislead
them toward atheism by denying the personal form of God].”
The quote from the Padma Purana that follows describes how Lord
Shiva tells his wife, Parvati, that he would appear in Kali-yuga. Yet, there
was a purpose for it.
mayavadam asac-chastram
pracchannam bauddham ucyate
mayaiva kalpitam devi
kalau brahmana rupini
brahmanas caparam rupam
nirgunam vaksyate maya
sarvasvam jagato’py asya
mohanartham kalau yuge
vedante tu maha-shastre
mayavadam avaidikam
mayaiva vaksyate devi
jagatam nasha-karanat
Lord Shiva explains herein, “The Mayavada philosophy is impious. It is
covered Buddhism. My dear Parvati, in the form of a Brahmana in Kali-
yuga I teach this imagined Mayavada philosophy. In order to cheat the
atheists I mislead them by describing the Supreme Lord to be without any
personal form or qualities.”
To do this, Shankara gave up the direct method of Vedic knowledge and
presented an indirect meaning which actually covered the real goal of
Vedanta. This is confirmed in the Padma Purana where Lord Shiva
addresses his wife, Parvati:
shrinu devi pravaksyami
tamasani yathakramam
yesham shravana-matrena
patityam jnaninam api
apartham shruti-vakyanam
darshayal loka-garhitam
karma-svarupa-tyajyatvam
atra ca pratipadyate
sarva-karma-paribhramsan
naiskarmyam tatra cocyate
paratma-jivayor aikyam
mayatra pratipadyate
“My dear wife, hear my explanations of how I have spread ignorance
through Mayavada philosophy. Simply by hearing it even an advanced
scholar will fall down. In this philosophy which is certainly very
inauspicious for people in general, I have misrepresented the real meaning
of the Vedas and recommended that one give up all activities in order to
achieve freedom from karma. In this Mayavada philosophy, I have
described the jivatma and Paramatma to be one and the same.”
Herein, Lord Shiva himself points out that to believe God has no form is
not accurate and is equal to atheism. Even though this Mayavada
philosophy was not good for pious people to hear because it would sway
them toward an impersonalistic viewpoint, we should note that Shankara’s
philosophy was just right for the time and circumstance. The Buddhists,
who had spread throughout India and neglected the Vedas, believed in
neither a soul nor a God and that, ultimately, the essence of everything is
the nothingness or void wherein lies nirvana, freedom from all suffering.
So, considering how the Buddhists had followed a philosophy of what
would generally be considered atheism for hundreds of years and would
never have accepted a viewpoint which advocated a supreme personal God,
Shankara’s was the only philosophy they would have considered. It was like
a compromise between atheism and theism, but Shankara used portions of
Vedic knowledge as the basis of his arguments. In this way, as Shankara
traveled throughout India his arguments prevailed. Thus, Buddhism bowed
and Vedic culture was brought back to prominence. Therefore, his purpose
was accomplished, so much so that his Sariraka-bhasya is considered the
definitive rendition of Vedanta even to the present day.
The Shiva Purana also quotes the Supreme Lord ordering Lord Shiva:
“In Kali-yuga mislead the people in general by propounding imaginary
meanings from the Vedas to bewilder them.” How the Supreme Lord
ordered Lord Shiva to appear in Kali-yuga to delude atheists and produce a
philosophy and texts to hide the Supreme Being, and to make Shiva seem
superior, is explained in the Padma Purana (6.71.89-116).
The Kurma Purana (1.30.33-34) also confirms how Shiva will incarnate
as Shankara: “In Kali-yuga, Shankara, Nilalohita, will incarnate for the
purpose of establishing rites of the Shrauta [Vedic] and Smarta [based on
Smriti scriptures], with the desire for the welfare of his devotees. He will
teach his disciples the knowledge of Brahman.” Thus, we find in these
verses confirmation that it was Lord Shiva who appeared in the Age of Kali
as Shankaracharya at the request of the Supreme.
Shankaracharya (CE 788-820), also known as Shankara, was a follower
of Shiva, born of a South Indian Brahmana family in the town of Kaladi on
the banks of the Periyar river. When Shankara appeared, Buddhism had
spread throughout India. It had been patronized by Emperor Ashoka in the
third century BCE, and the followers of Buddhism had given up the Vedas.
The Buddhist philosophy, basically, is that the material creation is the only
manifestation of the Absolute Truth, which itself is temporary and brought
on by egoistic desires. It asserts that these desires must be eliminated for
one to enter back into the void. It propounds that the void itself is all that is
real and eternal, and the source from which everything manifests. The
Buddhists believe in neither a soul nor a God and, ultimately, that the
essence of everything is the nothingness or void wherein lies nirvana,
freedom from all suffering.
Shankara’s purpose, therefore, was to reform and purify religious life by
reestablishing the authority of the Vedic scriptures. His interpretation of the
Vedas is known as advaita or nondualistic because he taught that the
individual jiva or soul is identical with God; that, ultimately, there is no
variety, individuality, or personality in spiritual existence. According to
him, the individuality of the Supreme Being and the jiva is false.
This Mayavadi philosophy also teaches that the material world is false.
The impersonal Brahman, or great white light, is truth. One merges back
into the Brahman, where there are no activities or spiritual characteristics,
after giving up the ego or bodily consciousness. Therefore, we find that
impersonalists generally do not study the Vedas beyond the Vedanta-sutras.
The reason is that as we progress through the Vedic literature up to the
Puranas, it becomes more specific about the personal characteristics of the
Absolute Truth, contradicting the impersonal viewpoint and establishing
that the Supreme Being is a person.
In order for Shankara to teach the way he did, he had to ignore the many
statements in the Vedas which assert that the Absolute Truth is the Supreme
Person and the jivas are His subordinate parts. Therefore, by word jugglery,
he developed a twofold theory that Brahman consists of the pure impersonal
Brahman, and that any incarnation of God within this universe is simply a
manifestation of that Brahman. This was a complete rejection of most of the
Vedic literature, such as Bhagavad-gita, and in this way he differed with all
orthodox Vedic schools. Like Buddha, he also refused to answer questions
about the origin of the cosmos and said that maya, the illusory energy, was
inexplicable.
It is accepted in the Puranas, however, that Lord Shiva is the greatest
devotee of Lord Vishnu, Krishna. Pictures of Shiva always show him in
meditation, concentrating on the Absolute Truth, or Sri Krishna. And
several times in Shankara’s life he revealed his true beliefs, that he was
actually a devotee of Lord Krishna. In his birthplace of Kaladi, for example,
there is a temple near the samadhi tomb of his mother that has a deity of
Lord Krishna installed by Shankara himself. Anyone can go there and see
it. Furthermore, in his Gita-bhasya, the first verse explains that Narayana
(another expansion of Lord Krishna), or Bhagavan, is transcendental to the
material creation. In The Bhagavad-gita with the Commentary of Sri
Sankaracarya, Dinkar Vishnu Gokhale establishes that Lord Shiva writes in
his Meditations on the Bhagavad-gita: “Salutations to thee, O Vyasa
[Vyasadeva, the incarnation of Krishna who compiled the Vedas]. Thou art
of mighty intellect, and thine eyes are as large as a full-blown lotus. It was
thou who brightened this lamp of wisdom, filling it with the oil of the
Mahabharata.” Shankara also points out that it is Bhagavan Krishna,
“whose glories are sung by the verses of the Vedas, of whom the singers of
the Sama sing, and of whose glories the Upanishads proclaim in full choir.”
This indicates that Shankara was encouraging everyone to read Bhagavad-
gita and Mahabharata as written by Srila Vyasadeva to understand the
conclusion of spiritual knowledge. This also gives evidence that Shankara’s
personal beliefs were different from the philosophy he taught. There is no
evidence that makes this clearer than texts eight and nine of his Meditations
on the Bhagavad-gita as follows:
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Krishna, the transcendental, blissful husband of the Goddess
of Fortune, whose mercy turns the dumb into eloquent speakers and
enables the lame to cross mountains. Let all obeisances be unto the
Supreme Lord Sri Krishna, whom Brahma, Varuna, Indra, Rudra, the
Maruts, and all divine beings praise with the divine hymns of the
Vedas and their supplementary parts, such as the Upanishads, whom
the followers of the Sama-veda glorify with song, whom great mystics
see with their minds absorbed in perfect meditation and of whom all
the hosts of demigods and demons know not the limitations. To Him,
the Supreme Lord, let there be all obeisances.
Near the end of his life, Shankara wrote his Bhaja Govindam prayers.
Verses 1 and 34, which are the conclusive verses in these prayers, are often
overlooked by his followers. Yet they were written especially for those who
might miss the actual purport of the Vedas. He wrote in verse one, “Worship
Govinda [another name of Krishna], worship Govinda, worship Govinda,
you intellectual fools. At the end of your life all your grammatical
arguments will not help you.” And again in verse 34 he writes: “Worship
Govinda, worship Govinda, worship Govinda, Oh fool. Other than chanting
the Lord’s names, there is no other way to cross the material ocean [of birth
and death].”
In the final book that Shankaracharya wrote, the Prabodh Sudhakar, he
established his true philosophy. He pointed out that God has two eternal
forms, which are both personal and impersonal, the latter of which is
difficult to realize. The supreme form, however, is the beautiful and divine
Lord Krishna who appeared on this earth in the Yadu dynasty. Without
devotion to Lord Krishna, one’s heart cannot be fully purified. Thus, as
Shankaracharya says, it is one’s own ill fortune if one is not attracted to the
form and pastimes of Lord Krishna.
In this way, even Shankaracharya emphasized that it is Krishna who is
the Supreme form of God, and that the supreme form of God-realization is
through the process of worshiping Him and chanting Krishna’s holy names,
which is the sure way of liberation from material existence.
THE PROPHECIES ABOUT SRI CHAITANYA
MAHAPRABHU
The prophecy of the most recent avatar of the Supreme to appear in this
world is that of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. His appearance was predicted
in numerous Vedic texts that were written many hundreds and even
thousands of years before Sri Chaitanya appeared in February of 1486 in
the place of Sridhama Mayapura in Bengal, India, north of Kolkata.
One of the oldest prophecies concerning Sri Chaitanya’s appearance in
this world is found in the Atharva-veda verse, starting as: ito ‘ham krita-
sannyaso ‘vatarisyami. In this verse the Supreme states: “I will descend as a
sannyasi, a tall, fair, and saintly Brahmana devotee, after four to five
thousand years of Kali-yuga have passed. I will appear on earth near the
Ganges shore and with all the signs of an exalted person, free from material
desires. I will always chant the holy names of the Lord, and, thus, taste the
sweetness of My own devotional service. Only other advanced devotees
will understand Me.” So this verse states clearly that Sri Chaitanya would
descend as an avatar of the Lord but would be recognized as such by only a
few advanced devotees. He would engage in his own devotional service and
His primary activities would be chanting the holy names of the Lord.
Also, in a verse from the Sama-veda, starting as: tathaham krita-
sannyaso bhu-girbanah avatarisye, the Supreme Being says that He will
descend to earth as a Brahmana sannyasi at a place on the shore of the
Ganges. Again and again He will chant the names of the Lord in the
company of His associates to rescue the people who are devoured by sins in
the age of Kali.
The Mundaka Upanishad (3.3) also relates the prophecy of Sri
Chaitanya in a different way. It states, “When one realizes the golden form
of Lord Gauranga [called Gauranga because of His golden complexion],
who is the ultimate actor and the source of the Supreme Brahman, he attains
the highest knowledge. He transcends both pious and impious activities,
becomes free from worldly bondage, and enters the divine abode of the
Lord.”
The prophecy of the appearance of Sri Chaitanya as found in the
Bhavishya Purana is related especially in two verses. They state:
ajayadhvamaja yadhvam na sansayah kalau sankirtana rambhe
bhavisyami saci sutah
“The Supreme Lord said: ‘In Kali-yuga, I will appear as the son of Saci,
and inaugurate the sankirtana movement. There is no doubt about this.’”
anandasru-kala-roma-harsa-purnam tapo-dhana sarve mam eva
draksyanti kalau sannyasa-rupinam
“O sage whose wealth is austerity, in the Kali-yuga everyone will see
My form as a sannyasi, a form filled with tears of bliss and bodily hairs
standing erect in ecstasy.”
In the Vayu Purana we also find where the Supreme Being states: “In
the age of Kali I shall descend as the son of Mother Sachidevi to inaugurate
the sankirtan movement [movement of congregational chanting of
Krishna’s holy names].”
Therein we find that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is the same as Lord
Krishna Himself, and what His activities will be. This is also confirmed in
the Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5.32) where it states: “In the age of Kali,
intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the
incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Krishna.
Although His complexion is not blackish [like that of Lord Krishna], He is
Krishna Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons,
and confidential companions.”
The great classic Mahabharata (in the Vishnu-sahasra-nama-stotra,
127.92.75) confirms that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is not different from
Lord Sri Krishna: “The Supreme Lord has a golden complexion [when He
appears as Lord Chaitanya]. Indeed, His entire body, which is very nicely
constituted, is like molten gold. Sandalwood pulp is smeared all over His
body. He will take the fourth order of life [sannyasa] and will be very self-
controlled. He will be distinguished from Mayavadi sannyasis in that He
will be fixed in devotional service and will propagate the sankirtana
movement.”
In an earlier text, the Svetasvatara Upanishad (3.12) relates that:
“Mahaprabhu [the great master], the Supreme Being, is brilliantly effulgent
and imperishable like molten gold, and [through sankirtana] bestows
spiritual intelligence on the living beings. In the guise of a sannyasi, He is
the source of spiritual purity and liberation.”
How He is the “great master” or will “bestow spiritual intelligence” is
described in another Upanishad. This is one of the lesser Upanishads
known as the Chaitanyopanishad, which comes from the ancient Atharva
Veda. In this description there is not only the prediction of His appearance
but a description of His life and purpose, and the reasons why His process
of spiritual enlightenment is so powerful and effective in this age of Kali.
The Chaitanyopanishad is a short text with only nineteen verses. All of
them are very significant.
The Chaitanyopanishad explains that one day Pippalada, the son of
Lord Brahma, approached his father and asked about how the sinful living
entities in the age of Kali-yuga may be delivered. Lord Brahma told him to
listen carefully and he would give him a confidential description of what
would happen in Kali-yuga. He explained that in Kali-yuga, the Supreme
Being, whose form is completely transcendental and who is the all-
pervading Supersoul in the hearts of all living entities, will appear again in
the Kali age. He will appear in the guise of the greatest devotee, with a
golden complexion in His abode on the banks of the Ganges at Navadvipa.
He will disseminate pure devotional service to the Supreme. He will be
known as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Appearing in this golden form, the
all-powerful Supreme Being—who is understood only by the most fortunate
and who is the oldest, the original person, the original cause of the universe
—will spread spiritual bliss by the chanting of His own holy names. The
Supreme Lord will chant a mantra consisting of the names of Hari, Krishna,
and Rama [the Hare Krishna Maha mantra]. This mantra is the best of all
mantras, and, though difficult to understand, it can be understood by
engaging in devotional service to the Supreme. This is the most confidential
of secrets, and those who seriously desire to make progress in spiritual life,
and to cross the ocean of birth and death, continually chant these names of
the Supreme.
Another interesting story about the prediction of the appearance of Lord
Chaitanya in Kali-yuga is related in a lengthy conversation between Murari
Gupta and Damodara Pandita, two contemporaries of Sri Chaitanya. It is
found in the Sri Caitanya Mangala, a biography of Sri Chaitanya by Srila
Locana Dasa Thakura. Among the many things they discuss are the
symptoms and difficulties found in the age of Kali; how Lord Krishna
appears on earth in this age, His confidential reasons for doing so, and how
He revealed to Narada Muni His form as Lord Gauranga that He would
accept while appearing on earth in this age. In this form He would distribute
love of God to everyone He met by chanting the holy names. This
conversation is very enlightening.
Within this conversation they further relate an incident recorded as the
Vishnu-Katyayani Samvada of the Padma Purana. This is a conversation
between Lord Vishnu and Katyayani (Parvati), Lord Shiva’s wife. The story
is that one time the great sage Narada Muni acquired the maha-prasada,
personal food remnants, of Lord Narayana, Vishnu, and gave a morsel to his
friend Lord Shiva. Shiva tasted it and he began to dance in ecstasy, to the
point of disturbing the earth. When he was approached by Parvati about
why he was dancing so, he explained what happened. However, she was
unhappy and angry that he did not share any with her. Being devoted to
Lord Vishnu and concerned for the spiritual well-being of all conditioned
souls, she then vowed that if she should get the blessings of Lord Vishnu,
she would see to it that the Lord’s maha-prasada [sanctified food that has
been offered to Him] was distributed to everyone. Just then Lord Vishnu
Himself appeared and conversed with her. He assured her that He would
appear in the world as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the age of Kali and
would keep her promise and spread His mercy in the form of maha-
prasada, and the chanting of His holy names to everyone, distributing His
mercy everywhere.
Another book is the Sri Hari-bhakti-vilasa by Sanatana Gosvami.
Sanatana lived about 500 years ago in Vrindavana, India and was a great
scholar of the Vedic scripture. A portion of the book contains an anthology
of an amazing assortment of verses from the Vedic texts which predict the
appearance of Lord Chaitanya. Besides some of the quotes we have already
cited, he includes verses from such texts as the Chandogya Upanishad,
Krishna Upanishad, Narada Purana, Kurma Purana, Garuda Purana, Devi
Purana, Nrisimha Purana, Padma Purana, Brahma Purana, Agni Purana,
Saura Purana, Matsya Purana, Vayu Purana, Markandeya Purana, Varaha
Purana, Vamana Purana, Vishnu Purana, Skanda Purana, Upapuranas,
Narayana-Samhita, Krishna-yamala, Brahma-yamala, Vishnu-yamala,
Yoga-vasistha, and the Tantras, such as Urdhvamnaya-tantra, Kapila
Tantra, Visvasara Tantra, Kularnava Tantra, and others.
The verses from the above-mentioned texts are of various lengths; some
are more specific than others but all are similar in content. Rather than
including them all, we can point out what they establish by summarizing
them. They clearly establish that the Supreme Being, Lord Krishna, will
descend to earth near the beginning of Kali-yuga and will take birth in the
home of a Brahmana near the shore of the Ganges River. He will appear in
the month of Phalguna [Feb-Mar] when the star Phalguni is conjoined with
the full moon, and become the son of Jagannatha Misra and Mother
Sachidevi in Navadvipa-Mayapura. He will come to deliver the materially
conditioned souls in the age of Kali. He will appear in the disguise of His
own devotee and taste the bliss of His own devotional service [bhakti-
yoga]. He will be surrounded by His saintly associates. After He takes
sannyasa [the renounced order], He will live in Jagannatha Puri and accept
the name of Sri Krishna Chaitanya, Lord Gauranga, and spread the chanting
of the Lord’s holy names. Thus, He will show mercy to the people and start
the sankirtana movement. However, those who are too bewildered by His
illusory potency [maya] will not understand the great secret of His
appearance in this world in his form as Lord Chaitanya. Only the saintly
will understand Him.
Thus, many centuries after these numerous predictions, Sri Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu did, indeed, take birth in the land of Mayapura. He became
known as a great scholar and defeated anyone who came near Him in
philosophical debate regarding the Absolute Truth and the purpose of life.
So great was He that, while still a young boy, He became feared even by the
most intellectual and recognized scholars who did not agree with His point
of view. Only after He took initiation from Isvara Puri in the town of Gaya
did Sri Chaitanya give up His scholarly program of debate. Thereafter, He
simply engaged in blissfully singing and chanting the holy names of
Krishna, a universal, non-sectarian spiritual process for the age of Kali.
Thus, rather than showing His influence and reasoning through discussion,
He freely gave the spiritual ecstasy of chanting the holy names through
sankirtana, the congregational singing of the holy names of Krishna, and of
devotional service to the Supreme. In this way, He was no longer feared but
became the center of large gatherings of people who all engaged in such
singing processions wherever Sri Chaitanya went. Furthermore, after He
took sannyasa, He did become known as Sri Krishna Chaitanya and also
spent His remaining years living in the town of Jagannatha Puri.
In a biography of Sri Chaitanya by Krishnadasa Kaviraja, known as the
Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, it is recorded in the Madhyalila, 20.340:
“Accompanied by His personal devotees, Lord Krishna, assuming a golden
color, introduces the hari-nama sankirtana, the chanting of the Hare
Krishna mantra, in the age of Kali. By this process, He delivers love for
Krishna to the general populace.” Elsewhere in the Sri Caitanya-
caritamrita (Antya-lila 20.8) it states: “In great jubilation, Sri Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu said, ‘My dear Svarupa Damodara and Ramananda Raya,
know from Me that chanting of the holy name is the most feasible means of
salvation in this age of Kali.’”
In this way, the numerous predictions in the Vedic literature about the
appearance and activities of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu became manifest.
Many additional prophecies that have already manifested are also
described in the Vedic literature, or are presently happening around us,
which we can recognize as we proceed through this book. Other prophecies
that have taken place are described in the Bhavishya Purana, which is given
special attention in a separate appendix in the back of the book.
CHAPTER THREE
The Beginning of the Age of Kali-yuga
As old as this world is, according to the Vedic prophecies, the rapid
deterioration in society and in the earth’s environment does not take place
until the age of Kali-yuga. But Kali-yuga is not an age of the future. Kali-
yuga began 5,000 years ago in 3102 BCE. Thus, the decline is already in
progress.
There are four ages or yugas. Descriptions of the length of these ages
are found in such texts as the Bhagavad-gita (8.17), the Srimad-
Bhagavatam (3.11.19), the Vana Parva section of the Mahabharata, and
other places. It is described that Kali-yuga lasts 432,000 years, of which we
have already passed through 5,000. Prior to Kali-yuga was the age of
Dvapara-yuga, lasting 800,000 years. Before that was Treta-yuga, lasting
1,200,000 years. Before that age was the age of Satya-yuga, which lasted
1,728,000 years. (See Appendix One for an explanation about how the
duration of each age is calculated.)
Descriptions of the characteristics of each yuga or age are found in
many Puranas, such as the Bhavishya Purana (Brahma Parva, 2.113-119).
For example, Srimad-Bhagavatam (starting at 12.3.18) states that in Satya-
yuga there is virtue, wisdom, and religion, with no ignorance or vice.
People are full of truthfulness, mercy, austerity, and charity. These are the
four legs of religion and the universal aspects of pious life as found in any
true spiritual process. The people of Satya-yuga are also self-satisfied,
friendly, peaceful, sober, and tolerant. Their pleasure is found within
themselves, not through gratifying their senses in external activities. They
know their spiritual identity and live in harmony with God, nature, and each
other. They see things equally and continually work to attain spiritual
perfection. People in Satya-yuga, living in this mode of goodness, could
live to be up to 100,000 years old.
The Narada Purana (Canto 1, Chapter 41, Verses 7-11) elaborates on
the conditions of Satya or Krita-yuga. In Krita-yuga there were no separate
[species of demigods and demonic beings on earth, such as] Devas,
Danavas, Gandharvas, Yakshas, Rakshasas, or serpents. All were as good as
Devas or demigods. All were always full of delight and righteousness.
There was neither buying or selling. There were no different classifications
of the Vedas. All classes of people were interested in their respective duties
and conduct of life. There was only one deity, Lord Narayana, and the
people were always engrossed in penance and meditation and devotion to
Narayana. They were free from lust and other defects and were endowed
with qualities such as self-control. Their minds were engaged in seeking the
means of Dharma [spiritual merit], and they were without envy, jealousy,
arrogance, or hypocrisy. All were truthful and richly endowed with Vedic
knowledge. They practiced the proper holy rites for their stage of life.
The Kurma Purana (1.29.14-17) goes on to say that in Satya-yuga the
birth of people was through spiritually sanctioned methods, so everyone
was born with a highly developed consciousness, which spread throughout
society. All livelihoods were without greed. The citizens were always
content and had all pleasures and enjoyments. They were without
distinctions and, therefore, without inferiority or superiority. They had
equal longevity and beauty, were free from grief, and practiced adherence to
truth, meditation, and penance. They were always delighted in their minds.
The Padma Purana (7.26.2-5) also states that people in Satya-yuga
were all devoted to the worship of one deity, Vishnu (Narayana), and were
free from grief and disease. All were truthful, kind, and lived long. They
were all rich in wealth and grains. They did no harm to other beings and
were free from religious hypocrisy. No one practiced unrighteousness.
The Mahabharata (Shanti Parva, 232.32) relates how in the Krita age
(Satya-yuga) the performance of sacrifices or rituals were not required.
Such performance becomes necessary only in the Treta age. In Dvapara-
yuga, ritual worship begins to fall away, as it does even more so in the Kali
age.
It also describes that men of that yuga never acquired knowledge or
objects through unrighteousness or forbidden means. All persons were free
of disease and achieved whatever they needed. However, in the Treta age,
Dharma, as established by the Vedas, the length of life, and the fruits of
Vedic rites all gradually decrease by a quarter. (Mahabharata, Shanti Parva,
231.23-25) In the conversation between Uddhava and Lord Krishna found
in the Eleventh Canto of the Bhagavata Purana (11.17.10-11), Krishna
explains:
“In the beginning, in Satya-yuga, there is only one social class, called
hamsa [swan-like] to which all human beings belong. In that age all people
are unalloyed devotees of the Lord from birth, and thus learned scholars call
this first age Krita-yuga, or the age in which all religious duties are
perfectly fulfilled. In Satya-yuga, the undivided Veda is expressed by the
syllable Om, and I am the only object of mental activities [thought and
meditation]. I become manifest as the four-legged bull of religion, and thus
the inhabitants of Satya-yuga, fixed in austerity and free from all sins,
worship Me as Lord Hamsa.”
In Satya-yuga, because everyone understood the essence of the Vedic
and Dharmic instruction for spiritual advancement, there was no need for
further explanations by dividing the Vedic knowledge into additional
branches. Nor was there any need for rituals or austerities to train the mind
and senses for engaging in spiritual life. That is the significance of the bull
of religion, which stands on all four legs of truth, austerity, mercy, and
cleanliness. With each yuga that passes, he loses one leg indicating the loss
of one of those good qualities.
Continuing with the descriptions in the Bhagavatam (from 12.3.20), it
states that in the next age of Treta-yuga there is a 25 percent reduction in
religion, and that is when vice appears. The influence of irreligion is felt
through the introduction of lying, violence, dissatisfaction, and quarrel. This
increases as people begin to lose touch with their spiritual identity. In Treta-
yuga people are devoted to the performance of rituals and severe austerities
for both spiritual and economic gain. They attain prosperity by following
the instructions of the three Vedas. People are not so violent or lusty for
sensual pleasure. However, this is the age when they perceive the divisions
of social classes, namely as Brahmanas (spiritual scholars and priests),
Kshatriyas (administrators and warriors), Vaishyas (merchants, bankers, and
farmers), and Shudras (laborers, artists, performers, etc.). People of Treta-
yuga could live up to 10,000 years.
In the continuation of the conversation between Uddhava and Lord
Krishna, Lord Krishna explains: “O greatly fortunate one, at the beginning
of Treta-yuga Vedic knowledge appeared from My heart, which is the abode
of the air of life, in three divisions–as Rig, Sama, and Yajur Vedas. Then
from that knowledge I appeared as threefold sacrifice.” (Srimad-
Bhagavatam 11.14.12)
This is when the Vedas first became divided into branches, and when the
Vedic rituals were first recommended for the purification of people’s minds,
bodies, senses, and consciousness. The threefold sacrifice is recognized in
its form as when the Hota priest offers oblations in the ritual fire and chants
the Rig Veda; the Udgata priest chants the Sama Veda; and the Adhvaryu
priest arranges the sacred ground and altar where the ritual is held and
chants the Yajur Veda. This was the recommended process for spiritual
advancement at that time.
“In the Treta-yuga the four social orders were manifested from the
universal form of the Supreme Lord. The Brahmanas appeared from the
Lord’s face, the Kshatriyas from His arms; the Vaishyas from the Lord’s
thighs, and the Shudras from the legs of that mighty form. Each social
division was recognized by its particular duties and behavior.” (Srimad-
Bhagavatam 11.17.13) This meant that everyone was a part of the Lord’s
universal form, and that they were Divine in their internal and essential
nature. It also meant that according to their natural talents, interests and
proclivities, everyone had a part to play through which was the function of
a harmonious social body.
The Padma Purana (7.26.6-9) also says that in Treta-yuga unhappiness
appeared and affected some people. Most people were kind and engaged in
the worship of Vishnu. They were happy and had a composed mind. They
all followed the religious stages of human life. The Brahmanas mastered the
Vedas, were noble and true to their words. They always engaged in
penances and vows, had control over their senses, and were averse to
accepting charity or gifts.
In this regard, the Vayu Purana (57.81-84) also explains: “Sacrifice,
charity, penance, and truthfulness are the holy rites in Treta-yuga. During
this age, Dharma functions in accordance with the social divisions of life.
Danda-niti (administration of Justice) aims at the establishment of the
bounds of decency. All the subjects are jolly, well built, free from ailments.
Their minds are fully contented. Only a single unified Veda with four sub-
divisions prevails in Treta-yuga. People live up to 3000 years. Surrounded
by sons and grandsons, people die in due order [of old age]. This is the
characteristic feature of the Treta Age.”
After Treta-yuga we arrive at Dvapara-yuga. In describing the
characteristics of Dvapara-yuga, the Bhagavatam states that there is another
25 percent reduction in religion, virtue, and spiritual values, with a further
increase in vice. People are interested in fame, glory, and nobility. They are
opulent, have large families, enjoy life, and engage in the study of the
Vedas. People at that time could live for 1000 years.
The Padma Purana (7.26.10-13) says that when Dvaparayuga arrived,
some men were pious while others were engrossed in sins. Some were
happy and others were extremely unhappy. That is also when Kings began
to harass their subjects [through taxation] due to greed for wealth.
The Vayu Purana (58.24-25) also explains that in Dvaparayuga
difference of opinion begins among men and life becomes arduous,
involving bodily strain. Covetousness, wars, diseases, slaughter,
breakdowns in social rules and systems, and passion and hatred grow.
The Vayu Purana (58.3-5) continues: “The following vices begin to
appear in the people at the time of Dvapara: covetousness, lack of fortitude,
a trading mentality, war-mindedness, indecision about principles, indecision
about duties, destruction of sacrificial plants and animals, pride, arrogance,
impatience, and weakness. These vices provoked by raja and tama-gunas
[the mindset of passion and ignorance] prevail in Dvapara-yuga. In Krita-
yuga, Dharma [righteous duty and spiritual pursuits] is natural, in Treta it is
sought and attained, in Dvapara-yuga it becomes agitated and intensely
affected, and in Kali-yuga it is scarce and then completely perishes.”
“In Dvapara-yuga, rival (theologies and texts) crop up against the
scriptures which were honored formerly in the first Svayambhuva
Manvantara. There are variations and alterations in the science of Ayurveda,
Jyotisha, and the ancillaries of the Vedas. There are doubts and variations in
regard to the texts on political economy and logic. There are diversities and
variations in the Smriti texts. Separate systems and schools (of theology and
philosophy) are established. Therefore, in Dvapara-yuga, difference of
opinion starts among men.” (Vayu Purana 58.22-23)
Described above is the reason why there are different forms of spiritual
paths or religions, which then begin to fight with one another for rank and
superiority. This is utterly ridiculous because spirituality is to help all
people gain insight into who and what they really are, beyond the body and
mind, and over and above mental speculation or mere religion. It is to
connect one to the soul directly. Yet, if people are so much focused merely
on differences of opinion, then no one advances very far at all. And this
diversity, as it is explained above, is also what keeps those who follow
Vedic Dharma from being unified in their culture and amongst each other,
but instead form different schools of thought based on their own
perceptions of variations between the Smriti and Shruti texts. The point is,
they are all meant to help everyone advance in understanding the various
levels of perceiving the Absolute Truth. Yet, when we do not see this unity
and instead perceive various differences, then the diversity of opinion
becomes the focal point, which is a reason for a lack of cooperation and
united efforts, or even quarrels and fights amongst those who would
otherwise appear to be following the same path. This becomes but another
distraction on the path to Truth, and another reason for the discord in
society and between those who seek the Absolute Truth. Thus, it
perpetuates increased disruption and a lack of harmony in society and
between religious groups.
It is further explained (Vayu Purana 58.25-27) that, “The life of all
living beings in Dvapara-yuga becomes arduous involving bodily strain.
Livelihood is possible only by mental, verbal and physical strain [unlike the
ease found in previous yugas]. Covetousness, lack of fortitude, mercantile
activities, wars, indecision in regard to philosophical principles, [the
unnecessary] handling and editing of the Vedic knowledge, inter-mixture of
holy rites, diseases, sickness, greed, slaughter, breakdown in the system and
rules of the varnas [social divisions] and ashramas of life, and
susceptibility to passion and hatred–all these become rampant in Dvapara-
yuga.”
Finally, we come to the age of Kali-yuga in which, as explained in the
Bhagavatam, there is a continued decrease in virtue until at the end it will
practically disappear. In fact, the everincreasing presence of impiety
reduces all religious principles to nil. This also paves the way for an
increase of strife, vice, ignorance, and all sorts of irreligious activities. Life
becomes more and more difficult and is especially dangerous for those
interested in spiritual realization because there are so many false paths that
provide no real or deep truth, but merely blind faith in dogmatic beliefs.
Gradually, in the age of Kali, spirituality becomes nothing more than a
vague form of Buddhism. Because of all the strife, problems, and
wickedness, people in Kali-yuga are lucky if they can live up to 100 years
of age. At the end of Kali-yuga, Satya-yuga will begin again after the
appearance of Lord Kalki who destroys all of the miscreant kings, thus
paving the way for a new age of enlightenment.
The Padma Purana (7.26.15-17) elaborates that in Kali-yuga, which is
the abode of sins, everyone is involved in sinful activities. Misguided
people censure the Vedas or spiritual truths, and engage in gambling and
stealing. Brahmanas [spiritual and intellectual priests] will act fraudulently
for a livelihood. Everyone will be addicted to women, sex, and intoxicating
liquors. They will be stealing others’ wealth. Heretics and atheists will
become prominent. Also (Padma Purana 3.7.13-14) men born in Kali-yuga
will possess little luster and will be wrathful, greedy, untruthful, and be
filled with jealousy, pride, anger, deceit, and malice.
The Mahabharata (Shanti Parva, 232.36) also relates that as the age of
Kali continues, gradually all the Vedic literature will become so scarce that
there will be a time when they are no longer seen by men. The world being
afflicted by iniquity, they become extinct along with the rituals and spiritual
practices established by them.
The Vayu Purana (58.6-9) elaborates on this: “In Kali-yuga, doubts (in
the Vedic tradition due to variance) in Shrutis and Smritis begin to rise.
Owing to the difference between the Shrutis and Smritis, great indecision
occurs for spiritual progress. Due to indecision, principles of Dharma
cannot be declared. When the principles diverge, there is difference of
opinion among men. Owing to mutual differences in their views and
delusion, no definite decision as to what is Dharma and what is not can be
arrived at. [This contributes to the lack of unity amongst followers of
Dharma, or Hindus in general, which lets the forces of adharma or
opponents to the Vedic spiritual traditions to enter and use these weaknesses
to gain control or advance their contrary agendas.] In view of the defects in
the causes and the indecisions therein, differences of opinion arise leading
to differences of outlook [and philosophical points of view, which adds to
the confusion found in this age].
“A single unified Veda was divided into four in Treta-yuga. Due to the
shorter span of life in the Dvapara-yuga, the Veda is compiled into written
form and classified into four by Vedavyasa (at the end of Dvapara-yuga).
The Vedas are further sub-divided into mantras and Brahmana texts by the
descendants of sages by alterations on accents, syllables, etc., in accordance
with their different outlooks. Consequently the [texts known as the]
Brahmanas, Kalpa Sutras, and Mantra-Pravachanas come into existence.
Some were abandoned by authoritative teachers while others were
retained.” (Vayu Purana 58.10-14)
The Vayu Purana and other texts go on with the descriptions of Kali-
yuga, but we will focus on all of these as we proceed through the book,
dividing them into the topics which they described.
This overall pattern of the yugas is also confirmed and summarized by
the Mahabharata (Shanti Parva, 231.23-28): “In the Krita age all the duties
exist in full, along with Truth. Men of that age never acquired knowledge or
possessions through unrighteous or forbidden means. In the other cycles,
duty, as laid down in the Vedas, is seen to gradually decline by a quarter in
each yuga. Sinfulness multiplies by theft, untruth, and deception. In the
Krita age, all persons are free from disease and achieve their objects, and all
live for four hundred years. In the Treta, the period of life decreases by a
quarter. We have heard that, in the succeeding yugas, the words of the
Vedas, the periods of life, the blessings and the fruits of Vedic rites, all
decrease gradually. The duties set down for the Krita-yuga are of one kind.
Those for the Treta are otherwise. This is in accordance with the decline
which marks every succeeding cycle. In the Krita age, penance is the
foremost. In the Treta, knowledge is foremost. In Dvapara, sacrifice [Vedic
rituals] has been said to be the foremost. In the Kali-yuga, only one gift is
sanctioned [the chanting of the holy names of God].”
The time period of the four yugas together is called a cycle, which lasts
4,160,000 years of earth time. At the end of Kali-yuga, Lord Kalki appears
to start a new age of Satya-yuga. Then the pattern of the four ages—Satya-
yuga, Treta-yuga, Dvapara-yuga, and Kali-yuga—begins again. When these
four yugas [a chaturyuga] repeat a thousand cycles, it is called a kalpa, or a
day of Brahma. The same length of time comprises Brahma’s night when
there is a partial annihilation of the universe. After the end of Brahma’s
night, the creation of the cosmos begins again and the repetitions of the four
yugas go on for another 1000 cycles, or another kalpa. Lord Brahma lives
for 100 celestial years, and each year consists of 365 of such days and
nights. Thus, such a lifetime goes on for 311 trillion and 40 million years by
earth standards. And Lord Krishna appears in this world once in every 24
hours of Lord Brahma, or approximately every 8,320,000,000 years.
It is agreed by many Vedic scholars that the present age of Kali-yuga
began just before the disappearance of Lord Krishna 5,000 years ago. But
due to the Lord’s presence, the influence of Kali-yuga was held off.
However, when Lord Krishna left this world, the effects of Kali-yuga could
no longer be stifled. This is confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.2.29-33)
and in the Vishnu Purana (Book Four, Chapter 24) which also explains that
Kali-yuga comprises 1200 years of the demigods, or 432,000 earth years.
Thus, it is generally accepted that the age of Kali-yuga began on February
20, 3102 BCE.
WHY PURANAS REPEAT THE SAME SERIES OF
EVENTS
As we can see, especially as we go further through this book, many of
the Puranas and other portions of the Vedic literature repeat the same
pattern of events as the yugas are described. This is because the yugas
themselves are repetitive, although there can be some basic differences.
These differences are often because each Purana may describe the events in
different kalpas, or days of Brahma. There are differences in this because
the arrangements or order of events are different by the way Brahma brings
about the creation in each of his days. In other words, the pattern of creation
from Brahma may change from one day or kalpa to the next depending on
his various states of mind, or his meditation process which brings about the
various levels of the creation and species of life. Other than such
differences, the basic process is always the same, and the way the yugas
unfold are also most similar. This is further explained directly from the
Vayu Purana (58.116-118, 125):
“In a single set of four yugas, everything happens in the manner you
have heard now. In other sets of four yugas, the same thing happens in the
same order. The differences that occur [in the pattern of events] in the
various creations [kalpas] are confined to twenty-five, neither more or less.
So also the kalpas and the yugas are similar in their characteristics… The
Lord arranges for the creation… in accordance with the nature of each of
those yugas for the purposes of fulfilling the functions [of the living beings]
in the respective yugas.” Thus, it is explained herein that whatever basic
differences there may be in the descriptions of the unfoldment of the kalpas
or in the yugas are up to and limited to twenty-five variations.
THE STORY OF KALI-YUGA’S APPEARANCE
It is explained that due to Sri Krishna’s spiritual power the effects of the
deteriorating age of Kali were held back until after Krishna left this planet.
But even before Lord Krishna left this world, as related in the Brahma
Purana (101.29-35), they saw evil omens in the sky and on earth that
indicated that Krishna was about to leave this world. Krishna predicted that
when the Yadava dynasty was finished and they abandoned His island city
of Dwaraka, the sea would engulf it and He would leave this world for His
own abode. Thus, He arranged that He and the Yadava family go to
Prabhasa on the coast of present-day Gujarat where they became involved
in a fierce fight with each other until all of the Yadavas were killed. After
that, Krishna rested under a tree contemplating His departure from this
material realm.
The Srimad-Bhagavatam (starting at 11.30.28) relates that when Lord
Krishna began to wrap up His pastimes in this universe, it was arranged by
His energy that as He sat under a pippala tree, resting His left foot with its
lotus red sole on His right thigh, a hunter would see His foot and mistake it
for the face of a deer. The hunter, Jara, aimed and shot his arrow at
Krishna’s foot. When Jara went to have a closer inspection, he realized his
mistake. Jara saw Sri Krishna in His four-armed form, exhibiting His
brilliant effulgence that dissipated the darkness in all directions. A beautiful
smile graced His lotus face that displayed His attractive lotus eyes. He wore
bracelets, arm ornaments, necklaces, the Kaustubha jewel [on His chest],
flower garlands, and other royal emblems. The Supreme, whose body is
composed of eternity, knowledge and bliss, was accompanied by His
weapons who stood next to Him in their personal, embodied forms. Thus,
even His weapons took on their spiritual identities, ready to return with the
Lord to the spiritual world. These associates consisted of Krishna’s lotus
flower, conch shell, club, and disc.
When Jara saw the four-armed form of the Supreme, he was
immediately terrified of his offense. He placed his head upon the feet of
Krishna and asked for forgiveness. Krishna replied that he should not fear.
What has been done was by His own desire, and Jara could go to the
spiritual world. Krishna then sent His charioteer to tell the residents of
Dwaraka, His island capital, to leave since it would sink under the ocean
after His departure from this planet.
Soon many demigods and higher beings appeared on the scene to
witness the departure of the Supreme from this world. As they glorified
Him, the sky became crowded with their many airplanes. Then Sri Krishna
closed His eyes, fixed His mind within Himself, and entered His own
spiritual abode. Many demigods could not see Krishna entering His abode,
just as ordinary men cannot understand the path of a lightning bolt.
Nevertheless, some did manage to catch a glimpse of His movements and
were extremely amazed. In this way, the Supreme enters the universe after
creating it. He plays with it for some time like an actor in a play, and then
leaves the cosmic manifestation for His own abode.
Upon Krishna’s departure, the qualities of truth, religion, faithfulness,
glory, and beauty immediately followed Him. For this reason, the influence
of Kali could enter this planet and become stronger. In summary, the
Srimad-Bhagavatam explains that when the Supreme Lord, Krishna, who is
brilliant as the sun, returned to the spiritual strata, Kali entered this world
and the general populace began to enjoy various sinful activities. As long as
Lord Krishna was on this planet, Kali could not manifest his influence.
However, when the constellation of the seven sages, the constellation of
Ursa Major to Western astronomers, is passing through the lunar mansion of
Magha, that is the time when the age of Kali begins. Kali-yuga lasts twelve
centuries of the demigods, or 432,000 earth years. When the great sages of
the Saptarshi constellation pass from Magha to Purvashadha, the age of
Kali will have full strength, beginning from the time of King Nanda. Those
in knowledge declare that when Lord Krishna departed from this world to
His spiritual abode, the age of Kali began. It is further predicted that after
one thousand years (or twelve centuries) of the celestial region, the age of
Satya-yuga will begin again with the advent of Lord Kalki. (Srimad-
Bhagavatam 12.2.29-34)
The symptoms that designate the beginning of the age of Kaliyuga are
described in the Puranas. The Bhagavatam or Bhagavata Purana (starting
at 1.4.16) states that at the beginning of Kali-yuga the great sage Vyasadeva
sat in meditation near his cottage. He could see the past, present, and future
due to his being a liberated soul. Vyasadeva could see the deterioration of
everything material. People would be reduced in their duration of life and
would be impatient, angry, and always disturbed. Because of ignorance,
people will not understand the purpose of life. They become overly
attracted to the temporary glitter of materialism, reducing their ability to
attain spiritual understanding. This keeps them preoccupied with that which
wastes their life, and it makes them reluctant to find and hear about genuine
spiritual knowledge. Therefore, Vyasadeva wanted to arrange for the
progressive life of the people of this age. Thus, he divided the four Vedas
into many branches to allow people to understand this spiritual knowledge
more easily. (This is described in detail in my other books, namely The
Secret Teachings of the Vedas and The Heart of Hinduism, so we will not
elaborate on it here.)
It was also at this time, 5,000 years ago as described in Srimad-
Bhagavatam (starting at 1.14.1), when the battle of Kuruksetra had ended
and Maharaja Yudhisthira had been installed as the king of the land. Arjuna,
Krishna’s close friend, had gone to Dwaraka to see Lord Krishna. Maharaja
Yudhisthira was waiting for Arjuna to return to hear the latest news. Arjuna,
however, did not return and Yudhisthira began to see inauspicious and
fearful omens in his kingdom. He began to feel anxious about Arjuna and
the wellbeing of Dwaraka. He suspected that Lord Krishna had left this
world.
Yudhisthira began to see disruptions in the seasonal tendencies, such as
winter appearing in summer and vice versa. Becoming overly greedy, angry,
and deceitful, people began to adopt foul livelihoods. Ordinary dealings,
even between friends, became affected by cheating. In family affairs were
always misunderstandings, strain, and quarrel, even between husband and
wife. People became accustomed to greed, anger, pride, and hypocrisy, all
of which became rampant throughout society. Yudhisthira was astonished to
see all these symptoms of Kali-yuga. [This means, of course, that none of
these symptoms were previously present in the kingdom of Maharaja
Yudhisthira. So we can only imagine how pleasant a kingdom it was before
the qualities of Kali began to infiltrate into the lives of the people at that
time.]
As Yudhisthira looked around, he could see the she-jackal crying at the
rising sun, dogs barked at him fearlessly, and the owls and crows shrieked.
Smoke circled in the air and there were cloudless thunder bolts from the
sky. The earth and mountains were quaking as never before. Violent winds
blasted dust everywhere creating darkness. Clouds appeared and it rained as
the sun grew dark. The stars seemed to be fighting among themselves in the
sky. Confused living entities were weeping, and all rivers, ponds, and
tributaries were perturbed. The cows no longer gave milk nor did the calves
suck the teats. They were all crying with tears in their eyes, and bulls were
not going to the pasturing grounds.
The deities in the temples seemed to cry, lament, and perspire. All
cities, towns, and gardens were dark, without beauty and happiness.
Yudhisthira asked himself, “What is happening in this extraordinary time?
What sorts of calamities await us?”
Just then Arjuna returned from Dwaraka and informed Maharaja
Yudhisthira that Lord Krishna had indeed left this world. As stated in
Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.15.36), when Lord Krishna disappeared from this
universe, from that day Kali became fully manifest to create inauspicious
conditions for those endowed with a poor fund of knowledge.
Maharaja Yudhisthira, recognized the effects of Kali-yuga in the form of
increasing avarice, falsehood, cheating, and violence throughout his
kingdom—all of which is so common today. Thus, he prepared to leave
home and enthroned his grandson, Maharaja Pariksit, as the new king. Then
he purified his consciousness and, shortly after that, left this world and
attained the spiritual strata.
In the First Canto, Chapter Seventeen of Srimad-Bhagavatam it is
further explained that as Maharaja Pariksit ruled the world, he once met the
personality of Kali-yuga. Although lower than a Shudra [meaning an
outcaste, a low and uncultured man who did not participate in a spiritually
progressive life], Kali was disguised as a king but was beating the legs of a
cow and bull. Maharaja Pariksit grabbed the culprit to kill him. Pariksit told
the man that though he was dressed as a king, he was beating those who are
helpless in Pariksit Maharaja’s kingdom. Therefore, Kali, or quarrel
personified, was considered a culprit and deserved to be killed.
As Maharaja Pariksit took up his sword to kill the personality of Kali,
who is the cause of all irreligion and misfortune, Kali immediately gave up
the disguise of a king and surrendered to Pariksit with bowed head. Being
kind, Maharaja Pariksit did not kill Kali, but told him that he had to leave
the kingdom since Kali was a friend of irreligion. With Kali’s presence,
irreligious principles like greed, falsehood, robbery, incivility, treachery,
misfortune, cheating, quarrel, and vanity will abound.
In fear, Kali responded by requesting the king to fix some place where
he could live permanently under the protection of Maharaja Pariksit’s
government. Maharaja Pariksit gave Kali permission to reside in places
where gambling, drinking, prostitution, and animal slaughter were
performed.
These are the basic principles of irreligion. Wherever they are found lies
the basis of activities that further the development of Kaliyuga and the
deterioration of human civilization.
So here we find, as related in the Bhagavata Purana, that at the start of
Kali-yuga, King Pariksit declared that the seeds of evil will manifest in four
things: intoxication, gambling, illicit sex, and the killing of innocent
creatures.
Engaging in the above-mentioned activities propel us into numerous
additional bad habits, all of which force us to give in to such negative
emotions as greed, anger, jealousy, fault-finding, treachery, hatred, and so
on. All of these pave the way for untold pain, suffering, misery, and further
wicked activities and intrigue.
We can plainly see the damage these activities are doing. For example,
liquor and drugs and other forms of intoxication no doubt ruin the lives of
innumerable people. It causes poor health, depression, the waste of needed
money, and even suicides and death, either by accidental overdoses or from
other things such as territorial gang wars and so on. Drinking or
intoxication literally poisons the brain and body. It takes away the ability to
achieve a higher consciousness and destroys the principle of austerity, and
being responsible and focused on the proper goals of life. This leads to
irresponsibility and a philosophy of “whatever feels good, do it.” Such
intoxication paves the way for further calamities in one’s actions and
difficulties in life.
Gambling or engaging in questionable or fraudulent business practices
takes away the principle of truthfulness and honesty. Gambling houses also
tempt people into their clutches with fancy lights and alluring women with
the hope of gaining easy fortune, yet mostly take much of the money away
from those who patronize such places, sometimes leaving them in ruins.
Animal slaughter, which is the basis of meat eating, takes away one’s
sense of mercy and compassion for others. It promotes selfishness and
cruelty and furthers society’s ignorance of its spiritual identity. You could
not so easily slaughter and eat other creatures if you clearly recognized that
the consciousness of a living being is the symptom of the soul within the
animal. Of course, today we are treating other species like inert object, as if
they are devoid of any feelings. We are showing unprecedented cruelty and
lack of feelings and callousness more than ever towards the creatures of
God with whom we share this planet. Cruelty has been industrialized, such
as industrialized slaughterhouses, and this kind of barbarism has been
institutionalized and taken as the norm. Today the mistreatment of animals
has been streamlined into an efficient process that increases the number of
animals killed. The treatment meted out to animals before they become
someone’s dinner is a staggering amount of killing that creates violence in
the atmosphere and turns into the reactions that come back to befall us, such
as the increasing loss of sensitivity not only to animals but to each other, as
well as the karmic reactions we will be forced to endure.
Prostitution or frivolous sexual activity takes away one’s sense of bodily
and mental cleanliness. It increases addiction to trivial bodily pleasures,
which accelerates degradation and disease in society. It also plants the seeds
of a predator mentality in that a person begins to see others as objects to be
exploited for one’s own pleasure, or to be used to fulfill one’s desire for sex.
The desire for sex in this age of Kali-yuga is one of the most captivating
of all preoccupations of the human race. It distracts most of society from
the real spiritual purpose of life. People want to satisfy themselves in this
way and then use up so much energy, physical and otherwise, in their
attempts to seek out and fulfill their sensual desires. It saps them of their
time in life when they could be using this existence in much more important
ways.
For quick profits debauched men and even women capture and force
many young girls, and boys as well, into a life of prostitution, which often
leaves them hurt, wounded, diseased, or ruined for life. Such exploitative
culprits, especially those who engage in human trafficking and force others
into such an existence of engaging in the sex trade, will multiply like a virus
in this age of Kali-yuga. And like any virus, if they are not destroyed
completely, they will only reappear later in a different place.
On a personal level, for any man, semen or the vital force is the most
precious substance in the human body, and is not meant to be wasted
through mere sensual enjoyment. It is the last product made by the body
through the process of digesting the food we eat. This vital force is
especially effective in nourishing the nervous system and brain. All who are
on the spiritual path to perceive the spiritual dimension are recommended to
retain this vital force for assistance and greater strength, concentration,
intelligence, good memory, health, determination, and clarity. When it is
preserved it is turned into the Ojas Shakti, and is utilized in the brain for
higher abilities and noble purposes. If it is wasted and released through
frequent or unnecessary sex, one’s brain and nervous system are
disadvantaged. This manifests as lack of certitude, direction, clarity, along
with mental weakness, indifference, and lethargy. Then noble thoughts give
way to the increased focus on base and sensual desires. Intellectual energy
is then diverted from spiritual inquiry to concocting further plans for more
sensual pleasure. Then this becomes the major aim in such a person’s life,
especially in Kaliyuga, which depletes them of their time, energy, higher
consciousness, and paves the way to death’s door with little else being
accomplished. In this way, one’s life becomes wasted.
Anyone, such as rulers, social leaders, or religionists, who desires
progressive well-being for themselves and society should avoid these four
irreligious activities. All of these eliminate the finer characteristics of
human nature, which leaves behind the lower animalistic qualities and the
further degradation of human society and the world, which becomes the
main emphasis in the age of Kali-yuga.
THE DANGERS OF KALI IN STANDARDIZED GOLD
In the story of Kali requesting Maharaja Pariksit for places in which he
could stay, as related in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.17.39), Kali begged for one
more place to reside, besides the four that have been previously described.
So Maharaja Pariksit gave permission for Kali to live where there is gold,
because wherever there is the hoarding of gold [meaning in large amounts
beyond mere preparations for personal emergencies] there is also falsity,
intoxication, lust, envy, and enmity. Therefore, the personification of Kali
became gold standardized. This has led to innumerable problems in this
age, and it is simply getting worse as the age of Kali progresses.
Now one thing to remember here is that we have been warned about the
dangers of standardized gold in Srimad-Bhagavatam, which was written
around 5,000 years ago. But how does this danger manifest? How would a
5,000 year old statement or prophecy about gold apply to us today? Let us
explain further.
Throughout history governments have coined and printed their own
money, based on actual supply of whatever commodity was backing the
money, such as gold or silver or other items that can give it value. This is
what standardization is all about. A five-dollar bill, for example, would be
worth five dollars of gold. Of course, the problem is that they removed that
standard years ago and now they can print all kinds of dollar bills that have
no standard value. Falsity sets in when actual gold, as in gold coins, is no
longer used as a currency and paper money replaces it. The paper money
does not fairly represent the value of the actual reserved gold. The result of
this is artificial inflation and manipulation because the currency is not real.
This inflation can set off multitudes of reactions in the value of goods, such
as changes in the value of your savings and the money you earn, how much
you have to spend for the normal commodities that you need, etc.
Then add to this the widespread ignorance and confusion regarding
national tax laws, and you have a system designed to keep people under
control or bewilderment. In a letter to Thomas Jefferson in 1787, John
Adams wrote, “All perplexities, confusion, and distress in America arise not
from defects in the Constitution, nor from want of honor and virtue so much
as from downright ignorance of the nature of coin, credit and circulation.”
In other words, a dishonest money system is the basis of many of the
economic and even social problems in America. Money can either build or
destroy a nation. If a money system is honest, all people can prosper. A
dishonest system, however, enriches a few at the cost of many.
To give a very simple example, which was told to me by an economist,
centuries ago in some townships people stored their gold in the goldsmith’s
vault for a fee, in which case, they would get a receipt for their gold.
Afterwards, people would exchange these receipts among themselves as a
money substitute for commodities or services. They could redeem the
receipts for the gold. However, only a small amount of the gold was ever
reclaimed, allowing the goldsmith to issue receipts for more gold than he
had. So some receipts did not represent anything. In fact, he could use some
receipts himself to make purchases or to lend at interest and yet take title to
property as collateral. In this way, the increase in fraudulent receipts
decreased the value of legitimate receipts. By manipulating the number of
receipts in circulation, the wealth and prosperity of the community were
quietly manipulated by the goldsmith without anyone knowing.
By changing the number of receipts and money in circulation, the
goldsmith could cause a little depression in which he could increase his
wealth at the expense of others. However, by increasing the number of
receipts he could stimulate the economy and bring prosperity into the
community. In this way, we can see that any money substitute like paper
currency is honest only when it accurately represents real money. But when
people use paper instead of real money, the seeds of corruption can enter the
system.
America’s economic problems are based on this practice of issuing
notes that are not accurately backed by gold. This is standard practice in the
banking industry that is based on the modern day goldsmith known as The
Federal Reserve and their Federal Reserve Notes. Remember, a Note is an
I.O.U. or debt. Paying a debt with another debt is not possible. A debt must
be paid with something of value, like gold or silver. Thus, the name
“Federal Reserve Note” is, in fact, a fraudulent name since it is not what it
claims to be—an accurate representation of a certain amount of gold.
There are only two actual economic systems: One is barter and the other
is credit. Barter is simply the exchange of items that have equal value. The
use of gold or silver coins is a barter system. Other items that have been
used for exchange have included cows, salt, tea, tobacco, opium, wheat, etc.
But money by itself does not exist: It must be something of value or an
honest representation of something of value. However, credit is not
tangible; it cannot be measured. Wealth is produced through labor in
exchange for value or in making useable products that have exchange value
in the marketplace. You do not find this with credit, except for the amount
of money that becomes owed. That is what people in general accept as
credit, how much they owe on something.
Bookkeeping tactics can then manipulate and adjust the value of such
credit to suit whatever the plans are of those who control it. On page twelve
of Keeping Our Money Healthy, published by the Federal Reserve Bank of
New York, it states, “The Federal Reserve system works only with credit.”
But credit is not wealth.
This state of affairs started 200 years ago when Amschel Rothschild
(1743-1812) established a principle that the economic and political systems
of nations would not be controlled by the citizens but by the bankers, for the
bankers. This came about by a carefully planned series of political and
economic maneuvers that gradually established a “Central Bank” in every
country. This, in effect, allows those involved in this Central Bank system
to gain control over the economy of the world. Many people think that the
strategy of these power elite bankers is to establish a single world
government over which they have complete control. If such would become
the case, then politicians, leaders, and people in general, would all be
controlled by the policy decisions of these bankers, not by governments.
Even nowadays governments are often influenced by the economic
decisions made by these bankers.
These central banks have the authority to print money for whatever
country in which they are established. It is these banks from which
governments borrow money to pay for debts to continue their operation.
Thus, printed money, as we find in this system, is debt money. It has no
intrinsic value since they do not base it on gold. It is printed to further the
borrowing by the government. This propels a false economy in which
everything, even the government, operates on credit, which is debt. And the
larger the debt, the shakier everything becomes. So, yes, presently the
Federal Government of the U. S. is practically bankrupt, so it keeps
borrowing money from the Central Bank, known as the Federal Reserve
Bank. And now the national debt is over 8 and one-half trillion dollars (at
the time of this writing, as of January 1, 2007), which the government owes
to the Federal Reserve Bank and other member institutions. This also means
that in a country of over 300,500,000 people, every U. S. citizen owes over
$28,000 as their contribution to help pay off this debt. [This has gone up
tremendously over the few years that have followed, so much so that by
2011 it was calculated that the national debt was over 14 trillion dollars and
each individual American owed over $45,000 toward this debt of the
American government. This is simply not sustainable.] Most of this debt is
interest that multiplies on a daily basis that the government, or rather the
American taxpayers, are supposed to pay back to the Federal Reserve Bank.
To pay back such a debt is most difficult if not impossible. And if it is not
possible, then a collapse of the system at some point cannot be avoided.
Thus, policy decisions by the Federal Reserve regarding the national debt
can send waves of changes throughout the country at any given time. So we
can see how this government must consider the dictates of the Federal
Reserve Bank, which operates more like a privately owned and operated
organization of international bankers than an agency of the government,
since that is exactly what it is.
Presently, the policies of the Federal Reserve control inflation and
deflation. They have the duty to establish and adjust the “prime lending
rate” that “helps” stimulate the economy or control growth. They can
expand or contract the money supply by buying or selling U. S. securities
and by raising or lowering reserve requirements, which is the money that
member banks must have in reserve. The Federal Reserve has many other
duties that exert a powerful influence on this nation’s economic life, and,
thus, affect every other country in the world.
It was on November 22, 1910 when the nation’s leading bankers left by
train at night from Hoboken, New Jersey on a secret mission to Jekyll
Island, Georgia to create what would be the Federal Reserve System.
Through their plans they were able to bypass the U. S. Constitution that
established how they should regulate money. For example, Article One,
Section Eight of the United States Constitution directly states that only
Congress has the “power to coin money and regulate the value thereof.”
Furthermore, Article One, Section Ten of the United States Constitution
says, “No state shall make anything but gold and silver coin a tender in
payment of debts.” Also, Title Twelve of the United States Code, Section
152, states: “The term lawful money, or lawful money of the United States,
shall be construed to mean gold or silver coin of the United States.” Even as
far back as the “Coinage Act of 1792,” Congress fixed the dollar as a
specific weight of silver in the form of a coin, and fixed the value of a gold
coin in relation to it.
Nonetheless, it was in 1913 that Congress surrendered the original
constitutional power to create and regulate money to the Federal Reserve in
the Federal Reserve Act, thus giving this control to foreign interests. Then
the Federal Reserve began printing paper money. Between 1914 and 1963
the Federal Reserve Note never claimed to be money or dollars. It simply
stated that, as on a note for five dollars, “The United States of America will
pay to the bearer on demand Five Dollars.” Above the bank seal it said,
“This note is legal tender for all debts public and private and is redeemable
in lawful money at the United States Treasury or at any Federal Reserve
Bank.”
Then in 1963 the Fed began to issue its new series of notes without this
promise and began taking the previous notes out of circulation. By
removing this promise to pay the bearer, the federal government, in
cooperation with the Federal Reserve, eliminated the money system as
established by the Constitution and replaced it with something totally
different.
The implications of this may not seem as drastic as they really are, and,
obviously, most people did not think so at the time. Nevertheless, a few
people have certainly understood what this could mean.
For example, Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), the third president of the
United States, made the prediction: “If the American people ever allow
private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation and
then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them
will deprive the people of all property until their children shall wake up
homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.” In other words, they
would lose their homes because people could no longer afford to buy them,
which, in this system means they could not longer afford the interest on
their mortgage, which is the method by which banks earn their money. Then
the banks would take control of the property. And in a poor economy, this
can become rampant, like an unwanted disease, leaving the people without
much facility to live any kind of decent life, and little means to object to
what is being done to them.
Although Jefferson was no prophet, he perceived a clear picture of what
we could expect. Even in the early days of this country the bankers had
tried to establish a central bank. In light of this, Andrew Jackson (1767-
1845), the seventh president of the United States, stated: “The bold efforts
that the present bank has made to control the government, the distress it has
wantonly caused, are but premonitions of the fate which awaits the
American people should they be deluded into a perpetuation of this
institution or the establishment of another like it. If people only understood
the rank injustice of our money and banking system, there could be a
revolution before morning!”
The reasons for the early American wars were many, including the
principles these bankers were trying to implement. England, for example,
had attempted to take away the right of the colonies to print their own
money. It had been noted by Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) in 1763 while
visiting England, that the reason why the colonies were prospering while
England was suffering a tremendous national debt and high unemployment
was because the colonies issued their money in proper proportions to the
demands of its trade and industry.
Thereafter, the Central Banks of England pushed the British Parliament
to pass a Bill prohibiting the colonies from issuing their own money. Thus,
the bankers could gain control of the wealth of the colonies. Benjamin
Franklin later noted that within one year of the enactment of that Bill, the
streets of the colonies were filled with the unemployed, and there was great
dissatisfaction.
Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804) tried hardest to establish the Bank of
the United States, which would be an agency of the international bankers.
But Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and other leaders greatly
opposed this. However, after Franklin’s death, Hamilton had bribed enough
congressmen to grant a charter for the First Bank of the United States in
1791. Having lost this battle, Jefferson said that he believed banking
institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. They
have set up a money aristocracy that has set the government at defiance.
They should take the power of issuing money from the banks and restore it
to Congress and the people to whom it belongs.
The charter for the First Bank of the United States was for 20 years and
expired in 1811. Then the Bank of England attempted to seize control over
the ex-colonies as they had tried before the Revolution. This was one reason
for the War of 1812.
For the next 100 years the international bankers tried gaining control in
the U. S., but there were various opponents, including Abraham Lincoln
(1809-1865), the 16th president of the United States. He said the money
power preys upon a nation in times of peace and conspires against it in
times of adversity. It is more despotic than monarchy, more insolent than
autocracy, and more selfish than bureaucracy. It denounces as public
enemies all who question its methods or throw light upon its crimes.
It is interesting that in 1913, the same year the Federal Reserve Act was
incorporated for the Federal Reserve Bank, the government also adopted the
16th Amendment to the U. S. Constitution that began the Income Tax.
Income tax “contributions” are collected by the Internal Revenue Service,
which operates like a private collection agency for the Federal Reserve. In
this way, they have positioned themselves as tax collectors who take the
wealth of all individuals, besides printing the currency and directing
governments by making economic policy. Furthermore, member bankers,
and their institutions such as various Foundations, have used their wealth to
purchase much of the media, controlling our education, news, publications,
radio and television networks. They also can manipulate universities by
providing (or withholding) large grants of funds for particular programs,
and they also often own companies that produce the college and school
textbooks. In these ways, they can feed us whatever information is needed
so that we form the necessary opinions they want us to have about many
things around us. Thus, much of our philosophies and outlooks on life, the
politicians we vote for, even the way we do things, are affected through this
means. Plus, these days we can see how many people get seduced by the
promise of easy money through various bank loans, adjustable mortgages
which may be attractive at first until the rates go up, and the lure of credit
cards, which catch people who become forever indebted by such
instruments, or “products” as they are called in the banking industry.
Though there may be many of us who use banks for various reasons, these
are some of the ways by which numerous people become unknowing slaves
to a banking system wherein a small group of elitist individuals live a
wealthy life at the expense of the many.
Needless to say, there are hundreds of groups out there that have plenty
of information and speculation about what is likely to happen in the future
regarding the plans of these power elite bankers and their allies. Some
people say that they will replace all money with a single international
currency. They will later change this to international debit cards that each
person must carry that will have a computer chip in it that will hold
information on your whole life. In this scenario, one central computer will
observe and track all of your dealings. Later they will do away with these
cards and they will surgically embed the chips under the skin of your hand.
Then you will not be able to make any transactions without having the
microchip. No more cash or private transactions or gifts to friends or family
without bankers knowing. There will be no transactions without it going
through the banks and through your microchip. Some people also expect
that they will take out taxes from your account automatically, or they might
take possession of everything you own without you being able to do
anything about it. You will have no privacy and few freedoms. You will be
either a good citizen of the one world government, or I should say the one
world bank, the New World Order, or you will be a renegade living
underground or in the mountains. Thousands of people going off to live in
the mountains and away from government control is a scenario that is also
predicted in the Vedic literature, as we will see as we proceed through this
book. From here the speculations of what may happen in the future can go
on and on.
The reason why I write about all of this is not to promote the
speculations or conspiracy theories of some people, but to show the bigger
ramifications of the short warning that has been given in the Vedic literature
about what will happen in the Age of Kali and the cause of it when the
dangers in the hoarding of gold and manipulation of currency is mentioned.
Also, to help recognize the full implications and how that description will
expand as the Age of Kali progresses. In this case, it is only one verse in the
Srimad-Bhagavatam that states the personality of Kali could reside in the
form of hoarding and the standardization of gold, and that wherever this
goes on there will be falsity, intoxication, lust, envy, and enmity. This also
indicates the desire or lust for ever-increasing power and control, and an
expanding gap between the haves and the have-nots. Certainly, we can see
all of this in the short review above of the last few hundred years regarding
this issue and the control of currency. Thus, the results or outcome of
whatever small warning the Vedic literature gives regarding various topics
may have very wide and deep implications that will greatly affect our lives
and the state of society and politics, and even the well-being of the planet
and our environment and natural resources as we go further into the future.
Naturally, the more profit oriented any organization is, the less they will be
concerned for the well-being of the people, planet and natural resources.
So, we need to contemplate these warnings and develop the ability to
perceive the long term dangers to which these Vedic prophecies are
referring. We have to understand that the process of increasing corruption in
the economy, government, and society in general of which the Vedic
prophecies speak is still an ongoing process. What we may accept as normal
during this day and age, even the economic principles that we think are
standard, will all mean something far different in another 50 or 100 years.
The rate of change and corruption is increasing as the age of Kali-yuga
moves forward.
So, as we go through the warnings and prophecies in the Vedic
literature, I will not describe in such detail how the various predictions have
manifested or are growing before our eyes. In many cases, it will be quite
evident whenever we see the news. But be mindful of the seriousness of
what they describe. Then, as we become familiar with them, we will be
more aware of the general pattern of events that are likely to continue into
the far distant future of the Age of Kali, and how to prepare for such social
tendencies and what our role is in an ever-changing and increasingly
materialistic world. Nonetheless, there is still hope for expanding the
spiritual forces in society, as I describe in the segment of this book called,
“A New Species of Humanity.” But the time to act is now while we still
have the freedom to make a difference.
THE BASIC PATTERN OF EVENTS FOR THE FUTURE
IN KALI-YUGA
An important point to consider is that the Vedic prophecies do not
outline a year-by-year schedule of events, nor do they indicate particular
times to watch for worst case scenarios or disasters. They are not really
time oriented. Nor do they predict some fearful apocalypse that will happen
any time soon that will put an end to the world as we know it. The Vedic
prophecies describe a more general flow of the deterioration in society’s
general mass consciousness and the tell-tale signs of it that anyone can see.
They describe the consequences, reactions and tendencies as the aggregate
consciousness of society in this age of Kali-yuga reaches particular levels of
uplifting thought or degradation. Such changes in consciousness are not
necessarily predicted to happen at certain times, though there may be a
general downward trend. Actually, the times for the symptoms or
inclinations that can be seen in the habits of people, according to the
changes in consciousness, may take place sooner or later. These may also
be directed by society at large according to their interests and mental
makeup. This depends on how spiritual or materialistic people become,
which means that how Kaliyuga unfolds is basically up to us, at least to
varying degrees. Psychics may predict events in the course of time, which
may or may not always be accurate, whereas the timing of the Vedic
prophecies may fluctuate with the flow of social development, either
positive or negative. These prophecies apply not only for the next few
decades, but over the course of the next hundreds of thousands of years,
until the very end of Kali-yuga, which is predicted to continue for another
427,000 years. In other words, if you think things are bad now, you have
not seen anything yet. After that, things will be better again.
Nonetheless, the Kalki Purana does contain predictions of what will
happen over a basic time frame within the age of Kali-yuga, much of which
you can see already happening. It breaks the yuga into four periods of time.
In describing the characteristics of people in the first part of Kali-yuga, the
first chapter of the Kalki Purana describes the lack of spiritual interest in
the people in general. It says, “The people in Kali-yuga will be accustomed
to quarreling and fighting amongst themselves. They will go to great
lengths to groom their hair, wear the best clothes, and decorate themselves
with costly ornaments.
“In Kali-yuga, a person with a lot of money will naturally be respected
as a great soul. If a twice-born person [spiritually initiated or even those
who are not] earns his livelihood by lending money on interest, he will be
considered a pillar of society. Those [impure] Sannyasis of Kali-yuga will
be attached to home and property, and householders will become devoid of
all power of discrimination. In Kali-yuga, people will blaspheme a spiritual
master or other elderly person without hesitation. Indeed, people in general
will simply become hypocrites, liars and cheaters.” (Kalki Purana 1.28-29)
In regard to crime, it says, “In Kali-yuga, Shudras will accept charity
from others, or else plunder [and rob] others’ wealth without
discrimination.”
Then in relation to marriage between two people, it relates that “Mutual
agreement will become the sole criteria for solemnizing the marriage of a
boy and a girl… Many married women will behave little better than
prostitutes because they have practically no attachment for their husbands.
In this way, they will become promiscuous, so that they will be easily
abandoned by their husbands [and, thus, go from man to man].”
A special problem will be the lack of spiritual depth in anyone. They
will be more concerned with appearance and reputation, which becomes all
that a person is judged by, as it says, “People will show sympathy and
magnanimity, but it will simply be a form of duplicity [and self-promotion].
Forgiveness will be granted only when a person is unable to harm the
offending party. In a society of ‘might makes right,’ people will easily
become annoyed with those in a weaker position. Even fools will be very
talkative in an attempt to prove that they are learned. People will engage in
religious ceremonies, but simply to acquire reputation. If one has got
wealth, he will be considered to be a saint. Simply by putting on a sacred
thread, one will be recognized as a Brahmana [a twice-born or religious
priest]. Simply by carrying a staff, one will be recognized as a Sannyasi
[renounced monk].”
About problems with the environment, the Kalki Purana relates that,
“The earth will restrict the production of food grains. The currents of rivers
will flow very rapidly. Clouds will shower rain very irregularly, and the land
will not yield sufficient crops.”
In regard to the characteristics of rulers as Kali-yuga moves forward, it
says, “Kings will whimsically torture and kill their subjects, and burden
them with excessive taxes. Such unfortunate subjects will finally take their
family and belongings to the shelter of mountains and dense forests [in
attempts to escape such oppressive conditions]. The people of Kali-yuga
will sustain their lives by eating flesh, honey, fruits, and roots without
discrimination. Almost everyone will take pleasure in blaspheming the
Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna. These are some of the symptoms that will
manifest at the beginning of Kali-yuga.” (Kalki Purana 1.30-37)
Then it goes on to explain a few symptoms of the following parts of
Kali-yuga. “In the second quarter of Kali-yuga, people will no longer chant
the holy names of Lord Krishna [by then the names will be forgotten]. In
the third quarter of Kali-yuga, there will be an upsurge of unwanted
population [the planet hardly able to support all of its people and their
misguided aims of life], and in the final quarter of Kali-yuga, there will be
only one class of human being, because God consciousness will have been
long forgotten [meaning that no one will have any spiritual knowledge].”
(Kalki Purana 1.38)
“When the study of the Vedas, performance of sacrifice [religious
rituals], chanting of mantras, and other religious practices thus disappear
from this world during Kali-yuga, the demigods, being afflicted due to not
receiving their share of sacrificial [ritualistic] offerings, will take shelter of
Lord Brahma, the grandfather of the universe, who was born from the
universal lotus flower.” (Kalki Purana 1.39) In other words, the Devas or
demigods, our higher spiritual guides and well-wishers, will turn away from
this world due to neglect from the general populace.
This last verse is in reference to when things get especially difficult and
the demigods led by Brahma therefore approach Lord Vishnu in His
spiritual abode to pray for a solution to the problems. Thereafter, Lord
Vishnu explains that He will appear as Lord Kalki in the village of
Shambhala to rectify the situation by annihilating all evil kings and cheaters
from the face of the world, and bring in the age of Satya-yuga. Thus, the
start of the next cycle of the four yugas is initiated. These points that are
mentioned in the Kalki Purana and many others are more thoroughly
explained in the next chapter.
However, in considering some of the statements given above, anyone
can look around and see this basic pattern and trend of events unfolding as
the age of Kali-yuga progresses by looking at any newspaper. The patterns
become quite evident simply by understanding the above descriptions of the
economic arrangements and the increasing presence of the principles of
quarrel and confusion and irreligion brought by the age of Kali. Kali-yuga
is the advancement of the modes of passion (raja-guna) and ignorance
(tama-guna), which causes people to become further disconnected from
their real identity as spiritual beings. The more that happens, the more the
general moral standards are given up or even deliberately discarded. Then
basic selfishness increases and society gives up its values of consideration
for others, not to mention the lack of regard it has for the environment and
anything else. As that escalates, governments become increasingly
intolerant of uncooperative people and will demand more control and
tougher laws, which also provokes groups to revolt and create uprisings
against it. There will not be wars merely between countries, but within the
nations themselves. As time goes on and the modes of passion and
ignorance increase, there will be no peace anywhere. Even the history of
when the world new a little peace will seem like it was a luxury in itself.
People will want to leave the cities to live in the hillsides and mountains,
and not merely to find peace, but for the meager chance of basic survival.
Gradually, as the age moves on it, will become one of increasing chaos and
madness on all levels.
Kali-yuga is also a time when there is widespread struggle for economic
development. As Kali-yuga moves forward, people of all classes will be
struggling to maintain themselves by any means, good or bad. People will
become extremely greedy due to the ignorant notions that this earthly life is
all there is, and that satisfying the mind and body is the primary goal of life.
In this way, advancement in society will be centered around economic
development, which is the standard of the mode of passion (raja-guna). The
accumulation of goods, great production, great endeavor and enterprises,
engagements for profit, fame and adoration, etc., are all considered
developments in the mode of passion.
Before the age of Kali, advancement was focused on the mode of
goodness (sattva-guna)—stability, balance, endurance, maintenance,
preservation, and harmony with God and nature. In goodness, not a lot
seems to happen or change, except within oneself in terms of the
development of spiritual progress and wisdom. This type of advancement is
real evolutionary development, not simply technological improvement
which may bring about many comforts and facilities, but at the cost of using
up all of our natural resources, and destroying the earth and society with its
pollutants.
The development of huge cities is another sign of advancement of
civilization in the mode of passion. Constructing as many highways,
vehicles, planes, and buildings as possible is the American dream; the
dream to make lots of money through such development. This is the
standard of the mode of passion. But with this is also an accumulation of
the mode of ignorance, which is a problem. This manifests when our
endeavors in the mode of passion cause unwanted results in the mode of
ignorance. A prime example of this is the business of oil production, which
is enormously profitable (in the mode of passion), but results in exhaust
fumes and oil spills that do so much environmental damage (in the mode of
darkness or ignorance).
Remember, when Kali-yuga begins, matter or material things lose their
potency. For example, food is no longer as full of nutrients as it used to be.
There is a decreasing amount of nutrient rich soil, which is incapable of
producing food rich in nutrients. And the soil no longer produces the same
amount of plants and eatables. Plus, countries that become wealthy often
switch to a diet which requires more beef, poultry like chicken, and also
pork and fish, which requires more grain for animal feed that could have
provided humans more food. Thus, not only is there a decrease in nutritious
food, but fewer people get fed, and food prices go up.
People then become so greedy for money that they use anything to get
more food production from the soil. This endeavor in the mode of passion
leads to the use of chemical fertilizers which may help to produce more
food in the short-term, but ultimately destroys the soil and causes diseases.
This produces food that is even less helpful for our physical and mental
development. Thus, the process of losing the ability to produce good food is
perpetuated, causing problems to only worsen. Then you have the side
effect or result in the mode of ignorance, that everyone becomes affected
because of the pollution in the soil, air, and water, and the food lacks the
proper nutrients to develop the brain and body to its fullest capacity. In
essence, people and animals become brain damaged, even deformed,
depending on whether they can get proper nutrients in their food or not, and
the degree to which they are exposed to the pollutants that gradually seem
to spread everywhere. Thus, people’s level of intelligence goes down as
Kali-yuga progresses. And as more pollutants enter the soil and atmosphere,
or as mad scientists try to change the food we grow by genetic
modifications, additional problems, diseases and deformities affect more
animals and people and the environment. More specific examples of what
happens in the future of Kali-yuga will be given in the next chapter.
Because of the upsurge of the modes of passion and ignorance, and how
people become affected by them, the ability to understand higher
philosophical knowledge is reduced, even eliminated in an increasing
number of people. What happens is that places of knowledge, such as
schools and colleges, become more profit oriented places of business and
advancement of economic development, which is again the influence of the
mode of passion. Thus, places like universities and the domain of
intellectuals becomes degraded. Where such passionate endeavors exist
means that educational institutions also become places of intoxication and
parties for sexual encounters, and other activities that cater to the demands
of the mind and senses. After all, that is the purpose of increasing one’s
profits. These places then become more preoccupied with presenting the
goal and then the prize for increasing one’s ability to compete in the pursuit
of adoration, distinction and influence for personal profit and fame. The
better they become at presenting their facilities for pursuing and achieving
this goal, the more students they get. The more students they get and the
higher the tuition they pay, the more profits that are made. And this
becomes the bottom line for such educational institutions. Finally, rather
than being concerned with providing real education to all who may deserve
it, they prefer their students from higher income families, those who have
more money to spend at the university. Thus, they begin to exclude even
worthy but financially impacted students, and the higher reasoning abilities
and the philosophical understanding that used to be provided or developed
by such institutions become a thing of the past. In this way, the dollar
becomes the real goal of the university and the development and well-being
of society in general decreases all the more.
In any case, no matter how good an education a person may have, if he
or she still does not know who or what he is by the attainment of spiritual
knowledge, he will not truly know what to do with himself or where he or
she fits into the scheme of things. Such a person often feels like there is
something still missing in life, but he does not know what it is. Therefore,
he may not have the peace of mind or contentment in life that he wishes to
find, and this becomes the standard problem throughout society, which
often leads to confusion, depression and despondency. Yet, advertisements
and propaganda indoctrinate people into thinking they can solve their
problems by filling their lives with an increasing number of objects and
ways for attaining sensual pleasure, mental stimulation, and entertainment.
All you have to do is keep working or find the means to acquire the
necessary funds to afford it. Thus, without realizing it, you become a
voluntary slave to your mind and senses, and to the institutions that
seemingly help you attain your dreams, such as the government, banks, etc.
In Vedic times, it used to be the intellectuals who understood spiritual
knowledge and the Absolute Truth, and had direct experience of it. Such
people had the practical knowledge to give direction and bring stability to
society; to give society a brain. A brainless society is without real direction.
In such a society, everyone works in any way possible for economic
development, acquiring whatever superficial prizes and heights that mean
the most, while being ignorant of the true goal of life. This becomes the
norm in Kali-yuga.
Kali-yuga is also the age when pollution becomes rampant. However,
the planet only reflects the consciousness of those who inhabit it. Outer
environmental pollution is merely a reflection of humanity’s internal
polluted consciousness. This inner pollution is society’s perverted mental
habits, desires, and thought patterns. As we become polluted internally and
act to satisfy those polluted desires externally, based on gaining money,
power, distinction, adoration, and sensual gratification, we act in selfish
ways to accomplish such things as attaining high positions for rapid and
easy profits and pleasures. This is the materialistic form of consciousness.
This easily leads to activities that may pollute the earth and its atmosphere,
not only environmentally but also morally, economically, politically, and in
so many other ways. It does not matter how small or big we are, or whether
we are running a large corporation or just a household. Our consciousness
will determine our decisions, which affects all of those around us. Thus, in
some way, the whole world becomes affected by everything we do.
Thousands of years ago Lord Krishna gave the warning to Arjuna about
the dangers of materialistic consciousness and the implications such mental
pollution can have in the world. He said in Bhagavad-gita (16.8) that
materialists, “say that this world is unreal, with no foundation, and no God
in control.” Because of this attitude, they feel justified in doing whatever
they like in order to lead a pampered life, or to attain instant sensual
pleasure and quick profits. However, Krishna goes on to explain (Bg.16.11):
“They believe that to gratify the senses is the prime necessity of human
civilization.” So this is their motivation in life, but because of this, “until
the end of life their anxiety is immeasurable.” Why? Because they are,
“bound by a network of hundreds of thousands of desires.” (Bg.16.12) It is
because of these numerous material desires that such people become
relentless in trying to achieve what they want, and thus they will “engage in
unbeneficial, horrible acts, meant to destroy the world.” (Bg.16.19)
Therefore, the more materialistic people get, the more polluted society
becomes. As the pollution of materialistic consciousness increases, the
stronger will be the socially deteriorating effects of Kali-yuga.
Pollution also is the art of propaganda, the art of creating desires in the
minds of people through exaggeration and lying in commercials and
politics. They design such propaganda to cheat those against whom it is
used. They take your money or your vote and give you less than what you
are promised. The basis of this sort of pollution lies in being expert in the
art of lying and persuasion. We especially see this in politics. In Kali-yuga
there are few if any real leaders, and no one really likes politicians.
Actually, many people vote not for the persons they want in office but for
the ones that are most likely to do the least damage. And that is judged
according to who gives the most convincing propaganda.
The bottom line is that now, at the beginning of this 21
st
century, things
are getting so bad that such problems are beyond the hope of material
solutions. By studying this chapter anyone will be able to see the basic
pattern of events that the future of Kali-yuga holds as the influence of the
modes of passion and ignorance increase. Anyone with a little
understanding can see that at this point only divine intervention or
spiritually based resolutions will help change things and solve our
problems. This is especially possible in the period of time known as “The
Golden Age within Kali-yuga.” This was predicted to begin in the first part
of the 432,000 years of Kaliyuga, which we are in right now. This will
continue for another 10,000 years. During this period spiritual knowledge
can become widespread and produce many benefits for the people of this
age. (This is explained more thoroughly in Chapter Five.) However, this
will help only to the degree in which we use it. Otherwise, the forces of
darkness or spiritual ignorance will increase.
Ignorance is the cause of all the anomalies in human society that
Maharaja Yudhisthira could perceive at the onset of Kali-yuga, as
previously described. Thus, the most important thing we can do is to
counteract the effects of such ignorance by spreading real knowledge and
solutions based on true spiritual understanding. The higher energies and
understanding of life, along with spiritual awareness, must be brought in.
That can at least delay the effects of Kali-yuga and the many earth changes
predicted to happen. As people become more focused on true spiritual
understanding and how to perceive their spiritual identity, the more we can
change things in a positive way, and the more people will want to change in
the right direction. A world of darkness can become a world of light.
CHAPTER FOUR
The Coming Changes During Kali-yuga
Throughout many of the ancient Vedic texts there are descriptions of
numerous future changes that will take place in society, some of which we
can already see and many others that will happen in the next few hundred or
thousands of years from now. Some of what is described is that as Kali-
yuga progresses things will begin to deteriorate, social values and moral
standards will regress, and food becomes scarce and more expensive. Due
to pollution and lack of proper food and good nutrition, mankind will
gradually lose brain power. People will get smaller and have a shorter life
expectancy. As society begins to have less brain power or thinking ability,
there is the tendency to become less civilized and more barbaric, unable to
maintain the skills needed to maintain technological advancement. This is
predicted to continue over the course of many thousands of years to the
point where people will go back to using the simplest of stone tools for lack
of better facilities and ingenuity. Thus, technology gradually fades and
disappears, or even destroys itself through the polluting of the natural
resources that we need to survive. Then, with the display of such social and
mental retardation, humankind takes on the physical characteristics of those
beings who are less capable intellectually. Thus, the relics we find today of
ancient man may simply be the remnants of a previous age of Kali millions
of years ago. The Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.3.39-40) specifically states:
In the age of Kali, people’s minds will always be agitated. They
will become emaciated by famine and taxation, and will always be
disturbed by fear and drought. They will lack adequate clothing, food
and drink, will be unable to rest properly, have sex or bathe
themselves, and will have no ornaments to decorate their bodies. In
fact, the people of Kali-yuga will gradually come to appear like
ghostly haunted creatures.
This indicates that the way people will treat themselves, engaging in all
kinds of detrimental acts in their attempt to squeeze whatever pleasure they
can out of their bodies, along with their bad habits, eating the wrong foods,
enduring the natural disasters of the day and the high taxation of
government, much of their energy for life will be exhausted. Combine that
with being forced to work hard for little return, along with wars, industrial
pollution, drought, and famine, they will have little strength or energy left
to live—or even to have sex. Thus, they will look ghostly.
It may be hard for some people to visualize a time when the world has
little food and water, even for growing crops or for bathing. Nevertheless,
we can see that it is already happening in various parts of the world, and the
Vedic literature predicts a time in the future when this condition will
gradually spread everywhere. Looking at the environmental changes that
are happening now makes it seem like such conditions may not be so far
away. Finding a place to rest also will be difficult because society will be so
disturbed day and night, crime will be rampant, poverty will be pervasive,
and business and work so demanding that few people will have good or
peaceful homes or dependable shelters. Everyone will be worried about
losing what they have. Thus, getting proper rest may also seem like a
luxury. And there will be no facility or money for acquiring ornaments for
the body, not to mention the casual pleasures that people take for granted,
such as having music to listen to, drinking water from the faucet, or nice
shoes and clothes. In the distant future, all this will become difficult or
impossible to acquire, which is already the case for some people in the
world today.
The above verse also means that Kali-yuga is an age when a growing
number of people are subjected to the influence of entities that exist in the
lower subtle realm, such as disembodied spirits or ghostly creatures. Such
beings were not prevalent in the Satya or Treta-yugas. The Garuda Purana
(11.20.17 and Garuda Purana, Dharma (Preta) Kanda 20.7) points out that
Kali-yuga is an age in which ghostly creatures become more commonplace.
It says that he who does not observe rites for spiritual purification, who has
no faith in the sanctity of the Vedas, hates righteous acts, and indulges in
falsehood, may be tormented by ghosts. Thus, through wicked deeds, or if
one is influenced too much by ghostly entities, he becomes a candidate for
becoming a preta, ghostly being, in the Kali Age.
Such ghostly beings who are earthbound and without physical bodies
look for ways to satisfy their material desires. This usually involves an
attempt to enter or control someone else’s material body, thus giving the
victim much trouble that he or she may not understand. Such subtle beings
usually bother those people who are nonspiritual, unclean, and weak-
minded. They are the easiest to control. Such victims may, indeed, hear
voices or do things they normally would not do. Even people in high
positions—kings, presidents, even false religious leaders—may be
influenced by such subtle beings. The influence of such beings may cause
serious mood swings in the victim or even pave the way for disastrous
calamities, wars, and injustice within that person’s sphere of activity,
especially if the victim is in a position of power.
The Padma Purana (1.76.123) relates that some ghostly beings may
also take birth in physical bodies. It states that in the Kaliyuga, there are
gods, demons, and the rest are human beings. The evil spirits will be born
and will [be recognized by their habit of] eating corpses and dead animals.
The Vayu Purana also confirms this in the verse rakshasah kalim ashritya
jayante brahma-yonishu, which explains that demons like rakshasas take
advantage of the age of Kali to appear even in the families of Brahmanas
[not to mention the families of others].
EFFECTS OF DEMONIAC FORCES IN KALI-YUGA
In the verse quoted above from the Srimad-Bhagavatam, it is described
how some people will become like replicas of ghostly creatures in this age.
This does not only mean that they will take on the physical appearance of
these kinds of beings, but it is also the mentality that may take on the
characteristics of ghosts or demons. Some people may look quite lovely on
the outside, but their consciousness may be completely disturbed,
unbalanced and monstrous. The reason is that due to the vibrational
frequency that pervades much of human civilization in Kali-yuga, the
demoniac mentality can easily enter society and influence and affect the
consciousness of people. This angry and diabolic mentality can even be
witnessed in some of the modern music created by popular musicians, as
well as in movies, the news media, etc. With their words, descriptions,
mood, and activities, they create an atmosphere and present images of
disharmony, turmoil, discontent, rebelliousness, anger, rage, violence,
horror, crime, and the selfish desires for attaining sensual and sexual
satisfaction by any means.
These low and evil forces can actually be partly caused by subtle or
ghostly beings of the underworld whose intention is to create a disruptive
atmosphere wherein people become susceptible to confusion, accidents,
crimes, violence, and suicidal thoughts. These subtle beings get energy and
feed off the confusion, fear and anger that people generate when involved in
such scenes or activities. So, they deliberately create situations wherein
people are influenced by their evil suggestions and forces, and who are then
lured into acting out such disruptive emotions. This contributes to the
misdirected aim of society and the confusion therein. This only releases
more low and dark mental and emotional energy that the evil forces and
beings feed on, thus making them even stronger.
These same subtle beings can goad people who have a tendency toward
lusty desires or rebelliousness or anger and incite them to act is such ways.
These subtle entities make such humans their inconspicuous slaves so they
can feed off the low energy that is projected by the persons when they are
engaged in sex, or fits of anger, or even depression, moroseness, etc., and
gain energy with the release of these kinds of negative emotions. These
repugnant entities will surround the people who are absorbed in lusty
actions to sap them of all the vigor they can get.
Therefore, people who have a strong interest in sex are often influenced
by such beings and can be surrounded by a number of them who continue to
mentally suggest the idea for more sex, or, in other cases, more crime, more
violence, etc. Thus, they feed upon the vital force of people who are weak-
minded and give in under the influence of suggestions and desires. People
who are especially addicted to intoxication or sex may be followed by these
kinds of low subtle beings who still have a taste for such things but have no
physical body to satisfy their thirst for these activities. So, they attach
themselves to those who are weak and prone to these kinds of habits and
then live through such people, like a monkey on one’s back. This is why
some people explain that the inclination for such desires has come from
outside themselves, like an outside force or voice that they felt or heard.
In this way, some of these subtle and wicked beings have a quota to
create a certain number of inauspicious scenarios every day. Those people
who are prone to such desires or who lose their vital force and mental
determination are perfect tools for providing this kind of low emotional
frequency to the subtle beings who feed off of it and then get more energy,
like a psychic vampire. Such people are also easily influenced into anger,
fear, depression, and other negative emotions, or even compelled to engage
in plans for wicked goals. Therefore, they may be mentally attacked from
outside and thus influenced and compelled into performing despicable or
terrible actions. It is like a pattern that keeps people focused on base desires
without understanding how to get free from them and lift their
consciousness toward higher goals.
The point that the Vedic literature is indicating is that the line between
those who live on the physical plane and those who live in the subtle realm
gets thinner during the age of Kali-yuga. Thus, you might say the two
dimensions begin to overlap, and the subtle beings can more easily enter the
physical plane of existence or influence those who live therein, even to the
point where such entities in the subtle realm are seen more often by those in
the physical dimension. Adversely, when people go to bars or gambling
houses, or listen to lusty music, or watch similar kinds of movies and
violent shows on television of sex and crime, it provides a vehicle through
which the demoniac forces can appear or strengthen their influence and,
thus, incite people in wicked ways.
This is why the Vedic scriptures recommend the chanting of particular
mantras and the singing of devotional bhajans or songs, along with
practicing meditation and other spiritual activities. These refine and also
raise the vibration of our immediate environment and our consciousness,
which chases away the dark forces and invokes the higher beings and Devas
to come near. In this way, we become increasingly protected or free from
the low and evil influences, both individually and socially, so that we can
rise to a higher awareness and operate in a spiritually progressive frame of
mind. This is the objective of the Vedic spiritual path anyway, but it
becomes all the more important as the age of Kali-yuga progresses,
because, as anyone can see, the materialistic mindset becomes all the more
pervasive as time moves forward in this age, moral standards decrease, and
spirituality itself becomes increasingly distant from the thoughts and goals
of people in general. Therefore, those who are spiritually inclined need to
take care in this way.
GENERAL CONDITIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF
PEOPLE IN KALI-YUGA
There are many other basic symptoms of the age of Kali described in
the Puranas that we can presently observe. For example, the Mahabharata
(Vana Parva, Chap.190, Text 76-77) relates a general condition that
increases as time goes on in this age: “When that age of Kali would come,
every one will be in want. All the directions will be in a blaze; the stars and
the constellations will have no brilliancy and the planets and planetary
conjunctions [astrologically] will be inauspicious. The course of the wind
will be confused and innumerable meteors will flash through the sky,
foreboding great fear.”
Meteors were always an ominous sign in the past, and the fading light
from the stars may be because of the increase in pollution in the
atmosphere. That is certainly the case near the cities. And we have seen that
the course of the jet stream across North America and other places have
resulted in most confusing and even severe weather patterns.
The Brahmanda Purana (1.2.31.31-35) further describes that the
characteristic features of Kali-yuga are based on violence, jealousy,
falsehood, and maya (deception and cheating). The decline of religious and
moral standards, the ridicule and murder of ascetics, sages, and devotees,
along with fatal diseases, hunger, and fear, also increase during Kali-yuga.
The subjects will die at various ages, some as infants, youth, in old age, or
even while in the womb. The Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.1.10) also explains:
“O learned one, in this iron age of Kali men have short lives. They are
quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky and, above all, always disturbed.”
The Vayu Purana (58.31-68 & 59.5-9) states similar characteristics with
further elaborations on how things will decline in the future. These include
that livelihoods will be difficult to achieve despite hard endeavor, and
people will not accept the authority of the Vedic texts and will produce
misleading religious scriptures unmindful of rules of conduct. People will
be quick to get angry and violent, and be deficient in power. People will
continuously lie, and kings and rulers will be low-class and propagate
heretical ideas. People will not hesitate to kill a child in the womb. Thus,
longevity, intellect, strength, beauty, and family prestige will all decline.
Men will use harsh words, steal the gems and wealth of others, and rape
other men’s wives. Their passion will be released through a wicked heart
and will revel in violent, sinful activities. Sickness, delusion, dejection,
unhappiness, and all activities in the mode of ignorance prevail in the Kali
Age. Because of such dark conditions, saintly men will withdraw from
society and stay aloof, unknown to the rest of the world. Due to the spread
of this misery, people will have short lives, and societies and whole
countries will be exterminated. In the age of Kali, beasts of prey become
more numerous and powerful, while useful animals like cows will dwindle
and die. As Kali-yuga progresses, gradually the height of human beings will
be reduced by seven times from that of what it was.
In regard to the lack of hesitancy to kill a child in the womb, in the year
2008 alone, nearly 42 million babies were killed in the womb all over the
world. Put simply per day, 115,000 babies were killed on a daily basis in
2008. This translates into 80 babies every minute.
The Narada Purana (1.41.29) sums it up to say that Kali-yuga is
extremely terrible, a mixture of all sins. This means that not only are all
kinds of sins performed, but society is forced to experience all of the
reactions of such activities.
The above symptoms of the age of Kali may not seem rampant around
the world as of yet, but many of them can easily be recognized in various
countries today, even in the most developed countries, and are herein
predicted to get worse.
THE EFFECTS OF LOW-CLASS RULERS
According to the Vedic information, the deterioration of the system of
proper government began with the disappearance of Lord Krishna in 3102
BCE. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.1.1-8) we find a description of some of
the dynasties that will rule in the age of Kali and what will happen to them.
Therein we see the first assassination of a king, Puranjaya, by his minister,
Sunaka, so that the minister can install his own son, Pradyota, as the king.
Thereafter, the kings that follow will consist of eleven generations of
descendants of Pradyota, ending with King Nanda, who is estimated to have
existed about 1150 years after the age of Kali began, or after the reign of
King Pariksit. It was predicted that King Nanda, born of a low-class
woman, would rule over the world and wreak havoc among the other kings.
He would be the master of millions of soldiers, and obtain fabulous wealth.
From him onward all kings and rulers would be irreligious and low-class
Shudras, or worse. The Vishnu Purana (Book Four, Chapter 24) and the
Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.2.32) also state that it is from the time of this King
Nanda that the influence of Kali-yuga will increase.
It is then predicted that the greatly learned Brahmana Chanakya Pandit
will deceive Nanda in order to destroy his dynasty and enthrone
Chandragupta, thus paving the way for the Maurya dynasty to rule. These
events are now found in recorded history.
Regarding the assassination of Puranjaya by his minister, this type of
act is also said to become common, as it is stated, “during Kali-yuga, a
prince will kill his father to become king.” (Brahma-Vaivarta Purana,
Krishna-Janma Khanda, Chapter 90.46)
Continuing with the descriptions of the Bhagavatam, we find it
explained that more rulers will follow with fewer and fewer good qualities.
In fact, we find it predicted that more and more impious and uncultured
men will make their way into government with little to show but greater
levels of impiety and confusion, which expands throughout society. Giving
up the path of Vedic or a spiritually oriented civilization, society will lose
all spiritual strength. The rulers who will appear during Kali-yuga will be
uncivilized, uncharitable, have fierce tempers, and be devoted to the ways
of irreligion and falsity. The world will see many such rulers
simultaneously on this planet. They will become the equivalent of
barbarians, exploiting or killing innocent women, children, Brahmanas (the
priestly class), and cows. They will lust and covet after the wives and
property of other men. In this way, it is described that the lawmakers and
politicians themselves will devise the means to plunder and devour the
citizens. They will have little strength of character and have erratic moods.
Because of their activities, they are short-lived. The citizens ruled by such
leaders will imitate their behavior and, thus, harassed by their own rulers
and each other, will feel no relief and suffer ruination.
The Mahabharata (Vana Parva, 190.31-35, 37) also describes that,
“Possessing little energy and strength and no knowledge, and being
addicted to avarice, ignorance, and sinful practices, men will accept with
joy contemptuous words [conversations with arguments, insults and
controversy]. O son of Kunti, the kings with their hearts wedded to sin,
having no knowledge and always being proud of their wisdom, will fight
with one another with the intention of taking one another’s lives. The
Kshatriyas [rulers in government] will, at the end of the yuga, be the thorns
of the earth. Full of avarice, swelling with pride and vanity, unable and
unwilling to protect (their subjects) they will take pleasure in punishing (the
people under them). Again and again, attacking the good and the honest,
and feeling no pity for them even when they will cry in grief, the [fake]
Kshatriyas [or rulers] will, O descendant of Bharata, rob them of their
wives and wealth… The [false and unqualified] Kings with their minds
darkened by ignorance and discontented with what they have will at such a
time rob their subjects by every means in their power.” This also means that
taxes will become many and beyond reason, thus putting the people in
constant torment in the struggle to exist.
The Vayu Purana (58.67) further elaborates that low-class kings will
perform no spiritually meritorious activities. Thus, their subjects will
slaughter cows and murder women, or allow such things to happen. People
will fight and kill one another, and in this way try to accomplish their goals.
The Linga Purana (40.9 & 11) goes on to say that in Kaliyuga thieves
will function as kings and kings will be as good as thieves. Kings will
confiscate and misappropriate public property, and will cease to be
protectors. The Padma Purana (7.26.35) confirms that low-class mlecchas,
addicted to sins, will be kings.
The Narada Purana (1.41.37, 71, 81) goes on to say that in the age of
Kali the rulers are greedily absorbed in wealth, are tyrannous, and will
inflict pain on their subjects by imposing heavy taxes. After the advent of
the Kali Age, uncultured men and outcastes will become kings. Being
panic-stricken with the fear of robbers, etc., people will adopt wooden
contrivances as a security measure. [This may mean simple wood weapons
during a time when high technology has already disappeared or when guns
or sophisticated weapons amongst the public are no longer allowed.] People
will be extremely harassed by droughts and heavy taxation.
It is even explained that the forest dwellers [those who have nothing]
will also have to suffer from payment of taxes [to irresponsible rulers].
(Brahma-Vaivarta Purana, Prakriti Khanda, Chapter 7.33)
The Vidyeshvarasamhita (1.17-21) of the Shiva Purana says how the
rulers, warriors, and politicians will discard their duties, indulge in selfish
acts, associate with evil men, and aim toward debauchery. They will flee the
battlefield and refuse to engage in virtuous warfare for the good of others.
They follow the ways of thieves and are mentally enslaved by their base
passions, always engaging in brutish sexual dalliances with their women.
They do not really care to protect the people or those who seek refuge. They
give up the virtue of protecting the citizens and rejoice in what they gain by
harassing others [through high taxes, political intrigue, exploitation, etc.].
Thus, they are wicked annihilators of their own people.
We should understand herein that when criminals and miscreants
flourish in society it is only due to cowardly and impotent leaders. Rogues
and thieves will flourish when there are no proper leaders to curb their
activities, as stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (4.13.20). Without a proper
government, a degraded civilization results. Even if anyone is homeless or
starving it is because of government mismanagement, as verified in the
Bhagavatam (4.17.10-11).
As further related (Srimad-Bhagatavam 1.18.43-45), without strict and
proper leaders the world becomes filled with rogues who take advantage of
the unprotected citizens like wolves who go after defenseless lambs. When
miscreants plunder the wealth of the people, social disruptions occur;
people are killed, women and property are stolen. What is even worse is
when the leaders and politicians act as thieves to plunder and usurp the
property and money of the citizens. Then the people will fall from the path
of progressive civilization and will be attracted to getting money in any way
possible for nothing but gratifying their senses, which will be their way of
trying to escape from the constant flow of problems. This is what leads the
way to unwanted population that are practically on the level of animals.
The problem is that weak rulers have no strength to extinguish the
rogues and thieves, especially if they are of the same caliber. So, corrupt
activity spreads throughout society and begins to multiply. This manifests in
the form of leaders who are more and more crooked with each successive
generation. Even now, political corruption has become so widespread that
certain practices are no longer considered as illegal or unethical. Political
donations at election times with expectations of favors in the future is one
of the most common practices in all democratic systems in the world. Thus,
morals go down while corruption escalates, and that becomes normal
politics, or should I say business. That is why democracy is sometimes
called demon crazy. Under the ploy of freedom, without genuinely honest
and upstanding leaders, the ways of the corrupt are let loose and out of
control.
However, such leaders also become implicated by the results of the
nefarious activities of the citizens. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam
(4.20.14 & 4.21.24) and in Manu-samhita (8.304-309), a good king who
protects the people receives one-sixth of the rewards of all pious activities
performed by his citizens. But a king who collects his share of taxes, duties,
and fines from the citizens and does not give them proper protection will
accept one-sixth of the results or total karma of his subjects’ bad activities
and will sink into hell. Therefore, it will be difficult for a ruler in the age of
Kali to have anything but a dark future in his next life. The conclusion is
that, as Srimad-Bhagavatam (4.14.17) relates, a government that cannot
protect its citizens should not collect taxes.
The Bhagavatam (12.2.7-11) goes on to say that among the crowded
and corrupt population that will cover the earth in Kali-yuga, whoever
shows himself to be the strongest can gain political power. We can see
today that many politicians gain office by a show of financial power
through advertising and propaganda. The Vedic predictions continue to
explain that due to losing their wives and properties to rulers who show no
mercy on their citizens, people in general will be forced to flee to the
mountains and forests. While there, famine will harass and force them to eat
leaves, roots, flesh, fruits, flowers, seeds, and honey. However, their
situation is so fragile that they are completely ruined when hit by drought.
They will also have to contend with wind, rain, heat, cold, and snow.
Further troubles will be in dealing with hunger, thirst, disease, quarrels, and
intense distress. In this situation people will live a maximum of fifty years.
This is further elaborated in the Vishnu Purana (Book Four, Chapter 24)
where it states that as the age of Kali continues in the distant future, the
monarchs and rulers will have violent tempers and be addicted to falsehood
and wickedness. They will cause the death of women and children. They
will seize the property of their subjects, and their rule will quickly rise and
fall. They will have little piety and insatiable desires. The citizens will
imitate their actions and the barbaric tribes will gain power by patronizing
these rulers, and the purer tribes will be ignored. [We can see this already
happening in parts of Africa.] In the distant years ahead, the people, unable
to bear the burdens of the avaricious leaders, will take refuge in the
mountains and will be glad to eat the herbs, fruits, roots, honey, and leaves
or vegetables. They will wear only clothes made from the bark of trees.
During this time, exposed to cold, wind, sun, and rain, the oldest any man
will become is twenty-three years of age. In Kaliyuga, decay will
continuously spread until humankind approaches its annihilation. [This
means that pollution, wars, and the false aims of life will create situations in
which the human population will greatly decrease, along with its length of
life.] The Vishnu Purana (Book Four, Chapter 38) further relates that rulers
will plunder citizens rather than protecting them, robbing businessmen and
shopkeepers of their merchandise under the pretext of collecting taxes.
Notice that there are a few differences in this description in the Vishnu
Purana compared with the Bhagavatam, especially regarding the maximum
age to which the people will live. As Kaliyuga advances, things get rougher.
It becomes more difficult to survive. People die at increasingly younger
ages. It is further explained that if the quality of our leaders does not
change, demoniac and low-class men, dressed like sophisticated
government officials, will take control of the government. They will be
motivated to develop large military forces and fight with one another using
the lives of innocent men they send off to battle. Proper kings or rulers
should lead the charge in battle, but kings and rulers today never visit the
battlefield, but instead hide behind desks, officiating over the battle as if
they are too important to risk injury, while freely sending the sons of others
to die. It is further explained that as numerous wars spring up, such wars
will decrease the earth’s burden of so many demoniac leaders. Eventually,
however, the kings, rulers, and governments will not be able to collect all of
its needed taxes from the poor citizens to meet its huge military and
operational expenses. Then the government and military will collapse, and
chaos and terror will reign all over the country. However, if enough greedy
and warmongering leaders kill themselves off, the possibility of peace is
aroused, at least for a time.
Further information is provided on this matter: “Although the demons
who take possession of the government are dressed like men of government
[as if they have good character], they do not know the duty of government.
Consequently, by the arrangement of God, such demons, who possess great
military strength, enthusiastically fight with one another, and thus the great
burden and population of demons on the surface of the earth is reduced. In
this way, the demons increase their military power by the will of the
Supreme so that their numbers will be diminished, and the world can
become peaceful and devotees can advance spiritually.” (Srimad-
Bhagavatam 9.24.59)
In this way, it is the demoniac rulers that keep the world at war, even
when the general population would simply like peace to exist for the
betterment of everyone. But they do not know how to establish real peace.
As the Bhagavatam (4.14.1) states, without a proper leader to look after the
interests of the citizens, people become degraded and unruly like animals.
No one is happy. Furthermore (Bhag.4.14.3), as society becomes more and
more godless, people give up whatever moral standards they had and
become destined to ruin.
“Bereft of a good king, the world will suffer in misrule. By the fault of
Kali-yuga, the people will become diseased and povertystricken beggars
dressed in rags.” (Brahma-Vaivarta Purana, Krishna-Janma Khanda,
Chapter 90.53)
As it is further related in the Manu-samhita (7.142-144), a king who
does not protect his citizens is a dead king. When leaders are strong and
punish criminals in an exemplary way, then such miscreants cannot flourish
and society can live peacefully. It is the duty of the king or ruler to give
protection to the citizens. The Bhagavatam (4.14.18) also explains that the
duty of the state is that everyone’s situation should be so nicely arranged
that everyone can make spiritual progress in their own situation.
Unfortunately, as we find it said in the Brahma-Vaivarta Purana
(Krishna-Janma Khanda, 90.49): “Uncivilized mlecchas and yavanas will
become kings. They will demean the true religion and gleefully uproot the
good reputations of the saintly devotees.” Actually, we are seeing this on an
increasing basis, that those swamis and true saints who promote an honest
understanding of genuine spiritual knowledge and the Vedic tradition are,
by intrigue and deception as arranged by government or other officials,
made to look like criminals in a way to tarnish their reputation and
credibility as much as possible, thus also discrediting the whole tradition
and those who follow it.
The Manu-samhita (8.21-22) more clearly puts things into perspective,
saying that a kingdom controlled by low-class men, infested with atheists
and the uncultured, soon perishes, afflicted by famine and disease.
In this way, we can understand that when men are not ruled by God or
God’s laws through pious and qualified leaders, the citizens will be ruled by
godless tyrants and their lives will become increasingly miserable and
hellish. Thus, while we can, we must make sure our rulers are fit for their
position and have a genuine interest for protecting the culture and the well-
being of the people.
THE IMMORAL QUALITIES OF PEOPLE
When the rulers become so bad, then the people themselves cannot help
but slide into degradation and deepening forms of corruption. Therefore,
regarding the qualities of the people of Kaliyuga, the Mahabharata (Vana
Parva, Chap.190, Texts 11-14, 25, 38, 39, 40, 45, 52, 53, 56, 68-70)
explains, “O best of the Bharata race, in the dark age (of Kali) virtue being
mixed with three parts of sin lives by the side of men. Accordingly, virtue is
said to wait upon men with only one-fourth part remaining. O Yudhisthira,
know that the period of life, the energy, the intellect and the physical
strength of men (gradually) decrease in every yuga. O Yudhisthira, the
Brahmanas, the Kshatriyas, the Vaishyas, and Shudras will practice
morality and virtue with deceit, and men in general will deceive their fellow
men by spreading the (false) net of virtue [in appearance only]. Men with
false pride of learning by their acts will make truth concealed [will propose
non-truths when it is for their own benefit]… At such time things forbidden
by the Shastras will be enjoyed by men… There is no doubt the world will
by then be a field of mleccha activity [of the lowest class]. Men with false
pride of learning will diminish the truth. The old will display the folly of the
young, and the young will show in them the dotage of the old. The cowards
will have the reputation of bravery and the brave will be as melancholy
(foolish) as the cowards. In this age men will not trust one another… O
king, men and women will become perfectly free [to do any immoral thing]
in their conduct. When this age will come, they will not tolerate one
another’s acts… The country will be afflicted with dearth and famine. The
roads will be filled with lustful men and unchaste women. Women will also
hate their husbands. When this age will come, men will certainly adopt the
mleccha conduct; they will eat all things [without discrimination]; they will
be free [unrestricted] in all their acts… When this age would come, led by
their nature, men will act with cruelty and will speak ill of one another…
All this will take place in the (Kali) yuga. Know that these are the signs of
the (Kali) yuga. When men become always fierce, sinful, carnivorous,
addicted to intoxicating drinks, then does the (Kali) yuga come. In this yuga
the clouds pour rain unseasonably.” This means that sometimes it may rain
too much and at other times not enough. This shows the imbalance of
nature which is but the reflection of humanity’s own imbalance in
consciousness. It is this consciousness of the general mass of people which
sends out a vibration that affects the planet and the way nature responds to
humanity.
People will also have little respect for nature and the way they treat
animals in this age. The Mahabharata (Vana Parva, 190. 27, 57, 60)
explains this: “Men will till low-lands and employ cows and calves that are
but one year old in drawing the plough and carrying the burdens… People
will pitilessly destroy trees and gardens. Men will be filled with anxiety for
their livelihood… When men will kill others, when they will be wicked,
cruel, and destroyers of all animals, then will that (be recognized as the age
of Kali) yuga.”
The qualities of the people who live in Kali-yuga are further described
in many other Puranas as well. The Vidyeshvarasamhita (1.12-37) of the
Shiva Purana relates that at the beginning of the terrible age of Kali-yuga
men will start becoming devoid of good qualities. They will engage in evil
ways and fall away from the truthful vocations. They will covet other men’s
wealth and wives and injure others for gain. They will be atheists and take
the body to be the self. Thus, [thinking their body to be their real identity
and providing pleasure for it the goal of life] they are slaves to lust. All
classes of people will discard their duties and take to evil ways. Merchants
will take to crooked means to earn money and will be notorious for cheating
people. Women become inclined toward misbehavior, slight their husbands,
and fearlessly pursue frivolous activities. Men and women will engage in
flirtations and will be carried away by their desires and pursue illicit
connections with paramours.
So, Kali-yuga began 5,000 years ago and, of course, not everyone is
exhibiting all of these symptoms. However, are any of these descriptions
unfamiliar to us? I don’t think so. Anyone can recognize these
characteristics, symptoms of Kali-yuga, in many areas of life today. Look
around. We can see more people catering to their sensual desires than ever.
Crime is on the rise and becoming more depraved and insensitive, and
moral standards in the media and entertainment are becoming lower all the
time. We also have to be more careful than ever of merchants, repairmen,
and scam artists, who have developed newer ways of cheating people. We
also see more people than ever who give up the responsibility of married
life and raising the children they’ve brought in the world to go off and do
something else. So, the symptoms of Kali-yuga are very prominent and
increasing. And we can recognize more of these symptoms and learn what
is yet to happen in the descriptions that follow.
Additional aspects of the character of people in Kali-yuga are described
in the Vayu Purana (58.68-69), “Due to the spread of misery, people will be
short-lived. Kingdoms will be exterminated. Sickness, delusion, dejection,
unhappiness, and all kinds of ignorant and foolish activities will prevail in
Kali-yuga. With the advent of Kali-yuga [which is at present], people will
kill and destroy children in wombs. Longevity, strength and beauty decline.
The highest life expectation of men afflicted by such misery will be a
hundred years.
The Brahma-Vaivarta Purana (Prakriti Khanda, 7.37-38) goes on to say
that even from the beginning of Kali-yuga you will find degraded people
that are [falsely] considered to be ascetics [spiritual adepts]. Such cheats
will [fraudulently] take the persona of ascetics but continue to denounce
everyone and find fault with them [to uplift their own status]. However, the
people who believe in Lord Vishnu shall be [rightly] called devotees of
Lord Vishnu. Yet, even at this time, thieves will become the killers of
people.
So, herein we can understand that we have to be so careful of not being
cheated by those who pose as spiritual authorities, only to give themselves
an easy lifestyle, yet can provide little or no spiritual benefits to those who
look for genuine spiritual knowledge. But it is the devotees of Lord Vishnu
who have the deepest levels of spiritual understanding to offer, yet few may
be interested.
The Linga Purana (40.1-18) also contains many examples of what we
will find in the character and qualities of the people who live in Kali-yuga.
It relates that as the age of Kali unfolds, men will be motivated by the mode
of ignorance and adopt deception as a common trait. They will not hesitate
to kill ascetics or devotees [those on the spiritual path who, hundreds of
years from now, will be forced to flee the cities]. There will be constant
carelessness, illness, hunger, fear, terrible droughts, quarrel, and opposition
among different parts of the world. People will be sinful, irritable, narrow-
minded, and will no longer consider the Vedic literature an authority. People
will be greedy, wicked, and always lie. They will chase after evil desires.
Killing of the fetus in the womb and murders of heroes and good men
become prevalent. Also, during the Kali age, the earth yields substantial
fruits in one area and famine in another. There will be no balance in
anything.
The Vayu Purana (58.53-54) concurs and explains that people will be
begging too much of one another. They will habitually eat meat [which will
cause the slaughter of so many innocent living beings]. They will always
use harsh words and will not be straightforward or free from jealousy. No
one will return the help that they receive. People will get emaciated and
weak. They will indulge unhesitatingly in activities that cause their own
downfall. And (Vayu Purana 58.58) the men will have an unlikable
consciousness and will keep their hair long and disheveled.
Even the Kurma Purana (1.30.3, 7, 15) sheds some light on what to
expect in the type of people that will become prominent in Kali-yuga. It
states that bad subjects born in Kali-yuga are impious, liars, greedy, highly
furious, and deficient in brilliance. The killing of the fetus and of
meritorious men will become common practice among kings and rulers [in
order to keep themselves in power]. There will be a prevalence of misery,
shortness of life-span, exhaustion of physical bodies, the spread of disease
and evil habits arising from the attachment to ways of irreligion.
The Brahmanda Purana (1.2.31.69-70) also explains that in Kali-yuga
people become short-lived due to illness and constantly engage in
narrations [complaints] of their bodily troubles. Their bodies become short.
Strength and beauty are reduced. The practice of killing children in the
womb comes into vogue due to enmity [viewing the child as a botheration].
The Narada Purana (1.41.22-88) also contains many predictions of
what we will find in this age, many of which are similar to those described
above. A few of the differences in the predictions, however, are as follows:
Due to the short life-span of people, they will not have time to learn much.
As different lores and cultural knowledge diminish, unbalanced and wicked
ways will increase. Not possessing much wealth, people will be
vainglorious and will exhibit a false show of piety. They will be fond of
boasting about themselves and decrying others. No one will be a true
disciple, preceptor or teacher, son, father, wife, or husband. As Kali-yuga
advances, even rich persons will become beggars.
The Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.3.25) continues that in Kali-yuga people
are predominantly greedy, ill-behaved, and without mercy. They are prone
to engage in useless quarrels. They are unfortunate and obsessed with many
material desires. Almost all people in this age will become like barbarians.
It is also predicted that as the age of Kali progresses, and this is
hundreds and thousands of years from now, people will be motivated for
nothing more than sense enjoyment, evolving around eating, sleeping, and
having sex. In this way, they will come to act, more or less, like a royal
edition of animals. In this regard, the Bhagavatam (12.3.30-31) explains
that in the age of Kali there is a predominance of cheating, lying, sloth,
sleepiness, intoxication, violence, depression, lamentation, delusion, and
fear in the qualities of the population. Furthermore, because of these bad
qualities, people will be shortsighted, unfortunate, gluttonous, full of lust,
and overcome with poverty. The women will become unchaste, wandering
from one man to another. The Vayu Purana (58.43) also confirms that in the
age of Kali women will become unchaste and uninterested in religious
affairs. They become fond of wine and meat. When Kali-yuga sets in, they
resort to deceptive means. And the Bhagavatam (12.2.6) elaborates, beauty
will be dependent on how people arrange their hair. [This would make it
seem that there is not much else to work with in beautifying oneself, like
make-up, beauty creams, and jewelry, during the time in which this
prediction refers.]
The Mahanirvana Tantra (1.37-50) describes that men will be averse to
religiosity, mad with pride, and unrestrained toward sinful acts. They will
be lustful, cruel, harsh, deceitful, short-lived, and always sick and in
poverty. In their attempt to fulfill their desires, they will engage in many
perverted acts and habits that are detrimental to their body, health, and
existence. Thus, harassed by disease and sorrow, they will be ugly, feeble,
low, and mean. They will also be malicious, quarrelsome, depraved,
cowardly, and shameless in seducing the wives of others. And
(Mahanirvana Tantra 4.54) brothers and companions will strike one another
over trifles.
We can clearly see how the above-mentioned activities are going on
right now and are on the rise. In any big city one of the most common
causes of murder are quarrels between family members and friends over
ridiculously simple problems. Other crimes are also caused by the lack of
restraint people have toward sex, or attempts to seduce the wives and
girlfriends of acquaintances, or stealing drugs and merchandise from others.
The outcome of such activities often leads to quarrels, fights, domestic
violence, and murders. This is all because, as it is stated, some people are
becoming mad with pride and averse to basic moral principles.
The Vishnu Purana (Book Four, Chapter 24) goes on to say that people
will substitute presumption for learning, and they will feel great pride over
the most insignificant possessions. Also (Chapter 38), everyone will be born
a Shudra or lower, and they will perform no Vedic ceremonies or worship.
One reason why everyone is born in such a condition or consciousness
is that in the age of Kali, children are generally born by chance, without the
performance of any purificatory process. The Vedic purificatory processes
are known as samskaras, which begin from the time of the mother’s
pregnancy, or seed giving ceremony. These help give a clear consciousness
to the parents and to the conception process so a highly evolved child may
enter the womb. The Vedic process understands that the child that is
conceived will reflect the consciousness of the parents at the time of
conception. But now in Kali-yuga, people engage in sex whenever they
have the urge, or even when they are intoxicated on drugs or alcohol, or
angry, fearful, agitated, depressed, psychologically unbalanced, or worse.
This means that children are conceived while influenced by the
consciousness of the parents which generally paves the way for confused,
angry or hostile children to take birth, and then inflict others with their
uncivilized manners and habits. Even healthy babies become deformed or
mentally retarded due to the unhealthy or abominable habits of the mother. I
have even seen a baby born with a broken leg because of the physical fights
the parents had while the mother was pregnant. This only multiplies the
problems of society because when such children grow up, they generally
produce more of the same kind of low-minded children, perpetuating these
same problems. Thus, the population of the earth becomes increasingly
problematic, and intellectually retarded, and spiritually and morally bereft.
Now we see where the Kalki Purana (1.22-24) explains why this
happens, and that such people are but the agents of the personality of Kali
in this age: “All these relatives [agents] of [the personification of the age of]
Kali are the destroyers of sacrifice [religious ritual], study of the Vedas, and
charity because they transgressed all the Vedic principles of religion. They
are the reservoirs of mental distress, disease, old age, destruction of
religious principles, sorrow, lamentation, and fear.
“These descendants of Kali are found wandering everywhere
throughout the kingdom of Kali, destroying the people of the world. They
are misguided by the influence of time, very restless by nature, full of lusty
desires, extremely sinful, very proud, and violent even to their own father
and mother. [Even] those who are known as twiceborn [spiritually initiated]
among them are devoid of all good behavior, without any observance of
proper etiquette, and always engaged in the service of the low class and
uncultured.” Thus, it is clearly stated here that because of people becoming
increasingly godless, there is practically no other direction for society to go
in except deeper into confusion and degradation.
In the Bhagavata-Mahatmya of the Padma Purana (1.28-36), the great
sage Narada Muni gives another explanation of what to expect in the kind
of people that will inhabit the earth in the age of Kali. He states that while
visiting the holy places on this planet, he found no joy or peace of mind
while the earth is assailed by the age of Kali. There is no truthfulness,
purity of mind and body, compassion, or liberality toward the poor. The
people are wretched and engaged only in filling their bellies. They
continually lie among themselves. Out of greed, people sell their own
daughters. There are frequent quarrels between husbands and wives.
Hermitages and places of pilgrimage are controlled by foreigners [the non-
Aryan and non-Dharmic neighbors and invaders of India] and many
temples have been and will be destroyed by these wicked people. There will
be no yogis, no one who has attained spiritual perfection, no enlightened
souls or anyone doing righteous deeds. All spiritual paths will stand
consumed by the wild fire of Kali-yuga. Brahmanas sell knowledge of the
Vedas [for their livelihood] and women make their living by prostitution.
Herein we can see yet another prophecy having been fulfilled in regard
to the non-Aryan invaders of India who have already destroyed many of its
Vedic temples. India is a land of numerous temples and hermitages. Many
holy places can be found that are connected with the pastimes of the Lord
and His many avataras or incarnations that have appeared in India. Yet,
there have been those invaders who have had no regard for this culture and
have ruined or torn down many of these beautiful or meaningful temples.
There are also political movements present in India today, such as
Communism, as well as outside forms of religion who have no regard for
the spiritual culture and the holy places and temples of India, and who give
no respect or funds for the maintenance of such important sites. They may
even try to spread propaganda to convince people that the Vedic culture
should be avoided or is no longer beneficial. This is merely another quarrel
based on the mode of darkness to hide the deepest levels of spiritual
knowledge so one religion can establish superiority over another. This is
another reminder that if the people do not take it upon themselves to
maintain their spiritual understanding, awareness, and traditions, then such
an opportunity to do so will increasingly vanish as the age of Kali
continues.
Narada Muni goes on to say that in the age of Kali, righteous conduct,
the path of spiritual progress, and all asceticism disappear. Roguery and evil
deeds are so common that people are replicas of demons, such as Aghasura
[as described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam]. In this age honest men are
ignored and dejected. The unrighteous are overjoyed and dominant. Year
after year this planet gradually becomes a burden for the Lord. No sign of
good luck is to be seen. Such things as devotion to God, spiritual
enlightenment, and detachment to sensual pleasures are neglected by men
who are blinded by love for sense enjoyment. (Padma Purana, 1.57-62)
Furthermore, “When this age would come, men will abandon their
friends and relatives, servants and followers. Leaving the countries,
directions, towns, and cities that they occupy, men will one after the other
seek for new ones.” (Mahabharata, Vana Parva, 190.85-87) Here we see
that even when people of that time try to find a decent place of peace in
which to live, they are forced to wander the world in their search and
struggle to survive.
Further insight into this is provided by the Brahma-Vaivarta Purana
(Prakriti Khanda, Chapter 7.31-32, 35-36, 39, 41), which relates that people
will speak malicious things [and be mean to each other], following the
wrong path [of human existence]. Some of the cities and villages will be
without population and shall look terrible. In some of them the people will
dwell in small huts. Therefore, the outlook of the villages will be similar to
the [poor and chaotic] cities. The low-grades of people will be honored in
society, while the rich and valorous people will become arrogant
[disinterested in helping the poor]… The reason for this is that the high
caste people will engage themselves in degraded works and resort to
falsehoods in cheating and wickedness. In spite of that, they will be
considered as truthful [merely by appearances]. [In this way] the sinful
people will be considered virtuous. The uncivilized people would be
considered civilized. The cheats would be thought of as self-disciplined,
and the wicked women would be considered as chaste… Those with little
knowledge will be considered as intellectuals, and the cheaters will invite
adoration [to themselves]. All men and women will become dwarfish in
stature [because of the consciousness of the masses in Kali-yuga and what it
does to them]… Later in Kali-yuga, women shall attain youthfulness at the
age of eight and will start menstruation at the same age, and shall also
conceive. They will produce a child at the end of each year, and shall grow
old by the age of sixteen.
The Brahma-Vaivarta Purana (Krishna-Janma Khanda, Chapter 90. 41-
42, 47, 52, 58, 62) goes on to relate that the people will also be troubled by
rogues and thieves. Everyone will always speak lies…. Everyone will do as
they please. Devoted only to the belly and genitals, they will be greedy,
degraded, tormented by diseases, and dressed in rags… It is the nature of
this yuga that people will become thieves, greedily stealing the wealth of
others [hating the idea of working for what they want]. Bereft of temples,
the world will become a frightening place… Everyone will be greedy.
Women will not be beautiful or desirable. They will love to quarrel. Men
will not be handsome… All human beings will be merciless, harshly-
speaking atheists.
For some people, these descriptions may sound too negative, too dark.
Some may think that it could never get this bad. But, nonetheless, thhis
shows the general pattern of events that will unfold in Kali-yuga. Many
times have we already heard about villagers in India, Nepal, Thailand, and
other places who sell their daughters, either willingly or by being tricked
into it, in hopes that they will have a better life somewhere else, only to find
they have been sold into forced prostitution. This is the prophecy in the
Padma Purana as stated above. As people become more inclined toward
material concerns and bodily pleasures, they will become more insensitive
and lose sight of their spiritual nature, as well as their discrimination
between what is right and wrong. Locked into this course of destiny, they
will continue to increase their disregard for all spiritual authority and lose
moral standards and piety, what to speak of social etiquette. Thus, life
becomes more difficult, troublesome and hellish.
THE CHEATING IN BUSINESS, MONEY, AND SOCIAL
POSITIONS
The predictions in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.2.25) also state that as
Kali-yuga advances wealth alone will be all that indicates a man’s good
birth, behavior and qualities. If one wants justice in any legal proceeding, it
will depend on his financial power. Success in business will depend on
deceit. One’s social position will be based on his earning power, which, of
course, will depend on his ability to deceive others. Hypocrisy will be
considered a virtue.
These predictions mean that all virtuous qualities will be disregarded
and considered an obstacle to getting ahead in life. With time, as Kali-yuga
unfolds, and as virtuous qualities are discarded, all business will be as
cutthroat as possible, displays of unrestrained attacks on the competition
will become acceptable, as is already seen in politics today. “Anything
goes” will be a common business tactic. The only way you will get any
legal justice is if you have the money to pay for a better lawyer than your
opponent, or bribe the judge, who also will be corrupt and enticed by
underhanded means in Kali-yuga. Thus, if you are in the right, or have a
good business idea or operation, you may be viciously attacked with no
opportunity for justice if you do not have enough money. The Vishnu
Purana (Book Four, Chapter 24) confirms this and states that success in
business will be based on dishonesty, and lying and cheating will be the
means of success in courts.
The Mahabharata (Vana Parva, 190.75) also describes that, “Preceptors,
impoverished for the want of wealth, will be disregarded by men. Friends
and relations and kinsmen will perform friendly offices [duties] only for the
sake of wealth.”
As Kali-yuga goes on, there will be a decrease in morals in the business
arena. There will also be no human rights to protect the innocent or
powerless. There will be no protection for laborers or employees. There will
be no unions. Laws will be useless and ignored. If there are unions, they
will be as corrupt as the politicians. Slave labor and politically forced labor
will be common. Rulers and police will not stop it because they will have
been bribed to keep silent and do nothing.
The Mahabharata (Vana Parva, 190.30, 54) further explains, “Men will
rob the possessions of helpless persons, of those that are friendless and of
those that are widows… best of the Bharata race, led by avarice, men will
deceive one another when they will buy and sell.”
The Vayu Purana (58.51) states that in Kali-yuga, people have a trading
propensity, but due to false measures, buyers will be cheated of their due
share of products. Furthermore, the Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.3.35-36) also
explains that businessmen will earn their money by cheating other
merchants in petty commerce. People will engage in any hellish or
degraded occupation, even when it is not a time of difficulty. Anything will
be acceptable despite how much cheating or lying is involved. Also,
workers or servants will abandon any master or boss if he loses his wealth,
despite how nice or qualified the master or business owner has been. On the
other hand, masters will forget any servant if he is unable to provide
service, regardless of how dedicated the servant has been.
Similarly, it is said that they will also kill or ignore cows when they no
longer give milk, as is also verified in the Vishnu Purana (Book Four,
Chapter 38). [This indicates the despicable nature of exploiting animals that
produce food for the benefit of humanity, only to slaughter them when they
are no longer productive.]
The Padma Purana (7.26.22-24, 31) states that all men will give gifts
[or favors] to those who have obliged them. Bribery and dishonesty will be
a way of life. This also means that all men who seek power or wealth must
be slaves to those who give it. Furthermore, it states that in Kali-yuga,
through affection for friends, people will lie or bare false witness toward
others. They will be extremely two-faced. They will lie and talk of wicked
deeds of those they do not like. They will criticize the character of others in
their absence, but will talk sweetly in their presence… And people will be
affectionate in words only until their mission does not succeed.
“All people will take to cheating and stealing as a means of living. All
people will indulge themselves in violence and kill other human beings [as
a means to live]. The children of the higher castes will also resort to sinful
ways [indicating there is no meaning to their status].” (Brahma-Vaivarta
Purana, Prakriti Khanda, 7.50-51)
“In the age of Kali, some of the ladies will be barren and the people of
all castes will sell away their daughters; the mother, the women and the
daughter-in-law shall all remain busy in earning a livelihood by unfair
means. The men also will earn their living through the friends of their
daughters and sisters. In the age of Kali, the people will sell out in the name
of the Lord, and to merely enhance their glory [or social status] shall
contribute their belongings to charity… But after a second thought [and by
underhanded arrangements] they shall get all of it back.” (Brahma-Vaivarta
Purana, Prakriti Khanda, Chapter 7.42-45)
The Vishnu Purana (Book Four, Chapter 38) also states that he who has
much money will be the ruler of men. Men will be wholly occupied in
attaining wealth, even by dishonest means, which will be spent foolishly on
gratifying the senses, and no man will be willing to part with the smallest
coin. A powerful and rich man may espouse maidens of any race or tribe.
And while everyone who has cars or elephants will be a raja or great man,
everyone who is weak will be a slave.
This last statement seems to indicate a widening division between the
rich and poor as the middle class disappears. The upper class, as indicated
by their financial power, will have more and more control over the lower
and weak classes of people and will take advantage of them by force.
History has shown that this eventually leads to revolution. So, we can also
understand that chaos will increase throughout society in Kali-yuga.
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF RELIGIOSITY
We can get a hint of the trouble that the age of Kali-yuga will present
when Lord Krishna Himself advises His friend Uddhava, in the Srimad-
Bhagavatam (11.7.4-5), that before Kali-yuga begins, he should simply
prepare to leave this place. Krishna explains that He will soon depart from
this world and the earth will then be bereft of all piety as it becomes
overwhelmed by the characteristics of the age of Kali. People will be
addicted to all kinds of sinful activities. So before Kali-yuga begins,
Krishna tells Uddhava not to remain on this planet, but to purify himself
and prepare to exit this world for the spiritual domain. In this way, if He
advised Uddhava in this way 5,000 years ago, what is there to say for us
who are presently living in the midst of this age?
The Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.3.24-25) goes on to describe that by the
time the age of Kali begins, there will remain only 25 percent of all
religious principles that had once been common in Satya-yuga. As Kali-
yuga unfolds, religious principles will decrease continuously until they all
are finally destroyed. Herein, we can understand that Kali-yuga is the age
when atheists as well as the demoniac become prominent in society. Thus, it
is the age when we can experience the bitter results of irreligiosity. That is
the purpose of this age.
The Bramha-Vaivarta Purana (Prakriti Khanda, 7.69) also explains this:
“In Treta-yuga, Dharma will stand on only three legs, [Dvapara-yuga on
only two], in [the beginning of] Kali-yuga only on one leg, and thereafter it
ultimately disappears completely.”
It is further explained in the Bhagavatam (12.3.43-44) that in Kali-yuga
atheism will divert people’s intelligence and they will almost never offer
any kind of worship to the Supreme Being. Although great and divine
personalities that live far beyond the realm of human existence bow to the
Supreme, in this age the miserable human beings will not do so. Even if a
person is about to die and is terrified, collapsed on his bed, if he can simply
utter the name of the Supreme, Sri Krishna, he could be freed from karma
and able to achieve the spiritual world. But in this age of Kali people are
too proud to do this.
One problem in Kali-yuga is the high number of bogus gurus and inept
spiritual teachers. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.3.38) we find the explanation
that uncultured men will pose as being affiliated with God and will accept
charity and earn their livelihood by making a show of being a spiritual
authority. Such impostors will sit on a high seat and speak on religious
topics, although they know nothing about true spirituality and cannot offer
any real guidance. Often such religious impostors offer only enough advice
and hope for salvation to their audience or followers to keep the money
coming in from those who are willing to give to such cheaters.
It is further explained that “Brahmanas will not wear tilaka [sacred
markings] or a sacred thread, nor will they chant the Gayatri mantra or
study the Vedas and other scriptures. The people will eat what should not be
eaten. Everyone in the four varnas [Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and
Shudras] will be a debauchee.” (Brahma-Vaivarta Purana, Krishna-Janma
Khanda, Chapter 90.36-37)
Furthermore (from Brahma-Vaivarta Purana, Krishna-Janma Khanda,
Chapter 90.43-44, 48, 50-51,), “The Brahmanas will not perform any
purifying rites, nor will they chant Gayatri or study the scriptures. They will
become servants of the lowest classes and they will burn their corpses [as a
menial religious service]. Brahmana men will enjoy with low-class women,
and men will enjoy with Brahmana women… Gurus will reject the genuine
mantras and teach false mantras. They will not come from good families.
They will not be advanced in age. They will like to insult others… No one
will worship the pitas [forefathers], demigods, Brahmanas, guests, or
parents. Instead they will worship their wives. O father, men will give all
honor to their wives and their wives’ relatives. Brahmanas born in good
families will become thieves, stealing even from the Deities in the temples.”
“The Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras will all discard
their [religious or spiritual] duties and will act like mlecchas [lower non-
Vedic and non-spiritual people] and disown their scriptures and take up the
scriptures of the mlecchas. In Kali-yuga the higher classes will serve the
lower classes [who may be corrupt politicians, celebrities, or those who
have influence]. There will be only one virtuous person amongst thousands
of people, and the thinking of men, women and children will be polluted
and deformed.” (Brahma-Vaivarta Purana, Prakriti Khanda, Chapter 7.24-
25, 30)
“The yajnas (Vedic spiritual rituals), vratas (religious vows), and
performance of tapas (austerities for spiritual advancement) would
disappear, and the [Vedic] Dharma would disappear totally from the earth.”
(Brahma-Vaivarta Purana, Krishna-Janma Khanda, 128.14)
These verses describe quite clearly how and why the deep spiritual
knowledge, for which the Vedic tradition is especially known, will
gradually disappear completely from this world. People will give it little
concern and begin to adopt the ways of the materialists and the wicked.
Because of the lack of respect for this spiritual understanding, the tradition
itself becomes lost, along with most other religious knowledge and
moralistic principles. As it is further elaborated in the Brahma-Vaivarta
Purana (Krishna-Janma Khanda, 128.22-23): “In the age of Kali, the
adoration of the guests, Vishnu, manes [the ancestors and what they gave
us] and the gods would disappear. The people would always be envious of
Lord Vishnu and the Vaishnavas, all the people of the four varnas would get
attracted towards Vamachara [materialistic pursuits].”
“The people would [be affected by and then] remain under the influence
of mlecchas and would never touch the Shalagrama-shila [ the sacred
Vishnu stone], [the holy] Tulasi tree, kusha grass, or the water of the Ganga.
The Brahmanas, also influenced by illusion, will disown the cause of all
causes [the Supreme Lord], the seed of all, and bestower of pleasure and
moksha [the process of attaining liberation from samsara, birth and death in
material existence through worshiping of the Lord]. All of the riches would
be used for the promotion of the vama-mantra [sounds, songs and
knowledge that promotes materialism], which is the killer of the Vedas.”
(Brahma-Vaivarta Purana, Krishna-Janma Khanda, 128.24-26)
The Mahabharata (Vana Parva, 190.58-59, 61-64) describes, in the
instructions of Bishma to King Yudhisthira, how society will persecute and
even kill genuine saintly men and Brahmanas, forcing them to leave society
or wander the world while concealing their identity, or end up becoming
forced servants of the lower classes of people just to survive in a wicked
society. “O king, led away by covetousness, men will kill the Brahmanas
and appropriate and enjoy their wealth. The Brahmanas, being persecuted
by the Shudras and afflicted with fear and exclaiming ‘Oh, Alas’, will rove
over the world with none to protect them… O perpetuator of the Kuru race,
O king, the foremost of Brahmanas, being persecuted by the robbers, will
like crows fly in fear and in great speed to rivers, mountains, and to
inaccessible regions. Being afflicted with tasks imposed on them by cruel
kings, O ruler of earth, they will lose all patience in this fearful age. They
will do all improper works and become the servants of the Shudras [if they
stay in society]. The Shudras will explain religion, Brahmanas will listen to
them and settle their duties by accepting such interpretations (as made by
them).”
This means that such Brahmanas and priests who stay amidst the
materialistic society of Kali-yuga will be forced to cater to those who have
the most ability to provide money and facility to them. In other words, they
will be interested primarily in their own survival rather than in the
upholding of spiritual truth. This is further explained in the Vayu Purana
(58.44-45, 50) that genuine saintly men will be forced to withdraw and keep
aloof from the rest of society. Dharma, or deep spirituality and religious
duties, will become difficult to find and will deteriorate since the conduct of
life of those who enjoy [nefarious activities] will be loose and
uncontrollable. In the age of Kali there will be wicked persons in the guise
of sages. And (Vayu Purana 58.52, 55, 64-66) the whole society will
abound in heretics of foul conduct and activity with their false appearances.
Thus, the earth will become devoid of good men. There will be many
heretics, and the Vedas will not be studied.
Not only will the Vedic literature become scarce in the future of Kali-
yuga, but it will hardly be found by anyone, as confirmed in the
Mahabharata (Shanti Parva, 232.36): “In the Kali age, all the Vedas
become so scarce that they are not seen by men. Afflicted by iniquity [in
society], they become extinct along with the rites and sacrifices laid down
in them.”
Furthermore, the Linga Purana (40.5) elaborates that those who are
expected to be qualified, such as teachers, priests, and Brahmanas, will be
defective. They will not engage in the prescribed rites or duties, nor study
the Vedas. In fact, the Narada Purana (1.41.52) also relates that as Kali-
yuga continues, the priests will crave for and indulge in sexual intercourse
with low-class women and widows, and enjoy cooked food prepared by
such women. This is mentioned because it is understood that the
consciousness or vibrations of the cook goes into the food that he or she is
cooking. Thus, if Brahmanas, or anyone on a strict spiritual path, eat the
cooked food of low-minded people, then their consciousness will be
affected in a similar way.
Along these same lines, the Mahabharata (Vana Parva, 190. 24, 26)
explains: “Those men who are devoted to the rites in honor of the deceased
and of the celestials will be covetous and will also appropriate and enjoy
what belongs to others… The Brahmanas will speak ill of the Vedas and
they will not observe any vows. Their understanding being clouded by the
science of controversy [the everchanging theories about life], they will
neither perform sacrifices nor Homas [fire rituals]. Deluded by the sciences
of controversy [hiding behind questionable and unclear directions], their
heart will be led away to things mean and low.”
The Bhagavatam (12.2.4-5) further elaborates that people will view the
spiritual position of someone merely by the external dress and symbols he
wears, and by that standard people will change from one spiritual discipline
or rank to the next. Regardless of a person’s level of spiritual realizations
and experience, if he is a good talker, efficient at juggling words, he will be
considered a great scholar. This is one of the problems with people in Kali-
yuga, they may have little knowledge or any genuine spiritual potency, but
still want to teach as if they are an authority.
The Kurma Purana (1.30.31) also verifies this and states that in Kali-
yuga persons whose behavior is wicked yet practices vows that are useless
or not sanctioned by the Vedas will delude others to follow false doctrines.
The Narada Purana (1.41.54-55 & 59-60) concludes that the lower classes
will not serve the twice-born priests or qualified Brahmanas but will
consider themselves knowledgeable and practice holy rites. Such people
will clothe themselves in ochre robes, have matted hair, and will smear
ashes on their bodies. Deceptively appearing like saintly men, they will
converse on their faulty version of Dharma [religious duties]. Many
heretics, such as nude ascetics, red robed mendicants, etc., will roam about,
many of whom will decry the Vedas and teach unauthorized, or false,
unfruitful doctrines. In this way, people who give respect to such people,
not knowing how to recognize truly saintly men, will be lead by such fools
and their misguided instructions.
Another point that is mentioned in these verses is that in Kaliyuga, men
who generally destroy Dharma often will be good at singing, acting, or
playing musical instruments. This means that not just deluded and deceptive
teachers will spread false spiritual paths and various forms of materialism,
but people who may be talented in other ways and respected for their
abilities, such as popular musicians, singers, actors, politicians, and those of
influence, will also destroy Dharma by either what they say or by the
misconduct or low behavior they exhibit in their lifestyle. Thus, they
provide bad examples that other people follow.
Furthermore, the Brahma-Vaivarta Purana, (Prakriti Khanda, 7.45)
clarifies that, “the [genuine] Brahmanas who act as teachers for the spiritual
upliftment of people would be snatched away [kidnaped or killed] in the
age of Kali.” If they are not killed, then they are captured by some
manipulated intrigue and discredited for an assumed mistake and trumped
up but unproven charges that are then published in the media. This is
becoming a method used at an increasing pace by those who hate genuine
spirituality and the Vedic Dharma in places like India, which then removes
the authentic saint and his or her influence and also creates doubts in people
who had been following the tradition. This is often followed with the
attempt to replace the saint and the Vedic teachings with something far
more shallow and inept, as if it is the new answer to all that went wrong. It
is surprising that the Vedic texts could see this happening so many years
ago.
It is also related in the Bhagavatam (12.3.32) that the true knowledge of
the Vedas will be contaminated by the interpretations of speculators and
atheists. The new so-called priests will be devotees of their bellies and
genitals. Thus, the final goal and real purpose of Vedic and spiritual
knowledge will become obscured and hidden.
In this regard, we can read the history of how the British tried to
monopolize and change the Sanskrit Vedic literature through their
translations when they occupied India, as if India did not have their own
Sanskrit scholars who were more than capable of doing the job, and were in
fact already doing it. This was all in the attempt to discredit these ancient
texts, hide the deep spiritual truths that were within them, and also turn the
average Indian to being British by taste, and to convince them to adopt their
religion as well by the influence of the British missionaries, who also took
pleasure in destroying many of the Vedic temples.
The prevalence of these spiritual impostors is the unfortunate situation
in Kali-yuga, especially for those who are seriously searching for genuine
and deep spiritual truth. As stated in the Bhagavatam (10.20.8): “In the
evening twilight during the rainy season, the darkness allowed the glow
worms but not the stars to shine forth, just as in the age of Kali the
predominance of sinful activities allows atheistic doctrines to overshadow
the true spiritual knowledge of the Vedas.”
In any case, as society grows less and less spiritual, due to disrespect
towards genuine spiritual scripture and saintly men, or because of it being
hidden away or concealed by the wicked, a chain reaction is set up that only
increases the degraded state of humanity in general. In this way, we can see
that the loss of Dharma, or genuine spirituality, is also the loss of happiness.
This is more clearly described in the Mahabharata (Vana Parva, 190. 15-18,
29, 42, 46): “In consequence of the loss of Truth, the lives of men will be
short and in consequence of the shortness of life they will not be able to
acquire much knowledge. In consequence of the littleness of knowledge,
they will have no wisdom. And for this, covetousness and avarice will
overwhelm them all. Men being wedded to avarice, anger, ignorance, and
desire, will display enmity towards one another and will desire to take one
another’s life. Thus virtue diminished and their asceticism and truth gone,
Vaishyas, Brahmanas and Kshatriyas will all be equal to Shudras. The
lowest (orders of men) will rise to the middle (classes of men) and the
middle will certainly descend to the lowest… The whole world will be
filled with mleccha conduct and mleccha notions. All (religious) rites and
sacrifices will cease; there will be joy no where and general festivities will
disappear… O ruler of men, the Brahmanas, the Kshatriyas, and the
Vaishyas will disappear, leaving no trace of their orders. At this time all
men will be of one order… O Yudhisthira, the whole world will then be a
field of mlecchas; and men will no more gratify the celestials [forefathers
and demigods by] performing the Shraddha ceremony.”
This shows quite clearly that regardless of one’s social status or so-
called high birth, everyone will be of the same category, born in ignorance
of the true spiritual wisdom, and hardly able to understand it, what to speak
of following it. Thus, everyone will be of the same low caliber and in need
of being trained in proper spiritual understanding, which will become
increasingly difficult to find. That is because, especially as we go deeper
into Kali-yuga as it unfolds, few will actually hold the real wisdom that can
grant a person genuine spiritual enlightenment. A further hint of what to
expect in the future in this regard is explained in the Kalki Purana (1.25-
27):
“These fallen souls are very fond of dry arguments, and they use
religion as a means of livelihood, teach Vedic knowledge as a profession,
are fallen from the execution of their vows, and sell wine and other
abominable things, including meat. They are cruel by nature, and very fond
of gratifying their bellies and genitals. For this reason, they lust after the
wives of others and are always seen to be intoxicated. They were not born
from a father and mother who were properly married, and they are short in
stature and always engaged in sinful acts, such as cheating others. They
generally reside in a sacred place, live for only sixteen years, associate with
wretched people, and only consider a brother-in-law to be a friend and
relative.”
Within these predictions of the bogus gurus and false spiritual teachers
are also the warning signs of who is unqualified. We can use these to
discriminate between who is a real spiritual authority and who is not. If
such people make a show of religiosity, or have a big ego and an attitude of
self-importance, or offer only what seems like high philosophy but no real
truth, then that person is bogus or lacks genuine spiritual experience and
maturity. If they pose as being religious but enjoy wicked habits, do not
study the genuine spiritual texts, or do not perform religious duties, etc.,
then they are simply pretenders or worse. The above descriptions are of
those we need to avoid.
Herein we can understand how important it is to be careful regarding
from whom we take knowledge and guidance. In considering from whom
we take spiritual instruction, we must understand their lives, their habits,
and the traditions they follow. Do they spread love and devotion? Or do
they spread the hope and desire for power and control? Have they
manufactured their own religion, or do they accurately represent the
teachings of the previous masters and authentic spiritual texts? According
to the Vedic system of checks and balances, any tradition that spiritual
teachers follow must be in line with three items: 1) the authoritative Vedic
spiritual texts or word of God, 2) the previous acharyas or spiritual masters,
and 3) the present day spiritual authorities, sages or devotees. When these
three references or guideposts all agree on any particular issue, then you can
be sure that you are accepting a dependable authority and can follow
appropriately. If spiritual teachers or acharyas are not backed by this
system of three checks and balances, then we must be careful or we may be
cheated and find ourselves on a negative or materialistic path rather than
being a part of a true spiritual system. Any spiritual teacher who is not
authorized by these three points in his behavior or his teachings is either
bogus or incomplete in his understanding, experience, and level of spiritual
realizations. Thus, he should be avoided.
A fourth factor in this regard is to understand which sampradaya or
disciplic succession a teacher represents. Who is his or her spiritual master?
The Vedic principle is that everyone, even an incarnation of God, must
accept a spiritual master at least to teach by example. Which disciplic
succession and spiritual master is accepted will also determine what school
of thought he will teach and what authority he has. Therefore, he must
belong to an established and authorized line of disciplic succession or
lineage that leads to a proper source of knowledge for a fruitful result for all
who follow it. By making sure that a teacher is connected with a proper line
of spiritual masters, with his teachings in accord with the above-mentioned
three references, one can progress with assurance. By using these
guideposts carefully, one can discern who is a proper teacher and which is
the proper path to follow. Unfortunately, as Kali-yuga continues, all of this
will be forgotten.
Also explained in the Narada Purana (1.41.44) is that far deeper into
the age of Kali, the [so-called] Brahmanas or churchmen will be greedy for
money, and will take away the wealth of good men and pious widows, and
will perform no holy observances. One of the reasons for this is explained
in another verse (Narada Purana 1.41.49) which relates that when Krishna
descends in a dark color [at the end of Dvapara-yuga just before Kali-yuga]
the wicked servants of the king will begin to beat the Brahmanas and saintly
people who perform the authorized sacred rites for extorting money from
them. Of course, we know that this is what King Kamsa did, as described in
the Puranas and which was stopped by Lord Krishna at the time, but that
tactic is something that later continues into the Age of Kali.
This is also confirmed in the Mahabharata (Vana Parva, 190, 72) where
it says: “Soon is the earth filled with the mlecchas, while the [genuine]
Brahmanas, for fear of heavy taxes, fly in all directions.”
This indicates that another reason for the continuing degenerating
process in Kali-yuga is the pressure of the wicked government on qualified
priests, nuns, or religious practitioners, most of whom have lived with little
income or expenses. This means that the money-hungry government
politicians will force ministers, priests, monks, and devotees, and even the
temples themselves, to make a business out of their religious practices.
Such spiritually oriented people will be forced to charge more and more
money for the services or knowledge they provide, or devise other means of
getting more money in order to pay higher taxes, bribes, dues, and penalties
to agents of the government that demand more money from them. They also
will need additional funds just to live and maintain their own practice of
religious activities, their process of propagating spiritual knowledge, and
any buildings or property they may need. This, of course, causes further
distractions and degradations in the ability of such people to function on a
purely spiritual basis, and to keep the knowledge and traditions pure. In this
way, the priests, monks, and sages will no longer be able to focus
exclusively on their spiritual development or in delivering such knowledge
to others. They will be forced to devise ways of acquiring money due to
government harassment.
It is further related (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 12.2.6) that as Kaliyuga
advances, a person will be considered unholy if he has no money or has
accepted a state of poverty, as many nuns, monks, swamis, and sadhus
presently do to remain focused on their spiritual path without distractions.
And the observance of religious principles will be only for show for the
sake of one’s reputation. The Mahabharata (Vana Parva, 190.51) elaborates
that, “When this age would come, the possessions of men will be small and
they will falsely bear the marks of religion. The world will be filled with
avarice and jealousy. No one will be a giver [of genuine spiritual
knowledge] to the other.” Thus, we can see how twisted social customs will
become in this area as the future unfolds. Of course, we can see much of
what has been described going on to varying degrees right now.
In this way, the attraction among the general populace will turn toward
sensual activities, and anyone offering advice on how to advance in this
way will become very popular. Thus, materialists, atheists, miscreants,
cheaters, and manufacturers of false or new religions become quite
prominent in the age of Kali, while those who follow genuine spiritual
practices are ignored. This is explicitly pointed out in the Narada Purana
(1.41.70) wherein it states that sinners will criticize and dishonor the person
who points to the genuine spiritual path. Those who are self-complacent
and vain show no respect for those engaged in spiritual practices. The
Padma Purana (7.26.31-32) agrees with this and relates that people will
laugh at those who are pious or devoted to God. People will prosper
through wicked deeds and will, therefore, be addicted to sins.
The Mahabharata (Vana Parva, 190.47, 65-67, 71, 74) goes on to say:
“O ruler of men, no one will listen to the words of others and none will be
considered as another’s preceptor. The whole world will be enveloped by
fearful (intellectual) darkness… The low will become the high and all
source of things will appear in contrary shape. Abandoning the celestials
[the forefathers and demigods], men will worship the bones [meaning
honoring the bodies of the dead]. At this age [point in time in Kali-yuga],
the lower classes of people will cease to serve the Brahmanas. In the
hermitages of the Brahmanas, in their schools and colleges, in places sacred
to the gods and in sacrificial grounds and in sacred [water] tanks, the earth
will be disfigured with tombs and walls containing bones and they will have
no temples dedicated to the celestials [the Devas or gods]…Ceremonial
rites of men will not follow one another in due order and the lower classes
will quarrel with the Brahmanas [spiritual authorities]… When the world
will be so afflicted, there will be no rectitude of conduct. Disciples will not
heed their preceptor’s instructions, nay they will even try to injure them.”
This shows the lack of respect that the priestly class will receive from
those who lack spiritual knowledge, and how the non-Dharmic forces will
gain in popularity and spread, as indicated by the worship of graves of the
dead instead of God. People would rather honor the graves of those who are
praiseworthy, in their materialistic estimation, rather than give credit to the
Supreme. Even disciples, when they are not satisfied, will try to injure their
teachers or preceptors. Such injury may not only mean physical, but also
indicates damage to the reputation of the teacher by making false
accusations, and spreading degrading rumors, or even starting lawsuits
against him. In this way, the flow of spiritual knowledge and wisdom can
and will be interrupted either by lack of respect or quarrels with spiritual
authorities, or by harassment. With no proper disciplic chain or succession
to continue the traditional and appropriate teachings, all spiritual traditions
and knowledge gradually become lost.
In this way, slowly, by the time we reach the latter years of Kali-yuga,
all genuine spiritual truths will disappear from the face of the earth. Once
all religiosity disappears, the times will give way to the philosophy of
“anything goes,” and the meaning of the traditions will fade away. The
Mahabharata (Vana Parva, 190.55) confirms, “When this age would come,
men will perform the ceremonies and rites without knowing the ordinances
[the rules, the meanings or purpose]; and they will behave [in any way] as
they would like.”
Herein we can see that with time, all morals and decency will be lost
and any manner of degeneracy will abound. Without knowledge of the
Supreme Being there will be no reason for people to think that they are at
all accountable for their actions. Thus, people will think they can do
anything they want if they can get away with it. In some areas, this is
already the case. And if the priests and holy men are devotees of nothing
but their belly and genitals, we can only imagine what practices they will
incorporate into their religion to satisfy their desires and senses, either their
own, or of the masses.
The Mahanirvana Tantra (1.37-50) has more information to offer in this
regard. It states that as Dharma or religion and responsible duty are
destroyed, Kali-yuga will be an age of evil ways, customs, and deceit. The
Vedas will be forgotten and the Puranas will be destroyed. The Brahmanas,
priests, and religious leaders will be without faith or devotion, averse to all
austerities, deceitful, ignorant, and will neglect their own prayers or fail to
chant their mantras. Of course, this means that they would no longer be real
Brahmanas, priests, or religious leaders. Also, it is described (Mahanirvana
Tantra 4.46) that when people openly drink liquor and eat flesh without
condemnation or punishment [habits which are the death of real spiritual
life], that is the influence of the age of Kali.
Just as spiritual knowledge will eventually fade away, the Srimad-
Bhagavatam (12.2.6) confirms that the sacred holy places will also
disappear. It states that later in the age of Kali-yuga a sacred place will be
considered as no more than a lake or river located some distance away.
Then people will forget that the purpose of a place of pilgrimage is to hear
and take instruction from the holy men who live there, and not merely go
for a swim. But even the ability to discern who is holy and who is not will
also disappear.
Another interesting point regarding the disappearance of holy places is
found in the legend of the Narasimha deity in the town of Joshimath, just
south of Badrinath. The temple is not far from the road, so anyone can hop
out of the car and see the deity. The deity is sitting in a lotus position and
has very detailed features. It selfmanifested from a sacred shalagram-shila
stone. Shankaracharya originally installed this deity nearly 1200 years ago.
If you look closely at the wrist of the deity, it is very thin and getting
thinner. It is said that the wrist will one day break and His hand will fall
when the dark influence of Kali-yuga becomes overwhelming. Then, the
nearby mountains called Jaya and Vijaya, appropriately named after the two
guards who protect the entrance into the spiritual world, will crumble and
block the road leading to the holy place of Badrinath. Then this holy town
will become inaccessible to all but the most serious pilgrims. Thus, it will
become another holy place that will gradually be forgotten.
More information in this connection was reported in the Times of India.
The article, Krishna’s Dwarka May Not be a Myth, by Gautam Mehta,
released April 7, 1997, describes how evidence of the remains of Dwaraka
have been found near the island of Bet Dwaraka. Dwaraka was the capital
city of Lord Krishna, which was submerged under the sea after Krishna left
the planet. S. R. Rao, who heads the underwater excavation project, is a
marine archeologist and a consultant to the Marine Archeology Center of
the National Institute of Oceanography in Goa. He relates that three temples
and evidence of a township have been found on the seashore near the
present Dwaraka temple. Another major township was found almost 30
kilometers away at a depth of 30 feet near the island of Bet Dwaraka with
significant evidence uncovered, such as pottery, vessels and equipment. Mr.
Rao explains that Bet Dwaraka corresponds with the town of Kusasthali
where the first town named Dwaraka was built under Krishna’s direction, as
described in the Mahabharata. The present town of Dwaraka, on the
mainland at the mouth of the Gomati River, stands where the second
Dwaraka or Dwaravati was located.
The disturbing thing about this report is that, as Mr. Rao describes, the
submergences of the townships near Dwaraka provide a clear indication that
the sea level along the Gujarat coast has risen as much as 30 feet in the last
3,600 years and it is continuing to rise. Archeologists and scientists of the
National Institute of Oceanography estimate that, at the present pace of the
rise of sea level, the ports and temples on the state sea coast may be
completely submerged in another 1,000 years. Other scientists from around
the world agree that the ocean is rising. In this case, not only will Dwaraka
and Gujarat be effected, but there will be many other coastal holy places
and temple towns that will disappear into the sea. Places such as Mumbai
(Bombay) and the temples in the west, or Guruvayoor and Kanya Kumari in
South India, or Kolkata, Mayapura and Jagannatha Puri on the east side of
India may also be effected. Thus, many other important coastal temples and
holy places may disappear with time.
The Vishnu Purana (Book Four, Chapter 24) supports this view and
relates that as the full force of Kali-yuga is felt, there will be no special holy
places anymore, and that water or any lake a distance away will constitute a
holy place. Brahmanas or spiritual intellectuals will be known only by their
outward dress, such as the priest’s collar or the Brahmana’s thread that
anyone can purchase. Lowborn men will wear the outer marks of a religious
person in order to live by begging and accepting donations. They will join
any easy religious order and follow heretical and impious teachings.
Property alone will establish rank. The only devotion will be toward getting
wealth. Dignity will be based on clothes and appearance. Finally, the whole
world will become totally depraved as piety decreases day by day. The
Padma Purana (7.26.39-40) simply concludes in this regard that as there is
a decrease in pious people in the age of Kali, and there will be an equal
increase of the wicked in the world.
Such a scenario in the future of Kali-yuga is further described in the
Vishnu Purana (Book Four, Chapter 38), in which it states that society,
corrupted by the prominence of atheists, will decline from praising God,
Lord Vishnu, the creator of all, and will challenge, “What authority do the
Vedas hold? What are gods or Brahmanas?” At that time, the clouds will
offer little rain, the corn will give ears of few kernels, the grains will be
poor and of little substance, millet will be the common grain, clothes will be
made from course fibers, all people will be lowborn, and whatever milk is
available mostly will come from goats. People will take whatever text they
like, the doctrine of anyone, and choose it as scripture, accepting any god as
one to worship. Righteousness will constitute any kind of fasting, austerity,
or liberality as is preferred by the so-called pious. There will be no effective
spiritual line of disciplic succession who will carefully preserve and hand
down spiritual knowledge to students, and no effective initiating process
between spiritual master and disciple. Whatever initiation that does take
place will have no meaning. Both the spiritual master and the disciple will
be unqualified. This is how the disappearance of all spiritual culture will
take place.
This is further verified in the Narada Purana (1.41.84) which states that
mendicants will take disciples using the acquisition of food and money as a
consideration. Thus, teachers will not be qualified, nor will the students. In
this way, instead of the teacher’s concern for helping students advance to
the stage of spiritual enlightenment, the disciple’s value will be considered
according to his ability to give food or money. Of course, this can also be
used as a means to distinguish those spiritual teachers who should be
avoided.
In the Bhagavata-Mahatmya (1.73-77) of the Padma Purana, Narada
Muni explains his own observations of how religiosity disappears in the age
of Kali. He describes that even those whose mind is agitated with passion,
anger, excessive greed, and thirst for pleasure have, nonetheless,
superficially taken to an ascetic life; hence, the value of asceticism is gone.
Due to greed, hypocrisy, and want of control over the mind, and due to
people embracing heretical doctrines and abstaining from the study of
sacred books, the fruit of dyana-yoga [meditation yoga] has disappeared.
The learned pundits will indulge in sexual commerce with their wives like
buffaloes. They are expert in procreating children but are not able to
achieve liberation from this world [or in helping others do the same].
Devotion to the Supreme, Lord Vishnu, or to following a genuine spiritual
path is no where to be seen. Such, however, is the spirit of the times. That is
why the Supreme Being seems so far away though abiding so close in our
very hearts while tolerating all of this.
The Padma Purana (6.71.56-60) also agrees with this and states that as
Kali-yuga unfolds, Brahmanas [spiritual teachers and ministers] become
heretics and engrossed in impious acts. They will not say their prayers or
chant mantras, and will give up their vows. The low-class people who are
spiritually uneducated will not be able to distinguish what is righteous or
unrighteous, or beneficial or not. Everyone will be wicked and dirty, except
for the devotees of God, Lord Vishnu.
The above reference indicates that only those who are sincerely and
devotedly attracted to the Supreme, and whose motivation is real spiritual
love and compassion for one and all, will be able to avoid the pitfalls and
wicked ways that become so prevalent in the age of Kali. Others will not
have the necessary knowledge, perception, or potency to overcome the
deteriorating effects of this age.
This is further substantiated in the Narada Purana (1.41.24, 30, 48, 51,
& 88) which explains the conditions in the distant future. It is related
therein that all other classes of people in Kali-yuga will become averse to
righteous behavior. The priests will turn away from the Vedas and genuine
spiritual knowledge. Holy rites, perfect knowledge, and good conduct will
perish. Thus, calamities will befall the world due to the prevalence of
impious activities. The minds of none will be devoted to God. Even in the
first quarter of Kali-yuga men will begin to censure knowledge of Hari, the
Supreme, and near the end of the age, no one will have any knowledge of
the Supreme spiritual reality, nor will they even speak of the name of Hari,
Krishna. Finally, when all Dharma or spiritual knowledge disappears, the
whole world becomes hellish, and infant mortality becomes prominent.
There will be a steady growth of irreligious materialism. Thus, irreligious
activities will simply breed more and more wicked behavior with all of its
characteristics as greed, dishonesty, and competition. This will increase to
[include constant] fighting, enslavement, and killing. Then the cycle of
degeneration will be completely irreversible. In such a state, the world will
become a hellish planet in which people are born only to suffer. Society will
then exhibit a continuous state of chaos and madness.
To help avoid the above scenario, we need to remember that religion is
the process of understanding God, our relationship with God, and our
spiritual identity. The purpose of a religious organization or institution is to
help spread this knowledge and guidance for the benefit of humanity, and to
create a place where likeminded people can associate and enthuse one
another in the process. Once a religion begins to establish forced control
over others, or to make its teachings a dogma that must be followed or
punishment results, then that religion loses sight of true spiritual
understanding. That is when it brings in the seeds of corruption. It replaces
the need to promote true spiritual understanding with the desire to establish
its superiority over others, which can lead to the ways of totalitarianism.
Then politics, disunity, intrigue, and even war become prevalent within that
religion, or because of it, which then spreads out through society in general.
All true religions accept that God is the ultimate unifying principle, an
omnipotent, supremely spiritual Being who has infinite intelligence and
capabilities, and from whom comes pure and unlimited love for one and all.
He reciprocates with us to the degree to which we surrender or desire to
understand Him. A religion which cannot offer such an understanding, or
whose followers have perverted the philosophy, or who cannot apply it in
their daily lives, is not a truly progressive or elevating religion. In such a
case, it becomes necessary to get away from that institution to get closer to
God. After all, the church should not make itself more important than the
true spiritual knowledge it should be promoting. In other words, when the
process of worship outweighs the object of worship, or God, then you have
already lost Him. Such a religion will not be spiritually successful and
should be either corrected or avoided.
What this means, as we head into the future, is that it will be most
important for people to be spiritually knowledgeable and to think for
themselves and recognize that forced dogma is not what true religion is
about. We have already spent many centuries witnessing religions
suppressing and persecuting others and we should have learned our lesson
by now. As spiritual beings, we all have an eternal relationship with the
Supreme Spirit. All it has to do is be reawakened with the use of the proper
methods and teachings. No church or institution or its representatives can
interfere with that. We do not have to participate in any religion that forces
us to be subservient to a faulty creed or misleading or corrupt leaders. We
must only search out those individuals, pure devotees, who can assist us and
give us the spiritual knowledge by which we can understand and reach the
Supreme Being ourselves, with or without any institution or organized
religion.
DISAPPEARANCE OF THE HOLY RIVERS
Furthermore, when Kali-yuga becomes strong, it is predicted that the
Ganga [Ganges River] will be broken in some places and at others it will be
diverted from its course. This means that it could stop flowing or be
damned up in some places, or later become a series of small lakes before it
begins to dry up or disappear in the same way as did the Sarasvati River.
The way the glaciers are melting, the very source of water for the rivers
may also disappear, thus ending the flow of the Ganga altogether. This is
but another aspect of the loss of all Vedic culture with time. However, there
are ways to delay these effects, as will be described in the Chapter Five.
In the meantime, the Brahma-Vaivarta Purana (Krishna-Janma Khanda,
129.46-49) confirms the possibility of the disappearance of the sacred rivers
of India. In fact, it is a part of the Vedic prophecies. Therein we find a
conversation between Sri Krishna and Ganga Devi, the personification of
the Ganges River. Lord Krishna tells Ganga Devi that there will be a golden
age within Kali-yuga that will start about 5,000 years after the age of Kali
begins. This will last for 10,000 years in which there can be a rekindling of
spiritual knowledge and awareness in society. However, after that the full
force of Kali-yuga will be felt. Then the Ganga, Yamuna, and other sacred
rivers should hide under the earth in the same way as the Sarasvati and wait
to appear only at the beginning of the next Satya-yuga, or with the
appearance of Lord Kalki.
It is described that when Lord Krishna was getting ready to leave this
planet earth for His eternal abode, “all the rivers like the Ganga, Sarasvati,
Padma, Yamuna, Godavari, Svarnarekha, Kaveri, Narmada, Bahuda, and
the auspicious Kritamala arrived there and started offering their salutations
to the Lord. Getting upset with the fever of separation, her eyes filled with
tears, the Ganga spoke to Lord Krishna while crying. Bhagirathi said: ‘O
lovable Lord, you are now proceeding to Goloka. What shall be our
position during the age of Kali?’”
As the Brahma-Vaivarta Purana (Krishna-Janma Khanda, 129.50-52,
59) continues, Sri Krishna said: “O Ganga, you remain on earth for five
thousand years during Kali-yuga. All the sins that are washed in your water
would disappear with the reciting of the mantras by the devotees and by the
people who earn merit by having a look at you. You would also listen to the
reciting of the name of Hari and the reciting of the Puranas… During the
Kali-yuga, My devotees would remain on earth for 10,000 years.”
It is further explained: “Sri Krishna said: Lord Hari will stay on this
earth for the first ten-thousand years of Kali-yuga [including in such forms
as His deities, His holy names, and the knowledge of Him as given by His
pure devotees]. For that time the deities of the demigods will be worshiped
and the Puranas and [Vedic] scriptures will also be present. For half that
period [the next 5,000 years], the Ganga and other holy places will be
present. For half that period the village temples and the Vedas studied by
learned Brahmanas will be present.” (Brahma-Vaivarta Purana, Krishna-
Janma Khanda, 90.32-
33)
“After the completion of five thousand years in Kali-yuga, all of the
Goddesses [Sarasvati, Ganga and Lakshmi] in river forms [as Sarasvati,
Ganga and Padmavati respectively] would revert back to the abode of Lord
Vishnu [Vaikuntha, thus leaving this material world]. The sacred places of
Kashi, Vrindavana, and all others would also return to the spiritual realm
with them. After the completion of ten thousand years the deities of
Shalagrama and Jagannatha would also revert back to Vishnuloka (and thus
also disappear from this world).
“The attendants of Vishnu, the Puranas, the conch, the shraddha rituals,
tarpana or offerings, and all the rites prescribed in the Vedas would also
disappear. The adoration of the Lord, His names, the recitation of His
names, the sixth parts of the Vedas and the Shastras will also disappear. The
saints, truth, Dharma, Vedas, village deities, resolution, penance, and fasting
(for religious purposes) will also disappear with them.
“Thereafter, the followers of the left path and those who attack the
Shastras, along with falsehood and cheating, shall remain on the earth.
Thereafter, Lord Vishnu will be adored [in thought only] without [the
sacred] Tulasi leaves. All the people will remain without observing the
Ekadashi-vows, and [becoming] devoid of Dharma shall always move
against Lord Narayana [Vishnu].” (Brahma-Vaivarta Purana, Prakriti
Khanda, 7.10-17)
So, herein we can understand that the Ganga River would continue to
flow for another 5,000 years in which people can become purified with her
assistance, such as by bathing in her waters. But after that, her presence
may no longer be here. In other words, she will disappear, after which the
world and its residents could become purified by the association of those
devotees who worship Lord Krishna by chanting His mantra consisting of
His holy names. This is further confirmed by a few additional verses as
follows:
“In the age of Kali-yuga, I [Lord Krishna] would continue to be adored
on earth for ten thousand years, and the Ganga would flow on earth for five
thousand years. As long as the Ganga flows on earth, the Tulasi plant,
devotion to Vishnu, and recitation of the Puranas will continue. O lord of
Vraja, no one would recite My name in Kaliyuga (once the age advances to
when the Ganga ceases to flow). [Thereafter] the land would be deprived of
truthfulness, the trees would no longer provide fruits, and the rivers would
be without water… The Brahmanas would become deprived of the Vedic
knowledge, and the rulers would become weak. There would be a classless
society, and the rulers would be the same as mlecchas.” (Brahma-Vaivarta
Purana, Krishna-Janma Khanda, 128.28-30, 32-33)
From this description we can understand that with the loss of the Ganga
River many of the most holy places in India will become lost or forgotten.
So, considering the importance and sacredness of the Ganga River, the
disappearance of it would portend to be the complete loss of any spiritual
civilization or culture in India, as well as the rest of the world. Not only will
the sacred rivers disappear, but it is also confirmed, as described above, that
the Puranas and the Vedic scriptures in general, would also vanish from the
face of the earth.
In this way, we can begin to see how the influence of the age of Kali
will create an atmosphere that would cause the sacred rivers to all fade
away within another 5,000 years, possibly less, depending on how the mass
consciousness of society affects things in this world. Plus, the devotees of
Lord Vishnu, the deities, and, thus, most temples, or certainly the reason for
them, will also be gone within the next 10,000 years. Then there will be
nothing preventing the full force of the the age of Kali to bulldoze its way
across the face of the planet.
THE DEGRADATION IN FAMILY LIFE AND
RELATIONS BETWEEN PEOPLE
In the age of Kali, it will be extremely difficult to maintain and keep a
family together. In fact, the Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.2.6)states that anyone
who is able to maintain a family will be considered an expert or hero.
However, we can easily recognize that many families suffer turmoil and are
affected by divorce. The husband or wife must often work a long way from
home or must travel for days or weeks for the sake of the job. This adds to
the instability of the family. In other instances, the father may be
undependable and simply leave the household, forcing the wife to take the
responsibility of working and raising the family. These problems are
common factors in family life in Kali-yuga.
Kali-yuga is an age of reversals: What was once strong becomes weak
and vice-versa. So often in Kali-yuga men become weak in mind and body
and can no longer be expected to fulfill the responsibilities that were once
provided years ago. On the other hand, in Kali-yuga it is seen that women
become stronger, bolder, and more independent. In some cases, women are
forced to become strong and independent due to being mistreated or left
unprotected by men of little character. The Bhagavatam (1.16.21) explains
that women and children are left unhappy and forlorn by unscrupulous men
who often search for young girls with whom they might have illicit sex. Yet
if there is pregnancy, the man sometimes leaves the woman to fend for
herself. If the child is born, both child and mother are left in difficulty.
The Bhagavatam (12.2.5) also explains that in Kali-yuga marriage will
be nothing more than a verbal agreement. So it will not be taken seriously
and it will be easy for husband and wife to part ways whenever they like,
for whatever reason. Because of this, the purpose of marriage will
degenerate to a matter of convenience for sexual affairs, not for responsibly
raising a family in a legal and purposeful relationship. Therefore, as the
Bhagavatam (12.2.3)relates, men and women will live together simply
because of bodily attraction, and how good they are as man or woman will
evolve around their level of sexual prowess.
The Vishnu Purana (Book Four, Chapter 24) also confirms this, stating
that marriage will be based on mutual consent. Union between the sexes
will be based on passion alone, and women will be mere objects of
gratification. And (Book Four, Chapter 38) the laws of marriage and the
regulations of conduct for husband and wife will be disregarded.
Then we also find in the Brahma-Vaivarta Purana (Krishna-Janma
Khanda, 90.35), “Marriage purified by sacred mantras will no longer exist.
There will be no truthfulness and no forgiveness. Men will associate with
women only for sex.”
Furthermore (Brahma-Vaivarta Purana, Prakriti Khanda, 7.18-19,
20),“All the people thereafter will become wicked, heartless, crafty,
arrogant, thieves, and violent. There would remain no difference between
men and women. The institution of marriage will disappear, miscarriage of
justice will become prevalent as will the usurping trend [thievery] in the
title of objects or possessions… All the men will be under the influence of
women and the houses will be ruled by wicked women who will denounce
their husbands from time to time.”
Unfortunately, as Kali-yuga progresses, both men and women will lose
their good qualities and become more selfish and angry toward each other
over trivial things. The Bhagavatam (12.3.42-43) explains that in Kali-yuga
men will hate each other over nothing more than a few coins. They will
give up friendly relations and be ready to kill their own family or give up
their own lives for such trivial concerns. Thus, people will care for nothing
more than filling their own bellies and satisfying their genitals. They will
give up all concern and protection for their own parents, children, and
wives.
In the age of Kali, as the Bhagavatam (12.3.37) continues, men will
become so demeaning in their attempt to satisfy their genitals that they will
be controlled by women. They will reject all of their relatives and friends to
associate with the sisters and brothers of their wives. This means that there
will be a time when they will base friendships exclusively on sexual ties.
The Vishnu Purana (Book Four, Chapter 38) also relates that a man’s
friends will be his brother-in-law or those who have a lusty wife.
Further descriptions in this regard are also supplied in this quote: “The
people will enjoy the company [for sex] of their own daughter; some would
enjoy the company of one’s own father-in-law or daughters-in-law, while
some people will enjoy the company of all. Some of them will have illicit
relations with their own sisters, some with the step-mothers, and some with
the brother’s wives. In every house-hold the people will have illicit relations
with prohibited women. Leaving their mothers, they will also enjoy the
company of all women. [People will be so confused that] in Kali-yuga no
one will be able to decide the relationship between a husband and wife
[meaning anything goes].” (Brahma-Vaivarta Purana, Prakriti Khanda,
7.45-49)
These explanations mean that at the time this prediction goes into effect,
adultery will be common place and many men will have an effeminate
nature and be willing to engage in sex with either women or men. The
gender will not matter. Friends will be those only with whom they have
some sexual connection. As a result of this, children will be born primarily
by accident in an unloved atmosphere. These children will be forced to
adopt any kind of means to survive because they will be, basically, without
parents. Thus, they will belong to gangs to feel a sense of family or
belonging and adopt the social ways of the times. They will become
unrestrained in every way. Needless to say, such children will be so
uncontrollable that there will be no possibility of educating them in an
organized institution. As a local saying goes, you train them to fail, train
them for jail. Already we see a great increase in the way children carry guns
and other weapons to school and a big rise in the way they disrespect
teachers. This is a sign of the strong influence of Kali-yuga today.
Also, respect for any authority will disappear, as it is described herein,
“The son would torture the father, and similarly the pupil would treat the
teacher like a servant. In the house, the wife would pounce upon the
husband like a greedy cock.” (Brahma-Vaivarta Purana, Krishna-Janma
Khanda, 128.34)
“A son will insult his father. A disciple will insult his guru. The citizens
will attack their king. The king will torture his citizens.” (Brahma-Vaivarta
Purana, Krishna-Janma Khanda, 90.40)
In this way, love and gratitude for those who are protecting or training
the younger ones will subside and be replaced by a demeaning view and
insulting attitude. Yet, hundreds or thousands of years from now this will be
much worse. As each generation comes forth, children will reflect the lack
of love they have received. They will be malnourished and lack education
and the ability to feel any common emotion. They will get progressively
more merciless, unloving, selfish, mean, and violent in their attempt to
survive and get what they want from life and from others. In the distant
future, such children may look innocent, but their mentality will be that of
monsters. They will hold no value for life.
As the age of Kali proceeds, it is not only the men who will have
despicable characters, the women will also change. The Bhagavatam
(12.3.34) explains that women will become much shorter. They will lose all
shyness, speak harshly, and engage in thievery, deceit, and bold audacity.
They will eat too much and have more children than they can properly care
for. It is also said (Bhag.8.9.10) that independent women are never
dependable in their relationships and always seek newer sexual relations.
The Narada Purana (1.41.79-80) also relates that in Kali-yuga women will
be self-supporting. Even women of noble families will be unfaithful to their
husbands. However, let us point out that in Kali-yuga women often have no
choice but to support themselves, since many men simply will be too
irresponsible.
The Vishnu Purana (Book Four, Chapter 38) also confirms that as Kali-
yuga continues, women will increasingly become ever fond of pleasure and
follow whatever inclinations they have. Women will become fickle-minded,
short, and gluttonous. They will have too many children and little means to
support them. They will pay little heed to the advice of their husbands or
parents, and will be selfish and untidy in appearance and habits. They will
lie and speak in harsh language. Their conduct will be immoral and lack
decency, becoming attached to similarly immoral men. Women will be
attracted only to those who have wealth, and if their husbands lose their
property, their wives will desert them. Arrangements of one’s hair will be
all that women [or men] have to prompt their pride of beauty because, as
Kali-yuga advances, there will be no more gold, jewels, diamonds, or fancy
clothes with which to decorate themselves.
The Mahabharata (Vana Parva, 190.36, 50, 80-82) elaborates on some
of the characteristics of family life as the age of Kali progresses, much of
which we are already seeing around us today: “When this yuga will come,
no one will ask for a girl (for marriage)[from the parents, as once was the
standard, especially in India] and no one also will give away a girl. The
girls will themselves choose their own husbands… O king, O foremost of
monarchs, when this age would come the wife will not remain content with
her husband and the husband also will not remain content with his wife…
The women will always be very harsh in speech; they will become pitiless
and fond of weeping. They will never obey the orders of their husbands.
When this age will come, sons will kill fathers and mothers. Women living
uncontrolled [lifestyles] will kill their husbands and sons.”
Furthermore, relations between parents will also be out of balance, as
one will be envious of the other, and the laws will be ineffective from
causing restraint in their actions, all of which affects the conditions of the
world, as explained in Mahabharata (Vana Parva, 190.28, 43): “Sons
having killed their fathers and fathers having killed their sons will incur no
disgrace by doing it; and they ever will take glory in them… Fathers will
not forgive their sons and the sons will not forgive their fathers; nor at this
time will wives serve their husbands.”
“The country will be afflicted with dearth and famine [as merely a
reflection of the consciousness of the masses which pervades the planet].
The roads will be filled with lustful men and unchaste women. Women will
also hate their husbands.” (Mahabharata, Vana Parva, 190.52)
“No woman will be chaste. In home after home the wife will be
unchaste, always running after men. The wife will treat her husband like her
servant. She will always rebuke him and make him tremble. O father, she
will give her paramour delicious foods, betelnuts, sandal paste, and costly
garments, but she will not even feed her unhappy husband.” (Brahma-
Vaivarta Purana, Krishna-Janma Khanda, 90.38-39).
“A wife will kill her husband and worship her paramour… Women will
be very lusty and stay always with their paramours.” (Brahma-Vaivarta
Purana, Krishna-Janma Khanda, 90.46, 60)
The Mahanirvana Tantra (4.51) goes on to say that women will have no
self-control and will be heartless and quarrelsome and cause trouble for
their husbands. And men will be slaves to lust. This is also confirmed in the
Padma Purana (7.26.25-27, 34) which further relates that unchaste and
adulterous women, who will also be fickle-minded, will speak pretentiously
like chaste ladies to their husbands. But in Kali-yuga people will be wicked,
even selling their daughters… And through indiscriminate sexual
indulgence people will have many children and, therefore, will be unhappy.
The Bhagavad-gita (1.40-42) gives warning of how the family will
produce unwanted progeny when irreligion is prominent and the women
become corrupt and degraded. In such a case, which becomes common in
Kali-yuga, there is an increase of unwanted population, creating a hellish
situation for the family and society at large. Due to evil deeds that the
community or government leaders have either allowed or perpetuated, they
devastate the welfare of the family and community. Thus, all moral and
religious principles are lost and good population in human society
disappears, along with all hopes for peace, prosperity, happiness, and
spiritual progress.
In this way, as unwanted population increases around the world, there
will be greater risks of community unrest—crime, rape, war, disease, and
pestilence, and all the more reason for abortions. Gradually, the world will
be filled with chaos.
By the time this takes place in the distant future of Kali-yuga, child
pornography, rape, human trafficking, and other sexual crimes will be out of
control. Politicians and law officers will be bribed into impotence, some
even participating in and profiting from these perverse activities. Children
will be fearlessly seized from the streets and hardly missed by their
irresponsible parents. The depravity these young children will be forced to
endure will make death a welcome end. And those that survive will be so
mentally damaged that they will wreak havoc on the rest of society. Adult
and child slavery will be rampant and predominantly based on sex. It will
be found mostly where people have the money to support it, which will be
in the homes of the so-called wealthy and upper classes. There will be no
human rights or justice, and the world will be on the edge of disaster and
ruin. In these circumstances, and when this type of men, women, and
children are roaming the cities, you have a picture of hell on earth.
DROUGHTS AND RAMPANT FAMINE
The Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.2.6) explains that as Kali-yuga progresses
the goal of life will be simply to fill the belly, which refers to the basic
struggle to survive. Unfortunately, this will not be so easy. As I have
pointed out earlier, many people will be forced to move to the mountains
and hills to try to live there, out of the easy reach of criminals, wicked
rulers, and oppressive government. Others will remain to struggle in the
cities. It is stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.3.32) that the cities will be
dominated by crooks and rogue politicians who will ruin the conditions of
the communities and control the citizens. No one will be able to live
peacefully. There will be one social disaster after another. In fact, it is also
related (Bhag.3.17.5) that natural disturbances, whether it is too much heat,
snow, earthquakes, volcanoes, cyclones, tornadoes, or other storms, portend
that the demoniac population in the world is increasing. Therefore, when
this happens it is merely the acts of nature that reflect the consciousness and
collective karma of those who inhabit this planet.
To give some additional insight into this, in the Srimad-Bhagavatam
(4.18.6-7) there is the story of when Mother Earth, Bhumi, explains to King
Prithu why she does not reciprocate like she used to: “My dear King, the
seeds, roots, herbs, and grains, which were created by Lord Brahma in the
past, are now being used by nondevotees, who are devoid of all spiritual
understanding. My dear King, not only are grains and herbs being used by
non-devotees, but as far as I am concerned, I am not being properly
maintained. I am being neglected by kings who are not punishing these
rascals who have turned into thieves by using grains for sense gratification.
Consequently I have hidden all these seeds, which were meant for the
performance of ritual.” Thus, as food grains diminish because of
environmental changes and problems, people will resort to whatever means
they can to find food, even up to and including killing and eating each other.
It is also said that as the nefarious and sinful activities of the rulers and
citizens escalate, rain will also become increasingly scarce. Drought will be
rampant around the world, which will allow for insufficient production of
food, and reduce the forests and vegetation around the world. This is
explained herein: “The earth will be deprived of her greenery. The trees will
be without fruits, the ladies will bear no children, the cows will yield no
milk, and the milk will yield no ghee [clarified butter]. The rivers, rivulets,
step-wells, and the springs will remain without water… Water irrigation
will continue only by means of the tanks and river water. There will be no
good yield of crops and the good harvest will not be profitable.” (Brahma-
Vaivarta Purana, Prakriti Khanda, 7.27-30, 33-34)
This is all reiterated as follows: “The earth will give no crops. Cows
will give no milk. Because there is almost no milk, there will be no butter or
ghee… Rivers, oceans, caves, ponds, and lakes will have neither water nor
lotus flowers. Clouds will not carry water… All the banyan trees will be cut
down. The earth will be treeless. Trees will not have fruits, branches, or
trunks. Grains, fruits, and water will not taste good.” (Brahma-Vaivarta
Purana, Krishna-Janma Khanda, 90.41-42, 59, 60-61)
Even good people will be forced to leave their homes because of being
harassed by high taxes, drought, and famine. They will try to find whatever
facility they can in the mountains. In this way, we can see that one of the
prime ways of surviving the future will be to get accustomed to an agrarian
lifestyle. As the world continues to change, it will be important for
communities or individuals who are seeking to be self-sufficient to learn to
farm and produce their own food, and make sure they have a source of
water. Farming and self-sufficiency will be a basic need for the continuation
of society through the coming changes.
Unfortunately, the Vishnu Purana (Book Four, Chapter 38) relates that
in Kali-yuga farmers will give up agriculture and commerce to seek
livelihoods in doing mechanics or engaging in servitude to others [which
we can presently see happening as the farmers sell their land and move to
the cities to take up other kinds of occupation]. “People will increasingly
live in dread of drought, famine, and scarcity, and will always be looking to
the skies watching the weather. There will never be abundance in the age of
Kali. Men will always be lacking in pleasure and happiness.”
The Narada Purana (1.41.76-77) also states that in Kali-yuga men will
become extremely fearful of hunger and drought, and will always watch the
sky for rain. Because of the absence of rain, men will be in extreme anxiety
trying to live off whatever roots, leaves, and fruits they can find. And
(1.41.42) the earth will lose its fertileness and the seeds and flowers will
perish. However, though many places will suffer drought, other places will
also be devastated by incessant rains. This is also confirmed in the
Mahabharata (Vana Parva, 190.79) where it says: “The exalted deity of one
thousand eyes [referring to Indra, the king of heaven and controller of
rainfall] will unceasingly shower rains.”
The Mahabharata (Vana Parva, 190.23, 44, 80, 83-84) continues to
explain the conditions that society will be forced to endure due to droughts:
“They will dig even the banks of streams with their spades and sow grains
there. But even these places will prove barren to them at this period of
time… When this age [of Kali] will come men will seek those countries
where men’s staple food is wheat and barley [which may be a luxury at this
time]… When this age will come, crops will not grow in (great)
abundance… When this age will come, fire [like forest fires] will blaze up
in all directions. Travelers, being unable to obtain food, drink and shelter
even when they ask for them, will lie down on the wayside [due to hunger
and weakness]. Crows, snakes, vultures, kites, and other animals and birds
[seeing the sick, starving and dying] will utter discordant cries [waiting for
their deaths].”
Many other Puranas also support this view of the distant future. The
Kurma Purana (1.30.2) states that there will be continuous fear of hunger,
starvation, droughts, epidemics of fatal disease, and whole countries being
destroyed in the age of Kali. Similarly, the Brahmanda Purana (1.2.31.34)
also says that there will be calamities in all the countries and there will be
terrific fear of drought.
Presently, the times may not be as bad as the Vedic prophecies foretell,
but we must remember that though we can work to right many wrongs in
the way we are taking care of the planet, the ecosystem is very carefully
balanced. If we tilt that balance too far one way or the other, it will become
impossible to bring it back. As we see the way big companies tear away at
the earth, the forests, and the farmland, it becomes obvious that in due
course the delicate balance of nature will be so damaged that it will never
be the same. At that time, the Vedic prophecies will begin to manifest faster
than ever.
Even at present, the heavy losses of territory to advancing deserts in
places like China and Nigeria, the most populous countries in Asia and
Africa respectively, illustrate the trends for scores of other countries. China
is not only losing productive land to deserts, but it is doing so at an
accelerating rate. From 1950 to 1975 China lost an average of 1560 square
kilometers of land to desert each year. By 2000, nearly 3625 square
kilometers were going to desert annually. This is definitely having an
impact on the resources it needs to feed all of its people.
Furthermore, the lowering level of ground water is also a concern. In
some places like India ground water has lowered by as much as 1000 feet in
different areas, making it increasingly difficult to reach and supply water to
the local population. If this problem continues or gets worse, which will
obviously happen with society’s growing demand for water, water will
become a resource that will become evermore difficult to secure. And
without water, life itself becomes more and more troublesome.
Men may engage in mechanics and the production of machines, but
when there is a scarcity of water and natural resources, such as oil and its
by-products (as is predicted to happen if we keep our present rate of
consumption), machines will do us little good. We cannot eat nuts and bolts.
When we lose our farmland or the ability to farm, then all of the
technological advancements we have made will seem useless if we do not
have enough to eat. And that is what the Vedic prophecies say will happen.
It is also mentioned (Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.4.17-18) that as Kali-yuga
progresses, everything material will deteriorate and lose its potency. In this
case, the land will not provide the necessary food as it did before. Due to
weather conditions, drought, and the soil being depleted of nutrients, good
food will become more and more scarce. People will be forced to struggle
so hard to find enough to eat, especially in the cities. They will become like
scavengers, eating whatever they can find no matter whether it is good or
abominable. The Mahanirvana Tantra (4.53) further relates that the earth
will have little fertility and will yield poor harvests. Clouds will give little
rain, and trees will provide meager fruit. The Vayu Purana (58.46, 55-56)
also explains that as the end of Kali-yuga approaches, the earth will yield
little food. The rains will fall in a mysteriously haphazard way and the earth
will be less fertile and have a shortage of water.
As it is explained elsewhere, not only will there be a water shortage, but
the population of animals also will decrease: “In this yuga the clouds pour
rain unseasonably [and unreliably].” (Mahabharata, Vana Parva, 190.70)
“Men will till low-lands and employ cows and calves that are but one
year old in drawing the plough and carrying the burdens.” (Mahabharata,
Vana Parva, 190.27)
“Full of avarice and ignorance, all the world will have but one sort of
food, sin will increase and virtue will fade away.” (Mahabharata, Vana
Parva, 190.41)
“People will pitilessly destroy trees and gardens. Men will be filled with
anxiety for their livelihood… When men will kill others, when they will be
wicked, cruel and destroyers of all animals, then is the age of Kali-yuga.”
(Mahabharata, Vana Parva, 190.57-60)
The Padma Purana (7.26.27-28) agrees and further states that the earth
will have few crops. Clouds will have increasingly less water, or will pour
too much water at wrong times. In Kali-yuga, cows will give little milk, of
poor quality, and will be forced to eat feces.
The last statement here is significant in light of the disaster regarding
what had been the feeding of dead animals and feces to cows in England.
This resulted in the “Mad Cow Disease” scare, in which they calculated that
hundreds of thousands of cows were sick or possibly contaminated with this
disease caused by eating innards from other diseased animals. This can
spread to humans through eating of contaminated animals. This was a
practice that went on in other countries as well, including the United States,
though smaller in scale. It was a practice, and hopefully it is gone for good,
in which these Kali-yuga businesspeople and farmers try to recycle waste
because they want to make extra profits by cheating nature, more or less. By
not giving the proper feed to the cows, they caused thousands of cows and
animals to become diseased. This had brought further controversy because
the farmers slaughtred thousands of the contaminated cows, and even those
that were suspected to be contaminated. This only shows the foolishness to
which men will resort in their attempt to make more money, all the while
risking the health of the animals and people. This is typical of the Kali-yuga
form of intelligence that paves the way for further problems with food
shortage and in the way men abuse animals and nature. In the end, it only
backfires in their faces.
As should be plenty obvious by now, as people become more engrossed
in chasing after their desires, there will be less and less peace in the world.
Society will become more violent, angry, and selfish. Large scale wars are
declared wherein even women and children are maimed and killed. This
violence is reflected and perpetuated by the many slaughterhouses that are
opened to kill hundreds of millions of innocent creatures each year for the
sake of satisfying the desires of humans, specifically for the lump of flesh
known as the tongue. For that, so many living beings are put to death,
slaughtered, or boiled alive. This puts an incredible amount of violence into
the atmosphere, and where do you think it goes? A basic law of physics is
that for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction. On a universal
level, they call this same law the law of karma. What we do comes right
back to us. And karma refers to those reactions accumulated by an
individual, community, or even a whole nation. So, is there any wonder
why there is increasingly less peace in this world when humankind resorts
to this level of selfish violence?
Another reason for the food shortages, droughts, and less fertile
farmlands, as described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (4.18.6-7) is due to the
misuse of the land and natural resources by people who have no spiritual
understanding. People who have no knowledge of the real purpose of life
will not maintain the earth properly. The Vishnu Purana (Book Four,
Chapter 24) confirms that the earth planet will receive respect only for the
minerals and resources men can get from it. That means the only care they
have for the earth is for whatever profits they can make from it, for which
they will do anything and go to any length, forgetting that it provides the
very resources we need for our survival if we take care of it properly.
The Vedic literature describes planet earth as a living being, Mother
Bhumi, a personality who gives in return for being properly treated. When
she is neglected or misused, she is not able or willing to produce all of the
necessary resources, as we have described earlier. In other words, there is a
way to farm and do things in a natural way to protect the earth from being
damaged by our actions and still produce enough to feed all of its
inhabitants. But this means there must be proper management by people
who have firm spiritual understanding and knowledge of the true goal of
life for spiritual advancement. In Vedic times, such persons were the
Brahmanas, the spiritual guides for society. When there are no real spiritual
authorities, society becomes headless, without a brain. A headless society
does not know what the real goal of life is or the best things to do. If
nonspiritually oriented beings misuse the earth and its resources, all real
progress is stopped. Nature becomes out of balance. Then by natural
reactions the rains cease to pour and the earth no longer provides all that we
need. Thus, it is predicted that there will be a time when there will be no
grains, fruits, flowers, metals, or gold, not to mention enough water and
grains to support cattle and animals for those who wish to eat meat.
It is predicted that in the distant future, as food becomes more scarce,
the thieves and rogues will be forced to hunt and eat each other. Then not
only will you have to guard yourself from crooks, rapists, kidnappers, rogue
politicians who will take your property and your wives, plus high taxes,
cheating businessmen, and a legal and economic system that works only for
the wealthy, but you will also have to struggle against starvation, and watch
out for those who may want to eat you for food. People will be so overcome
by hunger and will be so mentally slow or deranged that “the need to feed”
will make them turn on each other even to the point of eating their own
family members if necessary.
In many ways, in the distant future of Kali-yuga, the inhabitants of the
planet will be like a society of rats, scurrying everywhere, scavenging for
food. They will be malnourished and mentally deficient to the point that
they will not recognize their own family members.
People who read this may find it shocking to hear the way the Vedic
literature describes the distant future, and that there will be a time when it
will be common for people to be this way, or even eat each other. But this is
no different than the way the sages of many years ago were shocked to learn
from the Vedic prophecies that people of Kali-yuga would raise and
cultivate cows simply for slaughter and meat consumption. At the time, this
was unthinkable. Even now, humans eating humans is unthinkable, but it is
just another level of the deteriorating standard in society as Kali-yuga
progresses. What is unacceptable now later becomes the norm.
THE WORST CONDITIONS AT THE END OF KALI-
YUGA
The Vedic literature, such as Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.7.38) describes a
world at the very end of Kali-yuga in which there is a complete absence of
spiritual knowledge. People will not discuss topics of God, and nothing will
remain of any true spiritual process. Also, the power of government will be
in the hands of those who are lowborn, uncultured, and godless.
The above description is further corroborated in the Srimad-
Bhagavatam (12.2.12-16), which relates that at the end of Kali-yuga all true
religious principles will have been destroyed or will have disappeared
before the end of Kali-yuga. The Vedic literature will have been forgotten
and will no longer exist. Religion will be atheistic. The physical size of all
creatures will be much smaller, even the plants and herbs will be tiny. The
trees will be dwarfed, thus providing no fruit or shade. What few cows are
left will be like goats. Kings will be no different than thieves. Lying,
stealing, and senseless violence will be the occupation of men. There will
no longer be holy places. Spiritual hermitages will be the same as mundane
households without piety. Family ties will go no further than the bonds of
marriage, for however long such arrangements last. Lightning will
constantly appear in the clouds. There will be continuous darkness, bad
weather, earthquakes, and disasters. All human beings will be no better than
asses.
The Vayu Purana (97.116-124) also explains that people will become
unreasonable, angry, and deluded; causing destruction for everyone. They
will engage in war and kill one another. They will be extremely distressed
and have no confidence in anyone. They will have no belongings, will leave
their cities and villages, and live in forests or near rivers and mountains [in
their attempts to survive]. All Dharma [religious and meritorious activities]
will be lost. People will be short, like dwarves, and short-lived. Leaves,
roots and fruits will be their diet. They will wear leaves, barks of trees, or
hides. They will have no means of sustenance and will be overwhelmed by
adversities. They will undergo all kinds of suffering. Only when the Kali
Age lapses and the Satya or Krita-yuga starts again will all things regain
their original forms and conditions in a natural sequence. [This sounds more
like we are heading back toward the stone age.]
At the end of a long description of the ruling families and kings of the
future, the Vayu Purana elaborates further on the conditions of the world
near the end of Kali-yuga. Much of what it says is similar to descriptions
found in other Puranas, so I will include only those that are not repetitive.
It explains that during the end of Kali-yuga, mleccha [lowborn and
wicked] kings will enjoy the earth. They will not be duly crowned but will
take their position by force and will commit evil actions. They will not
hesitate to kill women and children, or destroy each other. The reign of such
kings will flourish and perish in rapid succession. They will be without
piety, true love, or real wealth. The common people will follow similar
habits. All accepted traditions will be lost. The kings will destroy their
subjects, and will be greedy and devoted to malicious behavior. During this
time women will outnumber men. People will become increasingly
deficient in learning, strength, and duration of life. Finally, the ruling kings
will be ruined by time, and then there will be no more kings. Only after the
appearance of Lord Kalki will all the mlecchas, heretics, and unrighteous be
destroyed. (Vayu Purana, 98.382-390)
The Vayu Purana (98.391-407) goes on to describe that at the end of
Kali-yuga [remember, this is another 400,000 years or so from now], only a
very few people will survive. They will be helpless and destitute without
possessions. They will have no one to help them, and will be afflicted by
disease and sorrows. They will be ruined by drought and will slaughter each
other [out of anger and hunger]. All feelings of affection will be lost, even
between the closest of friends. People will live on mountains and riverbanks
as scavengers roaming the earth. At the end of Kali-yuga the subjects will
be annihilated.
The Brahma-Vaivarta Purana (Prakriti Khanda, 7.57) continues in this
line of thought of what the conditions will be at this time: “[Near the end of
Kali-yuga] all people will be lowborn mlecchas [non-spiritual and
unregulated, dishonest materialists]. At that point in time the trees will be
the height of one hand and humans will be the size of a thumb.”
“Kings will have only a few pots and seashells in their treasuries. They
will be kings of pots. Men will be the size of thumbs. Trees will be the size
of [present day] vegetables. The fruits of tala, panasa, and coconut trees will
be the size of mustard seeds. In time they will become smaller still. Homes
will have no water, cups, plates, grains, cloth, or decorations. Homes will be
dark, lampless, and filled with bad smells. Everyone will be a sinner afraid
of violent beings.” (Brahma-Vaivarta Purana, Prakriti Khanda, 7.54-56)
When people are so wicked, the smaller they are, the less harm they can do
to the earth or the environment.
The Brahmanda Purana (2.3.74.200-225) describes how people will try
to find edible things from under the ground, digging with wooden spikes.
With great effort they try to keep goats, sheep, donkeys, and camels. People
will think highly of themselves, yet produce no or little progeny. They will
not maintain cleanliness or good habits, and engage only in sinful activities.
The people will be forced to obey mean and base leaders of evil conduct
and depressed conditions. No one will live past 23 years of age.”
“Thus, the people of Kali-yuga will have a short span of life. They
become old quickly while being young, and at the age of sixteen their hair
will grow grey. And at the age of twenty, the old-age will overpower them
[with death].” (Brahma-Vaivarta Purana, Prakriti Khanda, 7.40)
The Mahabharata (Vana Parva, 190. 48-49) gives a similar view, but as
we get closer to the end of Kali-yuga the length of life continues to
decrease. “Then the length of mens’ life will be sixteen years. When this
age would come, men will die at this age. Girls of five or six will give birth
to children, and boys of seven or eight years of age will be fathers.”
An additional reason for this short life span is explained in the
Mahabharata (Vana Parva, 190.41): “Full of avarice and ignorance, all the
world will have but one sort of food, sin will increase and virtue will fade
away.” The reduced choice in food may indeed be from environmental
problems and contamination from an abundance of pollutants. But as
ignorance and a short duration of life continue, the means and ways to
manage the planet will give way to only the most short term vision for
surviving in any way possible, which would be founded on the most base
desires. And that usually has disastrous results.
The Brahmanda Purana (1.2.31.55-58) further describes the end of
Kali-yuga as a time when no one will return help to another. No one will be
straightforward and honest. Everyone will speak harshly and think nothing
of injuring others. There will be no wealth, and everyone will live in
poverty and fear. Rulers will be useless and take away the possessions of
others and molest wives of other men. People will be evil-minded,
unsympathetic, and addicted to wicked and criminal acts.
The general attitude between men in the later years during Kali-yuga is
also related in the Mahabharata (Vana Parva, 190. 22): “At the end of
(Kali) yuga men will be opposed to one another and seek one another’s life.
They will be atheists and thieves.”
The Vishnu Purana (Book Four, Chapter 38) gives clear elaborations on
the conditions and the causes of them near the end of the age of Kali. It is
due to the disappearance of any true spiritual knowledge, especially that of
the Vedas, that men will sink into heresy and iniquity, and the duration of
life will decrease. Because of all of their bad habits, poor and little food,
and a totally polluted environment, men will possess little intelligence,
virtue, and energy, and, therefore, will die after a very brief life. Girls will
bear children when they are only five, six, or seven years old, and boys will
become fathers when they are eight, nine, or ten. A man will get gray hair
when he is twelve years old, and no one will live past twenty years of life.
Boys, having little sense, will daily commit a life of sin and will be
subjected to all the infirmities of mind, body, and speech. All that which is
known to do harm or cause injury—be impure, vicious, and wretched—will
manifest itself in the age of Kali. Therefore, wise men take note that as
more of these symptoms appear, that is how far the age of Kali has elapsed.
The Narada Purana (1.41.64-65) also agrees that at the end of Kali-
yuga five year old girls will give birth, but the maximum age of life will be
only sixteen years. They will call boys up to seven or eight years “youths,”
and “old age” will be anything beyond that. The Padma Purana (7.26.32-
34) also states that it is because of their wicked deeds that people will
completely perish within ten to twelve years. People will lose all their
strength in the age of Kali. This indicates that as the age of Kali reaches its
end and becomes increasingly troublesome and difficult, and because of
people’s wicked activities, the size of people and the maximum age of life
continue to decrease.
The Vayu Purana (58.42, 52, 54, 55, 61-62) goes on to explain that near
the end of the age of Kali, government administrators will be merely thieves
and robbers. Society will be full of foul conduct. Men will be a minority
and there will be many women. People will be sickly, have little strength,
and will not hesitate to engage in activities that cause their ruin. The earth
will be desolate, have few good men, with only scattered groups of people
in the cities. Abundance and good health will be rare. Spiritual knowledge
and holy rites will have disappeared. Worms, mice, and serpents will gain
strength and size and attack men. Abundance, welfare, good health, and
ability will also become rare.
Can you imagine a return to the stone age when men are fleeing for their
lives from the overgrown and mutated serpents and lizards, which could
resemble the dinosaurs by now in this time-frame? This is what is being
described. Some of the remnants of what we are finding now in
archeological digs could be merely remnants from the previous age of Kali-
yuga some 4 million years ago. The Kurma Purana (1.30.26) also agrees
that when spiritual knowledge is lost [or when men are no better than
animals], insects, mice, and serpents will harass humans.
When the above verses describe how animals will be reduced in size,
this suggests that horses and other useful animals will also have shrunk
considerably. Does this mean that the small horse skeletons that have been
found in prehistoric archeological digs are simply remnants from the
previous age of Kali nearly 4,000,000 years ago? And as the size of humans
also shrink, other creatures such as rodents and serpents, in the survival of
the fittest, may increase in size. This would corroborate the quotes from the
Vedic passages that say such creatures would harass humanity.
The Linga Purana (40.26-73) also points out that beasts of prey will
become violent, and germs, mice, and serpents will torment men. At the
close of Kali-yuga, rain will be sparse, and the earth will have a short
supply of useful water and few fruits. The earth will have no kings, riches,
or food grains. Countries and cities will have groups of conspirators
robbing others of their belongings, stealing food, and violating others’
wives. Everyone will be lustful, base, wicked, and foolhardy. It will be
difficult to attain any prosperity, health, longevity, or strength. The spiritual
or Vedic texts will no longer exist. People will be afflicted with fear as
anarchy spreads. They will always be suspicious of each other, not
hesitating to attack and kill one another. People will be shameless and
unloving, without good conduct. Due to a lack of rain, nothing will grow
and they will give up agriculture. They will be forced to live near rivers and
oceans. In their misery they will live on whatever meat, roots, and fruits
they can find. They will be stunted in growth and will be forced to wear tree
barks, leaves, and skins. Thus, the few remaining subjects who live during
the concluding years of Kali-yuga will be involved in many calamities and
live in miserable circumstances.
The Linga Purana (40.19-25) also describes how the number of men
decreases while the population of women increases. The number of cows
will decline and good men will disappear from all areas of society. [This
may mean that such good or even saintly men will live outside society,
underground, or in mountain caves, or will be living in a higher
consciousness and on a higher vibratory level by which they simply
disappear from the view of ordinary people.]
The Mahabharata (Vana Parva, 190.20-21) continues with this same
kind of description and says that towards the later days of Kali-yuga, cows
will be far less than merely low in numbers: “At the end of (Kali) yuga men
will live on fish and milk of goats and sheep, for cows will then be extinct.”
You never know the value of something until it’s gone, but once the damage
is done, it can be irreversible. In this case, the conditions on earth no longer
support various species of life, which includes cows.
The Mahabharata (Vana Parva, 190.78, 73, 85-88) describes the great
heat at the end of Kali-yuga and says that the heat will become so difficult
that it will appear like more than one sun, and people will try to find
anywhere that is survivable: “The sun will appear with six other suns. There
will be great noise on every side and everywhere there will be (great)
conflagrations… [Due to their desperation] all distinctions between men
disappear. With honorary tasks and offices, men [give these up to] go to the
forests and live on fruits and roots…. When this age would come, men will
abandon their friends and relatives, servants and followers. Leaving the
countries, directions, towns and cities that they occupy, men will one after
the other seek for new ones. ‘O father, O son’, uttering such frightful words,
men in great affliction will rove over the (various) countries [looking for
relief and wondering] when this terrible age would be over.”
“In the last phase of Kali-yuga, all sinners would be destroyed. Some of
them would see their destruction from the scorching heat of the sun, while
others would be destroyed with the flooding from rivers and lakes.”
(Brahma-Vaivarta Purana, Krishna-Janma Khanda, 128.35)
All of these descriptions conclude that when the above conditions are
present at the very end of Kali-yuga, that is the time when the Supreme
Being, as Lord Kalki, will come to earth again and rescue the planet from
all of these difficulties and reestablish the Golden Age—Satya-yuga. This
will be the next coming of the Supreme. However, when this condition
occurs at the end of a kalpa, or the end of a day of Brahma as described in
Chapter Three, Lord Kalki will not appear again, and the earth will simply
slide into total annihilation, which is described more fully in Chapter Seven.
Such are the changes predicted in the Vedic literature that we can expect in
the future of this age of Kali. However, there are a few things we can do to
hold them off or help prevent them from being so overwhelming, which we
will discuss in the next chapter. Before the full effects of Kali-yuga
manifest we are in what is called the Golden Age within Kali-yuga, which
lasts for 10,000 years. So let us see how we can use it to our best advantage
while it lasts, as we discuss in the next chapter.
CHAPTER FIVE
The Golden Age in Kali-yuga: A Time for
Upliftment
In spite of all that has been said about the dark future of Kaliyuga, all is
not yet lost. As mentioned at the end of Chapter Three, there are plenty of
good possibilities and benefits ahead. So do not give up hope. Although we
can certainly see in any newspaper how various portions of the Vedic
prophecies are starting to appear, there is, nonetheless, a 10,000 year period
in the 432,000 years of Kaliyuga when everything can change for the better.
This is a very important period of time we must note because, according to
the Vedic descriptions, it has many advantages and will show a rise in
people’s consciousness, spiritual awareness, enlightenment, knowledge,
unity, and harmony in many areas of life. However, this will happen only if
we make a concerted effort to make the right positive changes, otherwise
we could lose the opportunity. The time in which this takes place is called
the “Golden Age in Kali-yuga,” which we are in right now.
In this Golden Age within Kali there will be a struggle, or polarization,
between the forces of light and forces of darkness. The forces of darkness
are formidable now and getting stronger, but the forces of light and those
who are working to bring more spiritual light into this world are also quite
strong and progressing. If we keep working to bring in those forces of light
and to spread genuine spiritual knowledge, this world can be made into a
place that provides a higher, spiritually progressive level of existence. But
this depends on whether the downward or deteriorating tendency of the age
of Kali can be curbed. That is possible only by working to increase the level
of spiritual awareness throughout the world. Despite all of the wars or
changes on the planet that are predicted to happen in the next several years,
these are not absolute. These can be lessened or even eliminated by
changing and uplifting the vibratory level in the atmosphere by
transforming the social consciousness. The more we change ourselves, the
more we also change our future.
In the recent decades we have seen so many changes in favor of the
dismantling of what are no doubt manifestations of the forces of darkness,
such as the tearing down of the Berlin Wall, changes in the Soviet Union,
and other governmental and social alterations worldwide. There are also
increasing changes occurring in our understanding of things that are no
longer healthy, such as the consumption of red meat, the smoking of
cigarettes, stress in our jobs, violence on television and in movies, and so
on. We are also learning more about the ancient ways of making our lives,
homes, and work spaces more nurturing and healthy for inner as well as
outer growth and development. There is increased interest in the ancient
alternative methods of medicine, and interest in finding alternatives to fossil
fuels. There is also a greater interest and clearer understanding that there is
more to life than this mere physical level of existence, as we can plainly see
by all of the published accounts of those who have had the “near death
experience” or have journeyed into the light.
Also, more people are recognizing that life is meant to be more than a
mere struggle to exist while trying to raise a family or simply get through
life. Our existence does not have to be based solely around acquiring the
almighty dollar, the accumulation of which becomes the basis of our
happiness as well as the cause of much of our unhappiness when we do not
get dollars. More people are seeing that life is for understanding the lessons
we are meant to learn in this human experience that force us to take another
look at who and what we really are. Rather than wondering why certain
things happen to us, people are beginning to realize that incidents, whether
good or bad, lead us to accomplish progressive evolutionary
transformations in our consciousness, and changes in our view of what we
are meant to do in this life. Thus, life does not need to be a struggle at all.
However, if we were more tuned into what life is offering us, we may be
less subject to learning life’s lessons the hard way through difficult
situations. It is often said that a person will learn more about himself or
herself through difficulties, challenges, or tests in life, rather than through
times that are easy. Normally this may be the case. But if we are more
aware of the purpose of life, we may learn as much about ourselves through
happy and fun times, too.
For example, in this lifetime you may be here to learn about yourself
because of some karmic adjustment that needs to happen due to some past
life debt. Or you may need to develop some latent talent from which you, as
well as other people, may benefit. Or you may be here to help bring in
evolutionary changes in society. The possibilities of your purpose and
where you fit are endless. Everyone has a purpose and a reason for being.
By understanding this, we can see that the world and our perception of
ourselves is changing and growing.
This is not so surprising for those of us who know what is meant to take
place in this Golden Age in Kali-yuga. This trend of development will
continue because it is predicted that much of the ancient knowledge that
was lost for hundreds and thousands of years, especially during the dark
ages, will again be revealed. We can see that this is presently happening.
Therefore, many of the recent discoveries and achievements and
information that we are using today to enhance our lives is knowledge that
has been around from long ago that we are now only rediscovering. This is
very evident when we study the ancient sciences of the Vedas, which I have
related in my other books, such as The Secret Teachings of the Vedas and
The Heart of Hinduism.
This tendency to rediscover and use the ancient wisdom and to bring in
the forces of light and spiritual development is predicted to last another
10,000 years. In the Brahma-Vaivarta Purana, Sri Krishna foretold that
after 5,000 years of Kali-yuga have passed, His mantra upasaka (the
devotee who worships His holy names) will appear in this world and spread
the chanting of Krishna’s names all over the planet. This is said to be what
will cause a change of consciousness wherever it goes, and in whomever it
contacts. The extent to which this is established will determine the degree to
which the negative influences of the age of Kali will be stifled. This period
of global spiritual awareness will continue until approximately 12,000 CE.
Lord Krishna goes on to say that when this period ends, the full force of
Kali will take hold and all of the downward or negative changes of Kali-
yuga, as mentioned in the previous chapter, will begin to manifest without
hindrance. Therefore, we should take advantage of this time while we have
the opportunity.
In some ways, this Golden Age in Kali-yuga is like the last gas station
on the edge of the desert. It is our last chance to prepare ourselves and fill
our car with gasoline before we enter the danger zone. Similarly, this
Golden Age in Kali-yuga is our last chance to improve ourselves,
individually and collectively, before facing the full onslaught of Kali-yuga.
The following is a story that helps put all this into focus. It is from the
Brahma-Vaivarta Purana (Sri Krishna-janma Kanda, 129.49-60) and was
spoken by Lord Krishna to Mother Ganga (the personality of the Ganges
River) just before the beginning of Kaliyuga. Herein He answers Ganga’s
question regarding her own future and purpose. Lord Krishna’s response
includes the potency of His devotees who will wander the earth and purify
it. Yet after they are gone, at the end of the Golden Age within Kali-yuga,
which is in another 10,000 years, then the full onslaught of the dark
influence of Kali-yuga will be felt. Since Kali-yuga began approximately
five thousand years ago, and it has a duration of 432,000 years, this leaves
us with about 427,000 more years till the end of the present age of Kali. The
Golden Age in the beginning of Kali-yuga is being described below by
Lord Sri Krishna.
Text 49
bhagarathy uvaca
he natha ramanashreshtha
yasi golokamuttamam
asmakam ka gatishcatra
bhavishyati kalau yuge
Translation
Bhagirathi [Ganga devi] said: “O lovable Lord, you are now proceeding
to Goloka [Krishna’s spiritual domain]. What shall be our position during
the age of Kali?”
Text 50
sri-bhagavan uvaca
kaleh pancasahasrani
varshani tishtha bhutale
papani papino yani
tubhyam dasyanti snanatah
Translation
Lord Bhagavan (Krishna) said: “On the earth 5,000 years of Kali will be
sinful and sinners will deposit their sins in you by bathing [in your waters].
Text 51
man-mantropasakasparshad
bhasmibhutani tatkshanat
bhavishyanti darsanacca
snanadeva hi jahnavi
Translation
“Thereafter, by the sight and touch of those devotees who worship me
by my mantra, and by the people who earn merit by having a look at you,
all those sins [in your water] will be burnt away and disappear [by the
potency of their devotion to Krishna].
Text 52
harernamani yatraiva
puranani bhavanti hi
tatra gatva savadhanam
abhih sarddham ca shroshyasi
Translation
“There will be chanting of the name of Hari and reading of the
[Bhagavata] Purana. Reaching such a place, attentively hear.
Text 53
purana shravanaccaiva
harernamanukirtanat
bhasmibhutani papani
brahma-hatyadikani ca
Translation
“Sinful reactions, including the killing of a Brahmana, can be nullified
by hearing the Purana and chanting of the names of Hari in the manner of
devotees.
Text 54
bhasmibhutani tanyeva
vaishnavalinganena ca
trinani shushkakashthani
dahanti pavako yatha
Translation
“Just as dry grass is burnt by fire, by the embrace of My devotees, the
Vaishnavas, all sins are burnt away.
Text 55
tathapi vaishnava loke
papani papinamapi
prithivyam yani tirthani
punyanyapi ca jahnavi
Translation
“O Ganga, the whole planet, even though it had been sinful, will
become a pilgrimage sight by the presence of My devotees [the bodies of
which enshrine all the holy places on earth].
Text 56
madbhaktanam sharireshu
santi puteshu samtatam
madbhaktapadarajasa
sadyah puta vasundhara
Translation
“In the body of my devotees remains eternally [the purifier]. Mother
earth becomes pure by the dust of the feet of My devotees.
Text 57
sadyah putani tirthani
sadyah putam jagattatha
manmantropasaka vipra
ye maducchishtabhojinah
Translation
“Pilgrimage sights and the whole world become purified by the dust
from the feet of those intelligent worshipers of My mantra [devotees who
chant the Hare Krishna mantra] and who partake of My remnants [eating
food first offered to Krishna].
Text 58
mameva nityam dhyayante
te mat pranadhikah priyah
tadupasparshamatrena
puto vayushca pavakah
Translation
“Such Brahmanas [devotees] who are devoted to Me are more dear to
Me than My life, who everyday meditate only on Me. Even by their indirect
touch the air and fire become pure.
Text 59
kaler dasha-sahasrani
madbhaktah santi bhu-tale
ekavarna bhavishyanti
madbhakteshu gateshu ca
Translation
“For 10,000 years of Kali-yuga such devotees of Mine will remain on
earth [filling the planet]. After the departure of My devotees there will only
be one varna [social class, the outcastes].
Text 60
madbhaktashunya prithivi
kaligrasta bhavishyati
etasminnantare tatra
krishnadehadvinirgatah
Translation
“Devoid of My devotees, the earth will be shackled by [the dark
influence of] Kali.” Saying this Sri Krishna departed.
So, herein we can understand that the Ganga would continue to flow for
another 5,000 years in which people can become purified with her
assistance, such as by bathing in her waters. But after that, she will
disappear, after which the world and its residents could become purified by
the association of those devotees who worship Lord Krishna by chanting
His mantra consisting of His holy names. However, as stated above,
Vaishnavas or devotees of Sri Krishna, along with the process of chanting
His holy names, would only remain on earth for another 10,000 years and
then also disappear. This is further confirmed as follows:
“In the age of Kali-yuga, I [Lord Krishna] would continue to be adored
on earth for ten thousand years, and the Ganga would flow on earth for five
thousand years. As long as the Ganga flows on earth, the Tulasi plant,
devotion to Vishnu, and recitation of the Puranas will continue. O lord of
Vraja, no one would recite My name in Kaliyuga (once the age advances to
when the Ganga ceases to flow). [Thereafter] the land would be deprived of
truthfulness, the trees would no longer provide fruits, and the rivers would
be without water… The Brahmanas would become deprived of the Vedic
knowledge, and the rulers would become weak. There would be a classless
society, and the rulers would be the same as mlecchas.” (Brahma-Vaivarta
Purana, Krishna-Janma Khanda, 128.28-30, 32-33)
So, while we are in this Golden Age, what are the best things we can do
and what is so special about it?
THE ADVANTAGES OF KALI-YUGA
The Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5.38-40) relates that while this Golden
Age in Kali-yuga is in progress even those who live in Satya-yuga and the
other ages want to take birth in this age since there will be many devotees
of the Supreme, Lord Narayana, on this planet. Thus, intelligent persons of
the other ages hanker for the association of these spiritually advanced souls
because, with the help of these sages, within one short lifetime in Kali-yuga
one can reach spiritual perfection. You cannot find this advantage at any
other time.
The Vayu Purana (58.47) also confirms this by explaining that: “Piety
practiced for one day (in Kali-yuga) is equal to that practiced for a month in
Dvapara-yuga, or a year in Treta-yuga.”
“At that time men [who perform genuine spiritual activities] will attain
perfection within a short time. Such blessed people, and leading excellent
Brahmana priests, will perform holy rites at the end of the yuga. For those
who perform the holy rites enjoined by the Shrutis and Smritis, without the
least tinge of jealousy, the performance of such activities for a year in Treta-
yuga is equal to a month in Dvapara-yuga. An intelligent man performing
these in Kaliyuga, according to his capacity, shall attain the same results in
a day.” (Vayu Purana 58.71-72)
Furthermore, it is also stated that “O father, though Kali-yuga is filled
with all the evils, but still there are great virtues in the same. In Kali-yuga a
person gets merit for mental virtues or spiritual thoughts, but not the sins
for lusty or sinful thoughts.” (Brahma-Vaivarta Purana, Krishna-Janma
Khanda, 90.29-30) This is very positive because if we were held
accountable for every bad thought we had, which is commonplace in Kali-
yuga, there would be no end to the karmic consequences that we would
have to endure. These are a few of the advantages to this age.
The Vedic tradition is not the only culture that mentions that many souls
want to be born on earth at this time. The Tibetan Lamas, the Native
American Indians, the East Indian mystics, the Mayan priests, and others,
also say that many souls are waiting to incarnate here to take advantage of
the coming changes.
The most important advantage in the Golden Age in Kaliyuga, in spite
of whatever chaos and wars currently plague the planet, is the opportunity
for making great strides in spiritual understanding. After all, it was only 500
years ago when Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1534) appeared to
establish the process of spiritual-realization that is the easiest and most
appropriate for this era. This process would bring in the Golden Age in
Kali-yuga that we are presently beginning to experience. This is the process
of harinama sankirtana, a type of mantra-yoga that incorporates the
congregational glorification and singing of the names of the Supreme,
which actually is very common in the hymns and chants of most religions
and spiritual paths. But here it is specifically in the form of the Hare
Krishna mantra. Harinama means name of Hari, Krishna. This maha-
mantra, or great mantra for deliverance (Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna,
Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare
Hare) and the process of singing or chanting it has been advocated in many
Vedic texts for thousands of years. Chanting mantras like a song in a group
or congregation is called sankirtana. Chanting it quietly for oneself or on
beads is called japa meditation. Sri Chaitanya said that spreading the
chanting of this mantra is the single most important factor in changing the
consciousness of humankind and spreading spiritual awareness, especially
in this age of Kali. This, indeed, would produce a new species of humanity.
The Kali-santarana Upanishad specifically states, “After searching
through all of the Vedic literature, one cannot find a method of religion
more sublime for this age of Kali-yuga than the chanting of Hare Krishna.”
This is further verified in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5.32)which predicts
that the intelligent persons in the age of Kali will engage in congregational
chanting of the names of Krishna to worship the incarnation of the Supreme
[Lord Sri Chaitanya] who constantly sings the names of Krishna, and who
is Krishna Himself, although His complexion is not blackish. He is
accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons, and confidential
companions.
The Sri Caitanya-caritamrita (Adi-lila, 17.22) also says, “In this age of
Kali, the holy name of the Lord, in the form of the Hare Krishna maha-
mantra, is the incarnation of Lord Krishna. Simply by chanting the holy
name, one associates with the Supreme directly. Anyone who does this is
certainly delivered [from further material existence].”
This is also elaborated in the Kalki Purana (24.7) which states, “Those
who always chant Your holy names, which destroy the contamination of
Kali, and removes the fear of material existence, and enables one to develop
transcendental qualities, even though undergoing material miseries at
present, will never again have to accept a material body.” In other words, it
is this mantra that provides the doorway which leads directly to the spiritual
realm. The vibration of the holy name is the high frequency through which
we can enter into the spiritual dimension. Furthermore, the use of it means
that we change the vibrational level of our own consciousness and the
surrounding environment in which we exist. This can cause the
manifestation of that spiritual atmosphere in this material world.
The Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.3.51-52) goes on to say that this process
of reawakening one’s spiritual awareness is the most important advantage
of Kali-yuga. It also states (11.5.36-37) that enlightened persons who are
advanced in knowledge can appreciate the real value of this fallen age of
Kali-yuga because in this age all perfection can be attained easily by the
process of sankirtana. For materially embodied souls wandering in this
material world, there is no higher gain than coming in contact with the
Supreme Being’s sankirtana movement by which one attains ultimate peace
and freedom from the cycle of repeated birth and death.
In the Padma Purana (5.80.2-8) we find a conversation between Shiva
and his wife, Parvati, in which Shiva specifically says that Kali-yuga does
not harass those who utter the name of Hari or chant Hare Rama, Hare
Krishna. One can be freed from worldly existence just by remembering
Vishnu’s names, no matter whether one is pure or impure.
The point is that because the age of Kali is so difficult, polluted and
disturbing—taxing our consciousness with so many distractions—all other
forms of religion and processes of spiritual realization either lose their
effectiveness or offer only incomplete knowledge; thus, they simply fail to
produce the needed results. They may produce some peace and forgiveness,
some moral standards and understanding, but they do not deliver the higher
principles and experience of spiritual realization. Shukadeva Gosvami says
in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.3.45-49) that although all objects, places,
and persons in Kali-yuga are polluted, the Supreme Being can remove such
contamination from one who hears or chants about, meditates upon,
glorifies, or simply offers respect to the Supreme. Therefore, by remaining
ever aware and focused on the Lord in the heart, the contamination from
many thousands of lifetimes can be removed. Such awareness is many
times more potent than any other process; such as austerities, breath control,
strict vows, or bathing in holy places. Anyone who maintains this
concentration at the time of death will certainly attain the supreme
destination in the spiritual world.
In this regard it is further related in the Mahanirvana Tantra (2.14-20)
that all Vedic rites and processes of spiritual purification that were effective
in other ages are useless in this age of Kali-yuga. So, it says the primary
process that must be followed in this age is the use of mantras from the
tantric texts that give immediate results when used for chanting, meditation,
or rituals and ceremonies.
This is also verified in a verse from the Brahma-Vaivarta Purana which
explains that in the age of Kali, austerities, yoga meditation, elaborate Deity
worship, and rituals, cannot be carried out properly even by experts. This
means that our faculties, whether they are mental, intellectual, physical, or
otherwise, are simply not available in this age to the degree necessary to
enable us to reach the proper results by any of these methods.
Therefore, the Brihan-naradiya Purana (39.97), along with the Vishnu
Purana (6.2.17), the Padma Purana (Uttara-khanda 72.25), and the
Bhagavata Purana (12.3.52) all say that what was achieved in Satya-yuga
by meditation, and in Treta-yuga by the performance of rituals, and in
Dvapara-yuga by refined deity worship, can now be attained in Kali-yuga
simply by sankirtana, glorifying or singing the names of God, Lord
Keshava, Krishna. In other words, because Kali-yuga is the most difficult
age, we have been given the easiest spiritual process. This is stated in the
Kurma Purana (1.30.37)that although the age of Kali is full of defects, the
good point is that people can acquire great spiritual merit without great
strain. The Vayu Purana (58.47), as well as the Linga Purana (40.47), goes
on to explain that pious acts performed in one day in Kali-yuga are equal to
those practiced for a month in Dvapara-yuga, or a year in Tretayuga.
Further elaboration is given in the Padma Purana (1.41.91-92, and 7.26.40-
44) which explains that what merit is attained through ten years of spiritual
practice in Satya or Krita-yuga, a year in Tretayuga, or a month in Dvapara-
yuga, is attained in one day and night in Kali-yuga. What is achieved by
meditation in Krita-yuga, or by ceremonies in Treta-yuga, or by elaborate
worship in Dvapara-yuga, one can obtain in Kali-yuga simply by glorifying
and repeating the name of Keshava (Krishna). The Padma Purana (6.71.23-
29) also concludes that with all their sins destroyed by this means in
Kaliyuga, people can attain the highest position [meaning the ultimate goal
of life of entering back into the spiritual dimension].
In fact, this is why King Pariksit did not kill the personality of Kali
when he first saw him, as related in Chapter Three of this volume. After all,
why didn’t he simply kill Kali and do away with all of this trouble that was
bound to happen? The Srimad Bhagavat-Mahatmya (1.67-69) of the Padma
Purana explains that when King Pariksit first met Kali, he thought to
himself that Kali did not deserve to die at the King’s hand. In the age of
Kali a person, through the mere chanting of the names and glory of Sri
Krishna, can secure the fruit [liberation from material existence] which
cannot be attained through concentrating the mind or deep meditation in
yoga. Therefore, perceiving the Kali age to be valuable in this one respect,
though devoid of all other benefits, King Pariksit, with a view to secure the
spiritual happiness of those born in Kali-yuga, allowed the spirit of it to
stay.
The Narada Purana (1.41.89-118) also gives explicit directions on
rising into a higher dimension of existence, both individually and
collectively. It is stated therein that nowhere does the dark age of Kali affect
those whose consciousness is absorbed in devotion to Hari, Krishna, or who
practice the recitation of His names. In fact, it states that those who are
devoted to the repetition of the names of Hari are equal to Shiva [or can
attain Shiva’s higher dimensional level of existence by the required change
of consciousness]. Therefore, it is advised that one should always be
absorbed in the spiritual vibrations of reciting the holy names of God, such
as Hari, Keshava, Govinda, Vasudeva, Jagannatha, or Krishna. Those
persons need not be afraid of the age of Kali. They are very fortunate and
noble, even if they do not have the association of saintly persons. How
fortunate are those who recite these names, for sins do not bind them and
they are worthy of being worshiped by the Devas. Narada emphatically
declares that individual liberation from the material world is not possible by
any other means in Kali-yuga except through the name of Hari. This is the
greatest merit and penance.
The conclusion of all this is that the greatest virtue of Kaliyuga is the
opportunity to learn and hear about the Supreme Being and, thus, clear your
consciousness to perceive who and what you really are. This is clearly
stated in the Bhagavatam (12.3.51): “Although Kali-yuga is an ocean of
faults there is still one good quality about this age, and that is by chanting
the holy names of Krishna one can become free from material existence and
reach the spiritual kingdom.” This is the ultimate goal of life, which can
easily be achieved in this age of Kali.
Actually, according to the Brihan-naradiya Purana (38.126), this is an
absolute necessity in this age. It states: “Chant the holy name, chant the
holy name, chant the holy name of Lord Hari, to make spiritual progress in
this age of Kali there is no other way, no other way, no other way.”
It is also said that all Vedic rites and the results of all other spiritual
practices are found within the holy names of the Hare Krishna mantra.
Thus, it is the easiest and most effective process for spiritual enlightenment
and liberation. The Vedic literature leaves no doubt, as stated in the Skanda
Purana (Caturmasya-mahatmya section), that the most perfect process of
spiritual elevation that can be executed is the chanting of the holy names of
Lord Sri Hari. Such performance of sankirtana is what can please the
Supreme Being, especially in the age of Kali.
It is also for this reason that Brahma said to Lord Krishna in Srimad-
Bhagavatam (11.6.24) that in the age of Kali pious and saintly persons will
easily cross over the darkness of this age if they hear about and praise Your
transcendental qualities and activities.
Furthermore, it is predicted that this form of spiritual development,
bhakti-yoga, devotion to the Supreme, will spread around the world. This is
related in the Srimad-Bhagavata-Mahatmya (2.1-12) section of the Padma
Purana. Therein is a conversation between the great sage Narada Muni and
the feminine personality of Bhakti. Narada explains that in the other ages,
Satya-yuga, Tretayuga, and Dvapara-yuga, meditation and rituals were the
means to spiritual enlightenment. But in Kali-yuga, bhakti alone, devotion
to the Supreme, brings unity with the Supreme Being. Bhakti’s real form
looks after the devotees in Vaikuntha, the spiritual world, and assuming a
shadow-form she takes care of the devotees on earth.
Narada specifically explains further that there is no age like Kali. In this
age bhakti will travel all over the world and be established in every house
and in every individual. Narada says that if he fails to propagate bhakti
throughout the world, making all other religions fade in the background and
making prominent the grand celebrations connected with devotion, then he
is no longer a servant of Sri Hari, Krishna. Those that become endowed
with bhakti, though they are sinners in this age of Kali, will attain the abode
of Sri Krishna in the spiritual world after death. Those who are full of
bhakti never see Yama, the lord of death, nor are they touched by a ghost, a
spirit of the departed, nor a fiend, an ogre, nor a demon. The Supreme can
be won only through devotion (bhakti), not meditation, good deeds, sacred
vows, pilgrimages, disciplines, rituals, discourses, or enlightenment. In
Kali-yuga, bhakti alone is the supreme path, through which Lord Sri
Krishna reveals Himself. This easy path is the great advantage of Kali-yuga.
(Padma Purana, Srimad-Bhagavata-Mahatmya, 2.13-21)
PROPHECIES ON THE IMPORTANCE OF MAYAPUR,
INDIA
One of the major centers from which this new spiritual awareness is
predicted to arise and spread throughout the world is the city of Mayapur,
India, located north of Kolkata. This is the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu and is considered a holy dhama, or place where the spiritual
energy manifests in this material world.
One prediction about the importance and future significance of Mayapur
appeared 500 years ago in Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura’s book,
Navadvipa Shataka. He wrote that Lord Chaitanya’s city is where the living
beings eternally shine in their blissful forms, which cannot be understood
by those who are blinded by maya, illusion. The eternal, blissful, spiritual
nature is manifest in Lord Chaitanya’s city, so everyone should take shelter
there. You should reside there if you are set on crossing the ocean of
repeated birth and death, or if you relish the sweet nectar of Krishna
sankirtana and love of the Supreme. Simply abandon all misconceptions
and take shelter in Lord Gauranga’s [Chaitanya’s] city.
It was in the nineteenth century when Bhaktivinoda Thakura (1838-
1914), a great spiritual master in the disciplic line of the Brahma-Madhava-
Gaudiya sampradaya, had a vision of a wonderful golden city while he was
sitting in his house in Godrumdvipa, across the Jalangi River from Sri
Mayapur. He saw a brilliant effulgence in Sri Mayapur that spread out in all
directions. He knew that this was the spiritual city, centered around the birth
site of Sri Chaitanya, that would one day be where the knowledge of
Krishna-prema, love of God, and the teachings of devotional service,
bhakti-yoga, would spread throughout the world.
In his Caitanya Sikshamrita, Bhaktivinoda Thakura also predicted that
the day would arrive when foreigners would come to Sri Mayapur and
dance in ecstasy with their Indian brothers in this holy land. They would
chant, “Jaya Sacinandana! Jaya Sacinandana!” This means victory and
glories to Sacinandana, who is Sri Chaitanya as the son of Mother Saci.
In another book, Nabadwipa-Dhama Mahatmya, Chapter Five,
Bhaktivinoda Thakura also explains how Nityananda Prabhu, who was Sri
Chaitanya’s brother and spiritual confidante, revealed the holy place of
Navadwip to Jiva Gosvami nearly 500 years ago. When they were visiting
the area of Antardwipa, Nityananda Prabhu related that the River Ganga
would flood the holy place of Mayapur and inundate the town after the Lord
(Sri Chaitanya) leaves this earthly plane. After remaining underwater for
over 100 years, the Ganga would recede and gradually people again would
live in Mayapur and build temples, out of which, “One exceedingly
wonderful temple will appear from which eternal service to Sri Chaitanya
will be preached everywhere.”
Another point is that various portions of the Vedic texts, such as in the
Padma Purana and others, explain the significance of numerous holy places
throughout India. These sites are sacred for various reasons, such being
where the avataras of the Supreme have displayed pastimes, where
important miracles or events have taken place, where great devotees and
saints have lived, and so on. But these Vedic scriptures also say that as the
age of Kali-yuga continues, many of the holy sites will lose their potency,
and in time many will simply be forgotten. The power of any sacred place is
judged by how they can relieve the sinful reactions or bad karma of the
pilgrims who visit it. But gradually the sins of those who visit such places
begin to accumulate and bring down the spiritual vibration of the holy sites,
and fewer pure devotees and saintly persons come through to help purify
them. However, it is just the opposite with Mayapur or Navadvipa, whose
glories and power increase as the age of Kali-yuga progresses. Thus, in
Kali-yuga, the holy land of Mayapur becomes the most sacred and potent of
all holy places.
This is explained by Bhaktivinoda Thakura in reference to the
Muktisankalini Tantra quoted in his book Navadvipa-dhama Mahatmya
(Pramana Khanda 4.2.7) that, “In Satya-yuga, Kurukshetra is the most
important holy place; in Treta-yuga Lake Pushkar is the most important
holy place; in Dvapara-yuga Naimisharanya is the most important holy
place; and in Kali-yuga, Navadvipa [which includes Mayapur] is the most
important holy place.”
Therefore, the spiritual light and knowledge that comes from the holy
land of Mayapur will grow ever stronger, and the purification will affect an
ever wider area around the world. Other spiritual authorities also have
described the future significance of Mayapur. Vrindavan das Thakur, in the
Pramana Khanda of the Navadvipadhama Mahatmya, described a wondrous
and beautiful temple that would be in Mayapur. Narahari Chakravarti also
described the great and beautiful temple of Mayapur and the spiritual nature
of this sacred place as seen by Srinivasa Acharya in the Bhakti-ratnakara.
This, therefore, reveals the importance that the city of Mayapur will have.
But which temple would this be? Who would develop it? And how will this
spiritual knowledge spread throughout the planet?
HOW THE NEW SPIRITUAL AWARENESS WILL
SPREAD AROUND THE WORLD
In regard to how this new spiritual awareness will spread, let us
remember the purpose of the higher spiritual knowledge which is preserved
and presented in the Vedic literature. It is explained in the Kalki Purana
(25.5-6) that “Just to fulfill the desires of materialistic people, the Vedas
propagate the path of fruitive action. At the same time, the Vedas establish
the genuine principles of religion and present the path of pure devotional
service to the Lord. Under the guidance of the Vedas, great sages like
Vatsyayana propagate the worship of Lord Hari [Vishnu], the master of the
universe, within human society.”
This explains the real purpose of the Vedic literature. However, Lord
Kalki further explains: “The twice-born devotees [those initiated by proper
spiritual gurus or teachers] who preach the [real] purport of the Vedas, and
who are themselves personifications of the Vedas, please Me to such an
extent that none of the demigods or anyone else can. The Vedic knowledge
has spread only by the work of those who are twice-born. All of the living
entities in this world, who are My parts and parcels, are being protected by
the Vedas. Therefore, it is to be concluded that those who are twice-born are
the principal instruments for maintaining My body. That is why I offer My
obeisances to the Brahmanas from My position in the mode of pure
goodness. Those who are twice-born are the shelter of everyone and they
serve Me, considering Me to be the basis of the entire universe.” (Kalki
Purana 4.10-12)
In this way, those who are properly connected to the Lord and who
actually understand the genuine and conclusive teachings of the Vedic
spiritual knowledge can really help protect and spread this lofty nonmaterial
awareness. The Vedic knowledge and its shabda-brahma spiritual vibration
is considered part of the body of the Supreme, and thus helping preserve
this Vedic tradition is also regarded to be a service and a form of
maintaining the body of the Supreme, especially in this difficult age of Kali-
yuga. Thus, no ordinary person, but only one who is empowered by the
Lord can help protect and give this genuine spiritual knowledge to the
people of the world.
As previously stated, in the Brahma-Vaivarta Purana, in a conversation
with Ganga Devi, Lord Krishna describes that after 5,000 years of Kali-
yuga have passed, His mantra upasaka, the great sage and worshiper of
Krishna’s holy names, will appear and spread the chanting of Krishna’s
names (in the form of the Hare Krishna mantra) not only in India but
throughout the world. Lord Krishna explains that by the chanting of His
holy names the world will become spiritualized and everyone will be Hari-
bhaktas [devotees of Lord Hari, Krishna], engaged in the process of
devotional yoga to the Supreme. The purified devotees will visit the holy
places and holy rivers of India and will purify them. They will also purify
those with whom they come in contact. In this way, Sri Krishna predicted
the appearance of a powerful devotee who would spread the chanting of His
names worldwide.
Furthermore, in the Fourth Chapter of the Antya-lila (4.126) of the
Caitanya Bhagavata, which is a biography of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
written by Sri Vrindavan dasa Thakura who is said to be an incarnation of
Srila Vyasadeva, Sri Chaitanya explains: “I have appeared on earth to
propagate the congregational chanting of the holy names of God. In this
way, I will deliver the sinful material world. Those demons who never
before accepted My authority and lordship will weep in joy by chanting My
names. I will vigorously distribute devotional service, bhakti, which is
sought after even by demigods, sages, and perfected beings, so that even the
most abominable sinners will receive it. But those who, intoxicated with
education, wealth, family background, and knowledge, criticize and offend
My devotees, will be deprived of everything and will never know My true
identity.” Then Sri Chaitanya specifically states: “I declare that My name
will be preached in every town and village on this earth.”
Even in the Sri Caitanya Mangala, another biography of Sri Chaitanya
written in 1537 by Srila Locana Dasa Thakura (who was born in 1520 CE),
Lord Chaitanya foretold the coming of an empowered devotee who would
take the sankirtana process everywhere: “I want to flood the whole world
with the chanting of the holy names. I will personally preach and flood
India with harinama sankirtana, chanting of the holy names. And My
senapati bhakta (great devotee commander) will come, preach in different
countries and flood the world with the chanting of Hare Krishna.” This
means that, though Sri Chaitanya came to establish and spread the process
of congregational chanting of Krishna’s names in India, there would be one
great devotee who would appear and spread it throughout the world.
Later, in the 1800s, Bhaktivinoda Thakura predicted in his magazine,
Sajjana-toshani, in an article called Nityananda Suryodoy, “Soon there will
be a time when chanting of Krishna’s name will be heard in England,
France, Russia, Germany, and America.”
In this regard, Bhaktivinoda also wrote in his Sajjana-toshani in 1895
that, “Sriman Mahaprabhu did not descend with His associates to deliver a
certain number of human beings in the land of India, but rather His purpose
was to deliver and uplift all living beings in all countries of the world by
practicing the eternal religion of all souls.” In the same article,
Bhaktivinoda questioned, when will that day come when all greatly
fortunate souls take up banners, drums, and hand cymbals and cause the
ecstatic waves of harinamakirtans [songs of the holy names of the
Supreme] and the singing of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s holy name to rise
in the streets of their towns and cities?
In 1896, Bhaktivinoda predicted in his book, Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu: His Life and Precepts, on page 62, “The principle of kirtana,
as the future church of the world, invites all classes of men without
distinction of caste, creed, or clan to the highest cultivation of the spirit.
This church will extend all over the world and take the place of all sectarian
churches which exclude outsiders from the precincts of their mosque,
church or temple.”
What all this means is that with his spiritual vision, Bhaktivinoda
Thakura could see how the sankirtana process would be taken in the near
future to the western countries and, indeed, all over the planet. In fact, in
1875 Bhaktivinoda Thakura had also predicted: “A personality will soon
appear to preach the teachings of Lord Chaitanya and move unrestrictedly
over the whole world with His message.” But who could this be? Who
would do it?
As an answer to these prayers and predictions, on Nandotsava, the
annual festival day celebrating Krishna’s birth, in the year of 1896, there
appeared His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. It was
Srila Prabhupada who grew up as a pure devotee of Krishna. In 1933, he
was initiated by Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami, the son of
Bhaktivinoda Thakura, who also instructed him to spread the message of
devotional service to Krishna in the Englishspeaking countries. Srila
Prabhupada came to America in 1965 with little money and without
knowing anyone. With difficulty he continued to work, carrying out the
instructions of his spiritual master until he established the first Krishna
temple in the United States. Thereafter, he continued to distribute this
spiritual knowledge and the process of singing and chanting Hare Krishna
all over the world. He traveled around the world 12 times and visited every
major country to take bhakti and harinama sankirtana to the western world.
He also gave thousands of lectures, wrote thousands of letters, and met with
many important scholars and dignitaries. He also laid the cornerstone and
made plans for the development of the Sri Chaitanya Chandrodaya Mandir
in Mayapur, India, which will be the largest temple and devotional
community complex in Bengal. Therefore, it was Srila Prabhupada who had
been predicted by the previous acharyas, and by Sri Chaitanya, and even by
Lord Krishna in the ancient Puranas, as the person who would spread this
new spiritual awareness on a grand scale.
Even though Srila Prabhupada left this world in 1977, he wrote 51
volumes of books with translations in 28 languages, especially Bhagavad-
gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, so anyone can take advantage of this
knowledge. He established 108 temples in most major cities around the
world, and touched so many people who can also teach this philosophy that
this genuine spiritual knowledge will continue to spread and be available
for the next 10,000 years, throughout the length of this Golden Age in Kali-
yuga.
In light of this, along with the previously explained information on how
those dedicated to the holy names of Lord Krishna would be the source of
genuine spiritual knowledge even after the Ganga would cease to flow, we
find in the Pratisarga of the Bhavishya Purana (20.71-73), the following
prediction: “Lord Jagannatha, the Supreme Lord Sri Hari Himself, spoke
these attractive words for the welfare of all: The mlecchas who are born
from mixed countries ruled by descendants of Kashyapa (demons) and the
Shudras will become Brahmanas by initiation [following the principles of
vaidhi-bhakti or regulative principles]. They will wear shikhas [tufts of hair
on shaved heads] and Brahmana threads [to chant the Gayatri mantra], and
will become well-versed in the uncontaminated fruit of the Vedas (Srimad-
Bhagavatam). They will worship Me by the yajna [Vedic ritual of chanting
the holy names] prescribed by the Lord of lords, the protector of [Mother]
Sachi [meaning Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu].”
This makes it clear how the continuation of the new spiritual awareness
will spread around the world. Furthermore, forty-six years before the
beginning of Kali-yuga, Vishnuchittha, one of the twelve great Vaishnava
saints of the Sri sampradaya, predicted: “There will come a race [of people]
which will tread the Earth with raised hands and vertical tilaka [markings]
on their foreheads, who will chant the names of Hari; this will destroy the
influence of Kali-yuga.” (Divyaprabhanda 1:10)
Sri Ramanuja also predicted: “The pure devotion to Sri Hari, devoid of
karma [selfish or materialistically motivated activities] and jnana
[speculative knowledge] will grow and grow like a banyan tree covering the
whole world, teaching everyone who takes shelter of it.” (Prapannamrita
Tarpana, last chapter)
Sri Madhvacharya also predicted in this regard: “The real knowledge of
the difference between the jiva soul and Lord Sri Hari and the service to Sri
Hari [Lord Krishna] will spread all over the world very shortly.” (Anu
Madhva Vijaya, last chapter)
In this way, the relief from the influence of Kali-yuga, and the means to
spread the spiritual awareness throughout the world, at least while the
golden age within Kali-yuga lasts, has been described herein. So, what else
is there to do but work to promote this knowledge to as many people across
the world as possible. We simply need to be a part of it and help in the
process.
Some may ask, however, why is there such emphasis on Lord Krishna?
What is His actual position? However, this was a question that has been
asked many times before, as we find in the Mahabharata. So, to relieve any
doubts for those who may wonder, let us review that story.
The Mahabharata explains how Krishna is the One Supreme Being. In
it when Grandfather Bishma was giving the last of his advice to King
Yudhisthira while on the battlefield of Kurukshetra before leaving this
world, King Yudhisthira asked, “Who is the One God in the world? The
One Object which is our sole refuge, by worshipping whom does one obtain
all that one desires? Which is the One Religion which is the foremost of all
religions? What is the mantra, reciting which, man becomes freed from
bondage to birth?”
In answer to this the great Bishma responds, “Krishna is the Lord of the
Universe. He is the God of Gods. He is the foremost of all beings. By Him
is pervaded this universe. Meditating on Him and on His many names man
can transcend all sorrow. The foremost of all religions is Krishna. He is the
highest energy. He is the highest penance. He is the highest refuge. He is
the holiest of holies. He is the beginning of all creation and the end of all
creation. Krishna is the eternal Brahman. Surrender yourself to Him and
you will be one with Him: with Krishna the Lord of the past, the present
and the future: the Supreme Soul.” (From the Mahabharata translated by
Kamala Subramaniam, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay, 1982, pages 721-
2)
There are many other quotes that could be provided in this regard, but to
provide a little more clarity on who is Sri Krishna, we can look to the
Brahma-Vaivarta Purana (Prakriti Khanda, 7.87-89) which explains what
we should look for:
“Lord Krishna happens to be the cause of all the creations, eternal, ever-
lasting, moving according to His own wish, the extreme Brahman,
unattached, invisible, beyond material nature. In order to bestow His grace
on His devotees, He takes to human form. He is extremely beautiful and the
complexion of his body resembles the newly formed [darkish] clouds. He
has two arms, holds a flute in his hands, and appears in the form of a tender-
aged cowherd boy. He knows everything and is served by all. He is the
Supreme Soul and the Lord of all.”
In this way, Lord Krishna is described to show His superior nature over
all that be. He is the Brahman, Paramatma or Supersoul, and Bhagavan the
Supreme Person. He is the epitome of all aspects of God. No matter
whether we are attracted to the Brahman, to the other jiva souls, or to the
material energy, all meditation and devotion should be aimed at Him
because He is the ultimate source of all else, and the final goal of all
spiritual and philosophical understanding.
HOW TO GET FREE OF THE INFLUENCE OF KALI-
YUGA
From the material perspective, we should recognize that as the age of
Kali-yuga moves forward, many people are wondering how bad social
conditions will get before they start to show some serious improvement,
and what can we do about it now. Yet, the Vedic texts contain a specific
prescription for staying free from the heavy influence that this age of Kali-
yuga brings.
In spite of all the changes predicted to happen in society and on the
planet, there are still many ways, both material and spiritual, to stifle or
even get free of Kali-yuga’s influence. If we are going to change anything
for the better, now is the time to work at it—while the Golden Age within
Kali-yuga lasts.
One of the first things we must understand is that a perfect civilization
is based on working with valor while depending on the Supreme. The more
godless we become, then the more deteriorated and degraded society and
this world will be due to allowing the influence of Kali-yuga to come in
without any interference. Therefore, we all need to work for our existence,
but we need to recognize that we also are dependent on nature, or the gifts
of God. For example, a farmer may have planned and worked so hard to
acquire full facility to grow food, such as getting land, seeds, and
equipment. But he is not in control of the rain. Without proper rainfall all of
his endeavors are fruitless. Therefore, he is dependent on the higher powers
who can provide such necessities. So, although wanting to be independent
of everything is natural for numerous people, this is not possible while
living in this material world. We are all dependent on so many other beings
and things to survive, including the laws of material nature. And, ultimately,
it is the Supreme Being who is in charge of those laws. Therefore, the
perfection of society is to work to contribute to family and society while
depending on and working in harmony with the Supreme Will.
The proper and peaceful view of human existence is described in
Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.8.40) where it states: “All these cities and villages
are flourishing in all respects because the herbs and grains are in abundance,
the trees are full of fruits, the rivers are flowing, the hills are full of minerals
and the oceans full of wealth. And this is all due to the glance of the
Supreme Being.”
It is natural for humankind and all life on this planet to flourish and be
happy by taking advantage of the gifts of nature, such as fruits, grains,
vegetables, unpolluted rivers and lakes, fresh air, minerals, jewels, etc. All
are supplied by the arrangement of the Supreme. However, if the world is
sufficient in these items, then what is the need to hanker after large
industrial projects that often exploit men and resources at the cost of slowly
destroying the planet and increasing unrest and dissatisfaction in society for
the sake of acquiring money? Money may be necessary, but without
spiritual knowledge and guidance, we will not know how to use it or how to
direct our actions in a proper occupation. And without that, peace is not
possible.
Often we can see that where there are many industrial businesses, such
as mines, factories, workshops, and slaughterhouses, the area becomes dark,
filthy, and dungeon-like, with low-class residential quarters and slums. The
attitude of people in these areas often become low and miserable, with an
increase in health problems and a consciousness geared toward immediate
gratification of the mind and senses. As moral standards and consideration
of each other goes down, crimes goes up. As dependency on financial gain
increases while the economy and jobs deteriorate, people become more
miserable and desperate.
Whereas when residential and working areas are made to nurture our
well-being, and include flower gardens, parks, reservoirs of water, and
flowering trees, everything is brighter and more enjoyable. When society
depends more on the natural resources without the need for manipulating it
for increased profits, which are often at the expense of our well-being, then
people can live a more balanced and simpler life. Thus, advancement of
society should not be estimated solely by the growth of industry and
technology. Such measures must at least include the development of the
spiritual and finer characteristics of human beings. Otherwise, spending
one’s life in factories, slaughterhouses, and mills, simply dulls and
deteriorates the finer sentiments of people and poisons the environment in
so many ways.
The more dependent we become on artificial necessities, the more
vulnerable we are to needless and artificial crises. Our dependence on
things like oil, gasoline, electricity, and other conveniences have also made
us vulnerable to the problems when such things are no longer available or
are in shortage. For example, when there is an electrical black out, then the
computers at the banks no longer work. So business stops, among other
things. Or when there is an oil shortage, gasoline prices go up, which also
raises the costs on everything that depends on transportation, like groceries
at the market, or just getting to our jobs, etc. True independence means
being free from being dependent on such artificial needs. Such detachment
and independence may be more important than we think if we are to survive
those changes that are predicted to happen on the planet and in society.
Things we take for granted now may one day be difficult to get.
Just as there is now the holistic view of health, there needs to be what I
call “holistic economics.” The basis of holistic economics is considering
economic development with the whole planet in mind. This is actually the
Vedic principle. The principle of proper economic development, in the
Vedic view, must be centered on land and cows, along with other real
necessities, such as food grains, fruits, milk, minerals, wood, jewels,
clothing, and housing. We all require these things to live. Therefore, all
enterprises based on these items can prosper in a natural way if they are
used for the benefit of society and the planet without exploitative intentions.
In this way, we can understand that the secret of a successful society is to
take refuge under the protection of the Supreme, and to use the gifts of
nature in the way they are meant to be used—for the benefit of society and
the planet.
The point is that there must be cooperation between humankind, nature,
and God. This, however, depends on the consciousness of people and how
spiritually evolved they are. It is this full cooperation between humans,
nature, and God that will bring happiness, peace, and prosperity in the
world. The attitude of vicious competition, envy, and the exploitation of one
another and the planet for all that can be gotten from it, will only cause
discontent and misery. Real prosperity and happiness flourish on the gifts of
nature, not merely on industrial enterprises. For example, even the powerful
automotive industry depends on natural resources for its continuation, such
as metals, oil, chemicals, etc. Without these, there is no auto industry. And
without the auto industry, many will lose their jobs. And without cars or
vehicles for mass transit, our speed of transportation will certainly be
reduced. So, we are all directly or indirectly dependent on the gifts of
nature.
Artificial forms of economic development based on factories producing
artificial requirements for quick profits, and the bank’s and government’s
methods of manipulating the economy, have lead to a world of greed, envy,
hunger for power and resources, and, ultimately, chaos and wars. Many
history books relate the process of how wars have developed, but they often
fail to point out the correct reasons for it, which are endeavors based on
false economic advancement, the exploitation of the weak, and the lack of
spiritual consciousness in the world. Spiritual consciousness includes the
recognition that all of our rivers, oceans, forests, hills and mountains, and
all of its resources are not creations of humankind that are to be used any
way people want. These are the creations of the Supreme. There are means
and systems of using these resources in a harmonious way for all involved.
This is holistic economics. It is real economic development based on
genuine needs of society and the well-being of the planet. It is the method
by which we guarantee ourselves and the planet a bright future.
Understanding and using the principle of holistic economics, and working
in harmony with nature, is one way society can be free from the
deteriorating effects of the age of Kali.
Now from the spiritual point of view, the Vedic literature naturally
puts great emphasis on which spiritual knowledge is necessary to free
ourselves from the effects of Kali-yuga. It also explains the method needed
to reach a higher level of consciousness and enter a new dimension and
higher vibratory level of existence.
The Mahanirvana Tantra (4.57-69) explains that Kali-yuga cannot harm
those who are purified by truth, who have conquered their passions and
senses, are compassionate, devoted to the service of their guru, take care of
their mothers and wives, are adherents to the true Dharma, and faithful to
the performance of its duties. The age of Kali cannot harm those who are
free of malice, envy, arrogance, and hatred, and who keep the company of
those who are spiritually knowledgeable. The Kali age cannot harm those
who perform their penances, pilgrimages, devotions, and purificatory
rituals. The age of Kali is but a slave to those who are free of crookedness
and falsehood, devoted to the good of others, and who follow the ways of
Dharma [spiritual merit].
This may all sound quite lofty, so to help us in knowing the ways of true
Dharma and how to bring a change in the atmosphere and social
environment, the Srimad Bhagavata-Mahatmya (1.9-12) of the Padma
Purana states that the Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana) was
expounded in Kali-yuga to guide us and purify the minds of those who
listen and learn from it. The Bhagavata-Mahatmya says: “Suta replied:
Saunaka, I shall disclose that which is the essence of all established
conclusions. I shall tell you that which is capable of dispelling the fear of
reincarnation, is prone to swell the tide of devotion, and is conducive to
satisfying Lord Krishna. Hear it attentively. The holy scripture known by
the name of Srimad-Bhagavatam was expounded in this age of Kali by the
sage Shuka with the object of completely destroying the fear of being
caught in the jaws of the serpent of time. There is no means other than this
conducive to the purification of the mind. One gets to hear Srimad-
Bhagavatam only when there is virtue earned in one’s past lives.”
In this way, we begin to understand the potency of the Srimad-
Bhagavatam and why it is so effective for changing the atmosphere and
spreading genuine spiritual knowledge in this age. In fact, the Bhagavata-
Mahatmya (2.62-63) further states: “All these evils of Kali-yuga will surely
disappear at the very chanting [or recitation] of Srimad-Bhagavatam, even
as wolves take to flight at the very roar of a lion. Then Bhakti (devotion)
and Jnana (knowledge) and Vairagya (detachment) will dance in every
heart and in every home.”
The Bhagavatam is considered so powerful that, “They [the seers and
demigods] came to regard the holy book of Srimad-Bhagavatam as an
embodiment of the Lord Himself in the Kali age and capable of conferring
the reward of speedy access to Vaikuntha (the divine spiritual realm) by
merely being read or heard.” (Padma Purana, Srimad-Bhagavata-
Mahatmya, 1.20)
Suta Gosvami states in the Bhagavatam (1.3.40) itself that, “This
Srimad-Bhagavatam is the literary incarnation of God, and is compiled by
Srila Vyasadeva, the incarnation of God. It is meant for the ultimate good of
all people, and it is all-successful, all-blissful and all-perfect.”
The Bhagavata-Mahatmya (1.17) relates many powerful characteristics
of the Srimad-Bhagavatam. For example, it states that an opportunity to
hear Srimad-Bhagavatam is so uncommon in this world that even the
demigods [residents on the higher planetary systems] consider it a rarity to
hear it. The four Kumaras also state that the Bhagavatam is the essence of
the Vedas and Upanishads. (2.67) And a house where it is read every day is
a sacred place, (3.29) and if you seek the highest destiny, read even a
quarter verse of it every day. (3.33)
An assortment of other verses in the Padma Purana, Srimad-
Bhagavata-Mahatmya, are found that signify that reading Srimad-
Bhagavatam is superior to everything else (3.32-39), is important for
reaching a high destiny and the spiritual world, (3.40-41) and for gaining
spiritual merit, (3.30-31) and for making sure one’s life is not wasted. (3.42)
Other verses explain the importance of taking advantage of the rare
opportunity of hearing the Bhagavatam, (3.44-50) and how focusing on
reading or hearing it is superior to everything, including fasting, rituals,
going on pilgrimage, or practicing yoga and meditation. (3.50-51)
In conclusion, Srila Vyasadeva himself says that the Bhagavatam is the
mature fruit of all Vedic wisdom: “This Bhagavata Purana is as brilliant as
the sun, and it has arisen just after the departure of Lord Krishna to His own
abode, accompanied by religion, knowledge, etc. Persons who have lost
their vision due to the dense darkness of ignorance in the age of Kali shall
get light from this Purana.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.43)
The point of all this is that as you comprehend this spiritual science, you
will automatically understand the other aspects of this material creation and
you will have your own spiritual realizations about who and what you are
and how you fit into the scheme of things. The more you become spiritually
purified, the more clear things will be. Just as when you have a million
dollars, all of your ten dollar problems are solved, similarly, once you begin
to understand the highest levels of spiritual science you also understand the
lower levels of existence, and perceive the solutions to problems on that
facet of existence. Thus, in order to spread as much light and spiritual
knowledge in this age as possible, and to counteract the pollution and
confusion that pervades this planet and the general consciousness of society,
and to relieve humanity of the influence of Kali-yuga, the use of and
familiarity with this Srimad-Bhagavatam and the knowledge and
philosophy it contains is of the utmost importance. Then you will want to
help spread this universal spiritual knowledge to everyone. That is the
change in the world that will free us from the future negative influences in
this age of Kali-yuga.
A NEW SPECIES OF HUMANITY
If we are going to succeed in becoming free from the influence of Kali-
yuga and use the Golden Age within the first 10,000 years of Kali-yuga in
the best way possible, then we must cooperate in allowing for a new species
of humanity to enter this world. This new species will not be based on
physical changes but on the development of spiritual consciousness, and the
goal of working toward the perfection of human life–materially and
spiritually. This new species of humanity and spiritual warriors are those
who are not afraid to investigate higher dimensions of reality, new areas of
spiritual experiences that are beyond the limitations of conventional and
fear-based religions [those that urge the obedience to their principles based
on the wrath of God]. After such investigations, they will help make such
higher spiritual knowledge and experience available for the welfare of
others. This is happening now and growing all the time. However, this has
always been the Vedic process for thousands of years.
So in some ways, the new species mentioned herein is but a
reawakening of the spiritual consciousness that was prominent in the early
ages such as Satya-yuga, or found in the enlightened sages of today. Yet,
this consciousness, when compared with the general materialistic views and
motivations found in most people today, is like a new species of humanity.
It is the rare type of person who is genuinely concerned about the physical,
emotional and spiritual well being of all living entities, and who also has
the higher consciousness to perceive how to do that. Everyone who is
concerned about themselves and the welfare of the planet should be eager to
be a part of this new species of humanity, this higher consciousness, and
help in this process of spiritual change and improvement. For any real
solutions to our problems or social issues must be based on a spiritual
foundation.
Any plan-making endeavors for solutions without a spiritual foundation
will simply go through the six basic changes that all material elements go
through, which is birth, growth, maintenance, producing some by-products
or reactions, dwindling, and then vanishing, only to be replaced by
something else. Humanity needs more than this sort of guesswork or
speculative resolutions that come and go. It needs a change of
consciousness based on spiritual understanding and perception. This means
that the light workers and spiritual warriors on this planet must work to
bring in and spread as much light and spiritual knowledge as possible.
Another thing that this new species of humanity will want is genuine
knowledge of the spiritual strata. Therefore, true spiritual knowledge must
be made available without misinterpretations or the contamination of those
who have ulterior motives. Ignorance is the cause of all the anomalies of
human society that King Yudhisthira could perceive at the onset of the age
of Kali, as described earlier in Chapter Three as found in the Srimad-
Bhagavatam. The way to overcome such ignorance and the problems that
accompany it is to inject pure spiritual sound vibrations into the
atmosphere. This will counter all forms of pollution in this world, beginning
with the pollution in our consciousness, thoughts, and desires, for this is
indeed the starting point of all pollution. This pure sound vibration, as
previously described, is in the form of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and
the recitation of the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Therefore, anyone who wants to
become a part of the new species of humanity or the new breed of spiritual
warriors to help bring about a new revolution in society and in spiritual
consciousness should participate in this process.
One fact that we need to recognize is that the world has enough of
everything. There is no scarcity of food or material resources. It is wrong to
think that there is scarcity due to overpopulation on this planet. Mundane
economists put forward this theory. There is, however, a great burden in the
lack of cooperation in the proper management of the planet’s resources
caused by a lack of spiritual awareness among the world’s leaders. Even if
there may be a shortage of food in one area of the world, there is plenty of
food in other areas. Nevertheless, because of a lack of cooperation, one
country or another suffers starvation because of the artificial system of
economics, as previously described, that sets the stage for competition,
envy, and a lack of efficiency and unity between countries and
communities. The only real solution is to bring in this new human species,
the new breed of spiritual warriors, who can pave the way for a revolution
in spiritual consciousness and awakening. People must recognize the
spiritual nature of each other and of all beings in this world if there is to be
a true change in the way we relate or cooperate with each other.
With the right consciousness we can, indeed, make proper use of things
to live comfortably without enmity between each other and nature. And if a
new species of such like-minded people act together in this way, it will have
extremely powerful effects on this planet. If, however, humankind insists on
seeing each other on the basis of bodily and cultural differences, then their
vision is no better than that of the cats and dogs who are always howling,
barking, chasing, and fighting with one another. Society will be no better
than that of polished, two-legged animals, like that described in the
previous chapter. There is no excuse for humankind to remain on such a
base level when they have the higher mental and intellectual facilities that
they do. They must rise above the animalistic platform by their spiritual
progress. Only through this means will humankind reach a level of
evolutionary development in which they can begin to see beyond bodily and
cultural distinctions and work together in spiritual harmony with
themselves, nature, and the Supreme Will. In this way, this age of Kali will
lose its dark influence. It can become like the Golden Age of Satya-yuga.
There is no better nor a more needed time for this to happen than right now.
Let us not forget that the influence of Kali-yuga can be inflicted only upon
those who are not developed enough in spiritual awareness.
CONCLUSION
It is obvious to many that the forces of darkness are getting stronger as
the years go by, as the Age of Kali advances. Moral standards decrease
while crime increases. Similarly, the forces of light are also getting stronger,
and new levels of spiritual knowledge are coming into this earthly plane,
the likes of which we have not understood for thousands of years. The
characteristics between the forces of light and darkness are also becoming
more distinct. Therefore, the people of this earth will participate in this
polarization and will be required to decide with which force they will
participate: The spiritual and progressive level, or the descending and
materialistic one.
As this polarization increases, the future of the world becomes twofold:
One aspect will be the obvious physical and geographic changes, as
described in the last chapter. The other will be the more spiritual changes.
The physical, social, and geographic changes will not be viewed or
experienced as so drastic by those who flow into the higher dimension,
while planet earth will display a hard and difficult life for those who remain
absorbed in the lower materialistic and fearful level of consciousness. The
earth will accommodate both levels of dimension, but the views of
existence on earth will be very different from each level.
There will, indeed, be a higher and progressive energy shift, as
predicted by the Vedic scripture, and it is already in progress. In this cycle,
the planetary changes, whether they seem good or severe, will be a
cleansing process to help bring in the needed progress and new species of
humanity, at least while the Golden Age within Kali-yuga continues, which
is predicted to last another 10,000 years.
What this means is that we are at a decisive point. There will be a
transformed world. It will be attained by force through an apocalypse or
earth changes of some kind, or through cooperation by a planetary
awakening. Whether the whole population spiritually awakens is not
necessary. Only a certain percentage need be enlightened in this way
because the power of light will far exceed and overpower the force of
darkness or materialism, at least enough to keep the positive changes
available for those who wish to participate in them. Naturally, not everyone
will be interested.
This polarization during this age of Kali means that people will vibrate
on different levels. As the consciousness of those who are spiritually
inclined develops, they will become increasingly open to extraordinary
experiences. They will become more in tuned with levels of higher realms,
and beings who exist in those realms. Communications between us and
those of higher dimensions will also increase. After all, higher
consciousness means you vibrate and perceive that which is on higher
levels of existence. The more spiritual you become, the more you can
perceive that which is spiritual.
As genuine religionists, devotees, and sages become successful in the
process of spiritual development and begin to disappear from the face of the
earth, or disengage themselves from materialistic society, or rise above the
earthly plane before the Golden Age in Kali-yuga comes to an end, they
will reach higher dimensions that will be imperceptible to those on the
lower levels. The vibratory levels of their thinking and consciousness will
bring them to higher dimensions of existence. Thus, they can separate
themselves from the rest of society, and the severe changes in Kali-yuga,
described in Chapter Four, may not be so applicable to them. They will
have risen above it, even if remaining physically in this earthly existence.
An example of this is Srila Vyasadeva. The Vedic texts state that Srila
Vyasadeva, the compiler of the Vedic literature, still lives at
Badarikashrama in the Himalayas, although no one can see him. And there
are descriptions of other sages and masters who have been living in the
region of the Himalaya mountains who are hundreds of years old. Yet how
can Vyasadeva live there without being seen for so many thousands of
years? This is possible because he lives in a higher dimension of energy
which makes him imperceptible to our eyes. We may be standing right next
to him and not see him. And if you visit his cave in Mana, near Badrinatha,
you can definitely feel the energy of a strong presence there, at least I did.
Also, because he is living on a subtler platform, he does not have the same
physical needs nor will he age as we do.
This is why the Puranas describe various siddhas, perfected living
beings, who will be waiting for the end of Kali-yuga to reveal themselves
and help begin the new age of Satya-yuga. This is described in Chapter Six.
During the Golden Age within Kali-yuga, the whole world can enter a
higher vibratory level and rise into a higher level of consciousness.
Remember, consciousness is not merely a state of mind but also a
vibrational frequency. The higher the consciousness, the higher the
vibratory level of energy in which that person perceives, understands, lives,
and sends out to others. This is the opportunity that this Golden Age within
Kali-yuga provides for us, to whatever degree we develop it.
Adjusting the level of our consciousness is also the way we can change
the course of our future. In spite of the predictions that are provided of what
to expect in the distant future, or the prophecies we find in other various
texts, we can reduce the severity of them. We can decide for ourselves what
level of consciousness we want to develop and in which we want to exist.
The higher the mass social consciousness is, the less severe the changes will
be in society and throughout the planet, and the more harmonious things
will be globally. In other words, there would be less need of the severe earth
changes for the cleansing of the planet. Remember, the world or nature only
reflects the consciousness of the inhabitants. When the inhabitants work in
harmony with nature, and with each other, especially on a spiritual level,
then what is the need for nature to cause repercussions to our actions?
When nature and people are balanced, the world will give what we need.
Thus, we can create a very bright and positive future for ourselves and this
planet simply by elevating our consciousness.
It may be difficult for some to understand, but pure souls or devotees
with cleansed or pure consciousness can directly perceive themselves as
spiritual beings in a human body while also perceiving the spiritual identity
of others. They can recognize how the spiritual world or its energy pervades
this material strata, though it is imperceptible to most. When they are in this
consciousness, they can see the planet as an island, a space ship you might
say, and our bodies as suitable vehicles for existing on this particular planet.
Such persons can also lift their consciousness to detach from the body or
bodily state of mind and enter various levels of the spiritual dimension,
though their body is still acting and perceived on the material plane. In
other words, the body may still be here, but the consciousness and vision of
the pure soul has entered another dimension and is perceiving things from
that spiritual level, yet he or she is still interacting within this material
realm. One minute they may be participating in the drama of life on this
planet. The next minute they can see themselves as merely wearing the
material body like a temporary costume, aloof from their activities on this
plane of existence and absorbed in knowing that they are spiritual beings,
part of the spiritual dimension.
In this consciousness, they know that wherever they go they are already
home because the spiritual dimension pervades everything. The spiritual
dimension is eternal and unlimited while the material dimension is
temporary and finite. So they go through life in this world like a tourist
traveling in a foreign country: They observe, even participate in activities,
help out and try to make things better, but they remain detached and aloof at
the same time. The point is that during the Golden Age within Kali-yuga,
such pure souls and devotees will live among the general populace of this
earth. Though they may not be recognized, known or appreciated by many,
those who can search them out can take advantage of such persons by
learning from them. They can learn the process of changing their own
consciousness for the most positive developments and, thus, be directed to
the goal of life and return to the spiritual dimension. However, we need to
remember that after this Golden Age within Kali-yuga is finished, all such
spiritual persons, even knowledge of such people, along with all
information of the Supreme and the genuine, fruitful spiritual process, will
fade away and disappear from the face of the earth. Then the darkest
portion of Kali-yuga will proceed. Therefore, let us take advantage of the
opportunities that we presently have to raise our consciousness and become
a part of the spiritual changes, a new species of humanity, that can manifest
in this age while we still have the time to do so. And let us plan the
arrangements to share this potential with all others. This can indeed
decelerate and curb the progress of the oncoming dark influences of this age
of Kali-yuga.
CHAPTER SIX
The Next Avatara of God: Lord Kalki And
the End of Kali-yuga
As the 10,000 year period of the Golden Age within Kali-yuga comes to
a close, the lower modes of material nature will become so strong that
people will lose interest in spiritual topics. Everyone will become godless.
The devotees, bhaktas, and sages that are left on the planet by this time will
be so unique in character and peculiar compared with the rest of society,
that they will be ridiculed and hunted down in the cities for sport like
animals. Thus, they will flee the cities to live underground in caves or high
up in the mountains, or simply disengage from the earthly plane of
existence. They will even leave the once pious land of India, as explained in
the Kalki Purana (2.45), wherein Vishnuyasha said: “At present, the pious
Brahmanas have left this country (India), having been chastised by the
powerful Kali, who is envious of saintly persons, and who destroys the
practice of religious principles.”
In this way, genuine saintly or spiritually advanced persons will
disappear from the face of the earth. That is the time when the dark
influence of the age of Kali will become so dominant, unleashing all of its
influence, that all of the prophecies, as described in Chapter Four, will begin
to manifest without hindrance.
Things will become so bad as the years go by that this world will be like
one of the hellish planets in which people are born to suffer. There will be
corruption in government and police, and they will be no better, worse in
fact, than common criminals. Common citizens will have no protection.
They will be subjected to the worst of crimes with no solution. Everyone
will be fighting with each other. The world will slide into a state of constant
war and chaos. Finally, after 432,000 years from the beginning of the age of
Kali, Lord Kalki will appear as the twenty-second avatara of God.
THE APPEARANCE OF LORD KALKI
There are many avataras or incarnations of the Supreme Being, as
stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.3.26): “O Brahmanas, the incarnations of
the Lord are innumerable, like rivulets flowing from inexhaustible sources
of water.” However, out of all the various incarnations of the Supreme, the
Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.3.28) specifically states “krishnas tu bhagavan
svayam,” which means that Lord Sri Krishna is the original Supreme
Personality of God. All others are His plenary portions, or parts of His
plenary portions, who descend into this material world to carry out certain
responsibilities and to do specific things. This is especially the case when
the planets are overly disturbed by miscreants and atheists. In Kali-yuga,
many years go by in which constant disturbances and social upheavals are
allowed to happen, but the Vedic literature predicts that at the end of the
yuga Lord Kalki will make His appearance to change everything, as
described in the following verses from the Srimad-Bhagavatam:
“Thereafter, at the conjunction of two yugas, the Lord of the creation
will take His birth as the Kalki incarnation and become the son of
Vishnuyasha. At this time the rulers of the earth will have degenerated into
plunderers.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.25)
“Lord Kalki will appear in the home of the most eminent Brahmana of
Shambhala village, the great soul Vishnuyasha.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam
12.2.18)
“At the end of Kali-yuga, when there exist no topics on the subject of
God, even at the residences of so-called saints and respectable gentlemen of
the three higher varnas [castes], and when the power of government is
transferred to the hands of ministers elected from the lowborn Shudra class
or those less than them, and when nothing is known of the techniques of
sacrifice, even by word, at that time the Lord will appear as the supreme
chastiser.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.7.38)
The Vishnu Purana (Book Four, Chapter 24) also explains that, “When
the practices taught in the Vedas and institutes of law have nearly ceased,
and the close of the Kali age shall be nigh, a portion of that divine being
who exists of His own spiritual nature, and who is the beginning and end,
and who comprehends all things, shall descend upon earth. He will be born
in the family of Vishnuyasha, an eminent Brahmana of Shambhala village,
as Kalki, endowed with eight superhuman faculties.”
The Mahabharatra (Vana Parva, 190.93-97) adds to the description of
Lord Kalki’s appearance: “Impelled by time, a Brahmana named Kalki
Vishnuyasha will be born. He will possess great energy, intelligence and
prowess. He will be born at a village called Shambhala in a blessed
Brahmana family. As soon as thought of, vehicles, weapons, warriors, and
arms and armors will all be at his command. He will be the imperial
sovereign, ever victorious by the strength of his virtue. He will restore order
and peace in this world, overcrowded with creatures and contradictory in its
laws. That effulgent and greatly intelligent Brahmana will destroy all
things. He will be the destroyer of all and He will be the maker of a new
Yuga [Satya-Yuga]. That twice-born one surrounded by the Brahmanas, will
exterminate all the low and despicable mlecchas wherever they will be
found.”
The Agni Purana (16.7-9) also explains that when the non-Aryans who
pose as kings begin devouring men who appear righteous and feed on
human beings, Kalki, as the son of Vishnuyasha, and Yajnavalkya as His
priest and teacher, will destroy these non-Aryans with His weapons. He will
establish moral law in the form of the fourfold varnas, or the suitable
organization of society in four classes. After that people will return to the
path of righteousness.
The Padma Purana (6.71.279-282) relates that Lord Kalki will end the
age of Kali and will kill all the wicked mlecchas [low class and evil beings]
and, thus, destroy the bad condition of the world. He will gather all of the
distinguished Brahmanas and will propound the highest truth. He will know
all the ways of life that have perished and will remove the prolonged hunger
of the genuine Brahmanas and the pious. He will be the only ruler of the
world that cannot be controlled, and will be the banner of victory and
adorable to the world.
To clarify this prophecy, it is also mentioned in the Brahma-Vaivarta
Purana (Prakriti Khanda, 7.60, 58-59) what the conditions will be near the
end of Kali-yuga and what Kalki’s actions and purpose will be:
“At that point of time there will be chaos on earth. Everywhere the
undesirable activities of the thieves and plunderers would be on the
increase… At that point in time, in the house of a Brahmana named
Vishnuyasha, Narayana shall appear in one of his rays in the form of the
great Kalki as the son of that Brahmana. He will be mounted on a very big
horse and holding a sword in his hand, he shall destroy all the mlecchas
[wicked, selfish and low-minded people] on earth. Thus, the earth would be
rid of the mlecchas, after which he will disappear.”
Here in these verses we find that Lord Kalki will come as a chastiser or
warrior. By this time the planet will be filled with people who will be
unable to understand logical conversations. They will be too slow-minded
and dull-witted, not capable of being taught much, especially in the way of
high spiritual philosophy regarding the purpose of life. They will not know
what they need to do or how to live. And they certainly will be unable to
change their ways. Therefore, Lord Kalki does not come to teach, but
simply to chastise, punish, and cleanse the planet. For this reason the
Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.40.22) refers to Lord Kalki as the killer of the
mleccha [most wicked and low-born] outcaste meat-eaters who pose as
kings.
It is important to note that in these descriptions we also find the name of
the place where Lord Kalki will appear and the name of the family in which
He will be born. The family will be qualified Brahmanas. This means that a
disciplic and family line of spiritually qualified Brahmanas will remain on
the planet throughout the age of Kali, no matter how bad things get. Though
they may be hidden, living in a small village somewhere, it will be this line
of bhaktas, spiritual devotees of the Vedic tradition, from which Lord Kalki
will appear in the distant future.
In this connection, we find in the Padma Purana (6.242.8-12) the
prediction that Lord Kalki will be born in the town of Shambala near the
end of Kali-yuga from a Brahmana who is actually an incarnation of
Svayambhuva Manu. It is further described that Svayambhuva performed
austerities at Naimisa on the bank of the Gomati River for acquiring the
privilege of having Lord Vishnu as his son in three different lifetimes. Lord
Vishnu, being pleased with Svayambhuva, granted the blessing that He
would appear as Svayambhuva’s son as Lord Rama, Krishna, and Kalki.
Thus, Svayambhuva would appear as Dasaratha, Vasudeva, and then
Vishnuyasha. Also, in the Padma Purana (1.40.46) we find Lord Vishnu
admits that He will be born in Kali-yuga. Thus, He will appear as Lord
Kalki.
This aspect is more fully explained in the Kalki Purana (2.4-8) when
the demigods, headed by Brahma, went to Lord Vishnu asking for respite
from the conditions on earth. He assured them that He would be taking birth
on earth as Kalki, but He also mentions the name of His mother, and His
wife-to-be, as well as Her family. These are additional factors, along with
those already mentioned, that indicate how He will be recognized. Thus, it
is important to consider these to understand that not just anyone can claim
to be Kalki, which many ordinary or even unscrupulous men may try to do.
So, this is what Lord Vishnu says about appearing as Kalki: “After
hearing everything that the demigods had to say regarding the situation on
earth, the lotus-eyed Lord Hari [Vishnu] said: O Brahma, rest assured that I
will soon descend to the earth and appear in the village known as
Shambhala. I will take birth in the house of a Brahmana named
Vishnuyasha, from the womb of his wife, Sumati. My mission will be to
eliminate the wicked Kali [and his influence] with the help of My four
brothers. O demigods, your expansions should also take birth on the earth to
assist Me in My mission. My consort, the beloved lotus-eyed Kamala-devi,
will also appear on the earth, having the name Padma. She will be born
from the womb of Kaumudi, the wife of Brihadratha, the king of Simhala.
“O demigods, you should not delay. By your plenary portions, take birth
on the earth. Later on, I will entrust the responsibility for ruling the earth to
two powerful kings named Maru and Devapi. I will then again establish
Satya-yuga, and thus reinstate the principles of religion as they were before.
Rest assured that I will return to Vaikuntha only after destroying the
poisonous snake, Kali.”
THE ACTIVITIES OF LORD KALKI
In the Kalki Purana (3.9-10) Lord Parasurama, as Kalki’s teacher,
explains to Lord Kalki after His training what His mission will be: “You
have learned the art of discharging arrows from Me. You will imbibe
transcendental knowledge from Shukadeva Gosvami, and You will be
awarded a powerful weapon by Lord Shiva. Thereafter, You will marry a
woman named Padma from the island of Simhala [Sri Lanka]. Your mission
is to re-establish Sanatana-dharma. Thereafter, You will set out to conquer
the entire world and in the course of that conquest, You will defeat many
sinful kings who are representatives of Kali. You will also annihilate many
followers of Buddhism and finally, You will entrust the responsibility of
ruling the world to Devapi and Maru.”
When it says here that Lord Kalki will annihilate many followers of
Buddhism, we must remember that by this time Buddhism as we know it
today will have faded out long before this. By this time, as it is explained
elsewhere, that any form of a religion will only be a collection of vague
impersonalistic ideas that include no knowledge of a personal God, or of the
nature of the soul. All such knowledge will have ceased to exist from most
of the planet. Therefore, whatever is left of any religion by the time Lord
Kalki appears will only be a form of atheism. All such kinds of atheism
along with the sinful rulers who follow such philosophy of irresponsibility
will have to be removed if there is going to be the reappearance of the
golden age of Satya-yuga. This will be the mission of Lord Kalki.
The Kalki Purana (20.33-35) goes on to explain that in His search for
the nefarious person known as Kali, Lord Kalki would go to the favorite
places of that personality, which were the playgrounds of inauspicious
creatures, such as ghosts, foxes and jackals. “These places are permeated
with the foul odor of decaying beef, and infested with crows and owls.
Kali’s domain can be found wherever there is gambling and intoxication, as
well as where women constantly quarrel. Kali’s favorite places of residence
are always causes of fear and danger. The men in these places are controlled
by women,” meaning they are completely under the demanding sway of
gratifying their senses with no moral foundation.
Why Lord Kalki would pursue the agents of the personality of Kali is
further explained in the Kalki Purana (1.22-24).
“All these relatives [agents] of [the personification of the age of] Kali
are the destroyers of sacrifice [religious ritual], study of the Vedas, and
charity because they transgressed all the Vedic principles of religion. They
are the reservoirs of mental distress, disease, old age, destruction of
religious principles, sorrow, lamentation, and fear. These descendants of
Kali are found wandering everywhere throughout the kingdom of Kali,
destroying the people of the world. Such people are misguided by the
influence of time, very restless by nature, full of lusty desires, extremely
sinful, very proud, and violent even to their own father and mother. [Even]
those who are known as twice-born [spiritually initiated] are devoid of all
good behavior, without any observance of proper etiquette, and always
engaged in the service of the lowest classes.” This means that those who
should be spiritually advanced only serve those who have money in order to
maintain their material facilities.
The description of such so-called Brahmanas of that future time are
further related: “These fallen souls are very fond of dry arguments, and they
use religion as a means of livelihood, teach Vedic knowledge as a
profession, are fallen from the execution of their vows, and sell wine and
other abominable things, including meat. They are cruel by nature, and very
fond of gratifying their bellies and genitals. For this reason, they lust after
the wives of others and are always seen to be intoxicated. They were not
born from a father and mother who were properly married, and they are
short in stature and always engaged in sinful acts, such as cheating others.
They generally reside in a sacred place, live for only sixteen years,
associate with wretched people, and only consider a brother-in-law to be a
friend and relative.” (Kalki Purana 1.25-27)
The Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.2.19-20) also describes Lord Kalki’s
activities as follows: “Lord Kalki, the Lord of the universe, will mount His
swift white horse Devadatta and, sword in hand, travel over the earth
exhibiting His eight mystic opulences and eight special qualities of
Godhead. Displaying His unequaled effulgence and riding with great speed,
He will kill by the millions those thieves who have dared dress as kings.”
We should make note here that, as the Vedic literature explains, when
the Supreme kills anyone, that person is immediately spiritually purified by
His touch and because the person is focused on the Supreme Being while
leaving his body. Thus, that person attains the same destination as those
yogis who spend years steadying the mind in order to meditate and leave
their bodies while focused on the Supreme. So being killed by the Supreme
is a great advantage for those of a demoniac mentality who would otherwise
enter lower realms of existence or even the hellish planets in their next
lives.
The Mahabharata (Vana Parva, 191.1-6) describes some of Lord
Kalki’s activities in this way: Markandeya said, “Then exterminating all
robbers, He (Kalki) will duly give away this earth at a great horse-ritual to
the Brahmanas. Having established the blessed rectitude ordained by the
Self-created (Brahma), that doer of virtuous and renowned deeds will then
enter a charming forest. The people of the earth will imitate His conduct.
When thieves and robbers will be exterminated by the Brahmanas, there
will be prosperity again (on earth). When the countries will all be
subjugated by that foremost of Brahmanas, He will cast away the deer
skins, lances and tridents and other weapons. Showing His reverence for the
excellent twice-born ones [Brahmanas], He engages in killing the thieves.
Kalki will rove over the earth being adored by the foremost of Brahmanas.
The heart-rending cries of ‘O father,’ ‘O mother,’ ‘O son,’ will rise when
He will exterminate the thieves and robbers.”
The Vishnu Purana (Book Four, Chapter 24) continues to explain Lord
Kalki’s activities: “By His irresistible might he will destroy all the mlecchas
and thieves, and all whose minds are devoted to iniquity. He will reestablish
righteousness upon earth, and the minds of those who live at the end of the
Kali age shall be awakened, and shall be as clear as crystal. The men who
are thus changed by virtue of that peculiar time shall be as the seeds of
human beings, and shall give birth to a race who will follow the laws of the
Krita age [Satya-yuga], the age of purity. As it is said, ‘When the sun and
moon, and the lunar asterism Tishya, and the planet Jupiter, are in one
mansion, the Krita age shall return.’” The Agni Purana (16.10) also relates
that Hari, after giving up the form of Kalki, will go to heaven. Then the
Krita or Satya-yuga will return as before.
Additional information that can help us understand the activities of the
next coming of God is found in the Linga Purana, the Brahmanda Purana,
and the Vayu Purana. In these texts we find descriptions of Lord Kalki as
He will appear in the future and also as how He appeared in previous
incarnations as Pramiti in the time period known as the Svayambhuva
Manvantara. These texts tell us that as Kali-yuga comes to a close, and after
the death of Bhrigu (or in order to slay the Bhrigus), Kalki (Pramiti) takes
birth in the Lunar dynasty of Manu. He will wander over the planet without
being seen by any living being. Then he will start His campaign in His
thirtysecond year and roam the earth for twenty years. He will take with
Him a big army of horses, chariots, and elephants, surrounded by hundreds
and thousands of spiritually purified Brahmanas armed with weapons.
[Being Brahmanas, these weapons may be brahminical weapons that are
activated by mantras, such as the powerful brahmastra rather than base
weapons of combat such as knives, swords, and spears, or even guns and
ordinary explosives.] Though they may try to do battle with Him, He will
kill all of the heretics [and false prophets] and wicked, mleccha kings.
In a previous incarnation He killed the Udicyas (Northerners), Madhya
Deshyas (residents of the middle lands), Purvatiyas (mountain dwellers),
Pracyas (Easterners), Praticyas (Westerners), Dakshinatyas (of Southern
India), the Simhalas (Sri Lankans), Pahlavas (the fair-skinned nomadic
tribes of the Caucasus mountains), Yadavas (in the area of Greece),
Tusharas (people of the area of Mandhata, India, or present day
Tukharistan), Cinas (Chinese), Shulikas, Khashas, and different tribes of the
Kiratas (aboriginal tribes living in north-eastern India and Nepal) and
Vrishalas.
No one could stop Him as He wielded His discus and killed all the
barbarians. When He was finished, He rested in the middle land between
the Ganges and Yamuna with His ministers and followers. He allowed only
a few people to remain, scattered over the planet. These would be as seeds
for the next generations that would follow in the next Satya-yuga.
Thereafter, when Lord Kalki has made way for the next age of Satya-yuga,
and delivered the earth and whatever is left of civilization from the effects
of Kali-yuga, He goes back to His eternal abode along with His army.
(Linga Purana 40.50- 92, the Brahmanda Purana 1.2.31.76-106 &
2.3.73.104-126, and the Vayu Purana 58.75-110)
LORD KALKI PREDICTED IN THE BOOK OF
REVELATIONS
At this point I want to present some verses from the book of Revelations
in the Bible that are very similar to the above descriptions in the Puranas
about Lord Kalki. These verses are so similar that they cannot be ignored.
We must ask if this is but another prediction of what is really Lord Kalki?
In Revelations it states:
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that
sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he
doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his
head were many crowns; and he had a name written, but no man knew
but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and
his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in
heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white
and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he
should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and
he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF
KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw the beast, and the kings
of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against
him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was
taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before
him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the
beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive
into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain
with the sword of him that sat on the horse.” (Revelations 19.11-16, &
19-21)
This sounds so much like the incarnation of Lord Kalki that it could
hardly be anyone else. Thus, we could say that Revelations predicts the
appearance of Lord Kalki, or used a story based on this prophecy. Surely, by
the time Lord Kalki appears, no one will have the slightest expectation of
Him or His appearance. No one will know His name. And His army of
Brahmanas will be as pure as if they had descended from heaven. At the
time of Lord Kalki’s appearance, He will kill the remaining miscreants and
deliver the few saintly people from the present conditions of the earth,
changing it back to the Golden Age of Satya-yuga. In this regard,
Revelations also describes:
“And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb [a typical symbol for the Divine or
an incarnation of the Divine] stood on the mount Sion, and with him
an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written
in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of
many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice
of harpers harping with their harps; And they sung as it were a new
song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and
no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four
thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.” (Revelations 14.1-3)
One significant description in the above verses is that those who are
redeemed from the earth will have God’s name written on their foreheads.
This is a widespread custom of the Vaishnava Brahmanas and devotees in
India to write the name of God, such as Vishnu or Krishna, on their
foreheads. This is called tilok, which is usually put on with clay made from
the banks of a holy river. It is applied in the middle of the forehead in the
shape of a “U” from the bridge of the nose which represents the name of
God and that the body is a temple of God. The mark is made while reciting
“Om keshavaya namaha,” which means “Salutations to Lord Keshava,”
another name of Krishna. So, this would indicate that when the last of
society is delivered from the earth during the end times, they will be those
who wear the name of God on their foreheads. Also, as in accord with the
other Vedic prophecies presented in this volume, we can understand that
there will be very few people left in the world who will have any piety at
all. So, it would fit in with the Vedic prophecies that by the time Lord Kalki
appears, there may, indeed, be only 144,000 who will be left in the world
worthy of being delivered from the godless and chaotic conditions of the
earth.
THE RETURN OF THE GOLDEN AGE—SATYA-YUGA
Now let us continue with the above description of Lord Kalki as
described in the Kalki Purana (24.8). Shushanta, the queen of king
Shashidhvaja, expressed the benefits of the arrival of Lord Kalki on earth
that she had witnessed. “Because of Your appearance within this world, the
prestige of the devotees has been reinstated, the Brahmanas once again
engage in their ritualistic performances, the demigods feel secure, Satya-
yuga will soon commence, religious principles are being obeyed, and the
influence of Kali has slackened. May I also receive the benefit of Your
incarnation.”
After Lord Kalki had removed all of the nefarious and wicked kings,
rulers, and people, and the atheist religions had also been abolished for the
real spiritual process of Sanatana-dharma, Lord Kalki returned from His
wanderings over the planet to remain in the village of Shambhala. The
Kalki Purana (32.2-5) explains, “Lord Kalki continued to reside in the
village of Shambhala, along with His brothers, sons, other relatives and
associates, for one thousand years. The entire village of Shambhala, which
was as good as the heavenly planets, appeared very beautiful with its
assembly houses, gates, raised platforms, and flags flapping in the breeze
that has been placed here and there. Anyone who gave up his material body
in Shambhala was freed from all sinful reactions and awarded shelter at the
lotus feet of Lord Kalki. Thus, the village of Shambhala, which was
profusely decorated with blooming flowers, pious trees, forests and gardens,
became a holy place that granted liberation from material existence.”
The Kalki Purana (28.28-30) also describes how Lord Kalki made
arrangements for the management of the territory for peaceful existence.
“Thereafter, the unlimitedly powerful Lord Kalki continued to reside at
Shambhala, and He gave [the lands of] Kankanadesha and Kalapadesha to
King Vishakhayupa to rule. Later on, Lord Kalki ordered His son,
Kritavarma, to rule numerous other kingdoms, such as Chola, Varvara, and
Karva, which were under the jurisdiction of Dvaraka. Lord Kalki
respectfully offered heaps of jewels and other kinds of wealth to His father,
and, indeed, He satisfied all the citizens of Shambhala. He then continued to
happily reside there as a householder, along with His wives, Ramaa and
Padmavati. It was at this time that Satya-yuga recommenced.”
The Kalki Purana (30.2-5) further relates the auspicious conditions that
were found while Lord Kalki ruled the planet. “With Lord Kalki sitting
upon the royal throne, the Vedas, the religious principles, Satya-yuga
personified, the demigods, and indeed all other moving and non-moving
living entities became greatly satisfied. In the previous yuga, the Brahmanas
had worshiped the demigods, and to bewilder the masses of people, they
had displayed some minuscule mystic powers. During the reign of Lord
Kalki, all such cheating practices were stopped so that no atheists or
hypocrites could be seen within His kingdom. Lord Kalki thus happily
resided in the city of Shambhala.”
As time went on, the day finally arrived for Lord Kalki to return to His
spiritual residence. The Kalki Purana (33.13-28) describes what happened.
“[One day] After hearing the prayers of the demigods, Lord Kalki
ecstatically expressed His own desire to return to Vaikuntha [His spiritual
abode], taking with Him His eternal associates. Thereafter, Lord Kalki
summoned His four very powerful sons, all of whom were very dear to the
citizens because they were very pious and influential, and handed over the
rule of the kingdom to them. The Lord then addressed His subjects,
revealing His intention. Lord Kalki said: ‘At the request of the demigods, I
will return to Vaikuntha.’
“When the inhabitants of Shambhala heard this, they were shocked and
began shedding tears of grief. Just as sons address their fathers, the people
began speaking of the Lord after offering their obeisances. The citizens
said: My dear Lord, You are the original propounder of genuine religious
principles. It is not proper for You to leave us, for You always displayed
affection for those who had sincerely surrendered unto You. Wherever You
go, please allow us to accompany You. Although everyone considers his
wife, children, wealth, and house to be very dear, Your servants know that
You are the supreme enjoyer who, by awarding detachment, vanquishes all
suffering in this life and the next. Because of knowing You in truth, our
lives are dedicated to You.
“After hearing the prayers of His subjects, Lord Kalki pacified them as
far as possible and then departed for the forest, taking with Him His two
consorts. Thereafter, Lord Kalki, surrounded by many sages, traveled to the
Himalaya Mountains, which are adorned by the Ganges River, which is
worshiped even by the demigods and which gives pleasure to the heart. The
Lord sat by the side of the Ganges and then assumed His four-armed form
while entering deep into meditation upon Himself. The Lord appeared as
brilliant as thousands of suns, and thus looked very attractive. He was the
witness of everything, as well as the eternal Lord and Supersoul of all living
entities. His form was the form of all ornaments. He held a conch shell,
disc, club, lotus flower, and bow string in His hands. On His chest was the
Kaustubha gem. The demigods showered fragrant flowers as the sounds of
beating drums could be heard in the four directions.
“In this way, Lord Kalki enacted His pastime of disappearance from this
world. All moving and non-moving living beings that witnessed the
disappearance of the Lord glorified Him in a mood of great astonishment.
[The wives of Lord Kalki] Padmavati and Ramaa saw Lord Kalki’s
transcendental form [take on the characteristics] as if devoid of life.
Realizing this to be an illusory display of the external energy, although
greatly astonished, they entered fire so as to rejoin their husband in His
eternal abode.
“Meanwhile, Dharma and Satya-yuga personified wandered throughout
the world without any fear of enemies, by the order of Lord Kalki. They
happily resided within the world now that [the age of] Satya-yuga had
commenced. By the order of Lord Kalki, the two kings, Maru and Devapi,
executed their duties of protecting the people of the world.”
The Linga, Brahmanda, and Vayu Puranas further explain that after
Lord Kalki returns to His eternal abode, when those subjects surviving at
the end of Kali-yuga are enlightened, the yuga changes overnight. Then the
minds of all people will become enlightened and as clear as crystal, and
with inevitable force Krita or Satya-yuga sets in. People then realize the
soul, acquire piety, devotion, tranquility, and clear consciousness. Then
those Siddhas [the enlightened and perfected living beings who had
remained invisible on a higher dimension through to the end of the age of
Kali] return to the earthly dimension and again are clearly visible. They
establish themselves with the return of the Saptarishis, the seven sages, who
instruct everyone about spiritual life, Vedic knowledge, and the progressive
organization of society for a peaceful and fulfilling existence. Then again
people flourish and perform the sacred rites, and the sages will remain in
authority to continue the advancement of the new Satya-yuga.
We can understand from this that Lord Kalki will simply chastise by
killing all of the evil kings and rogues and thereby bring in a new era of
enlightened beings, a race whose minds will be as clear as crystal and who
will produce offspring that will follow the tendencies of real human beings
as found in the age of Satya-yuga.
Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.2.21-24) further describes that after all of the
devious and fake kings have been killed, the remaining residents of the
towns and cities will smell the breezes that carry the sacred aroma of the
Lord’s sandalwood paste and decorations, and their minds will then become
spiritually purified. When the Supreme Being appears in their hearts in His
form of pure goodness, the remaining citizens will abundantly repopulate
the earth. With this appearance of Lord Kalki, Satya-yuga will begin again
and the remaining humans will produce children in goodness [sattva-guna].
Thus, when the moon, the sun, and Jupiter are in the constellation of
Kartaka, Cancer, and together enter the lunar mansion of Pusya, that is
when the age of Satya-yuga will begin.
Therefore, as further related in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.2.34), after
one thousand celestial years of Kali-yuga, Satya-yuga will again manifest.
At that time the minds of men will be selfeffulgent.
The Mahabharata (Vana Parva, 190.89-92) continues to describe the
conditions of the earth when the Satya-yuga returns. “Creatures would
come into existence again, beginning with the Brahmanas. When that age
will pass away, creation will again increase. Providence will again be
propitious at will. When the sun, the moon, and Brihaspati enter the
constellation of Pushya, the clouds will incessantly shower rains, and
[positions of the] stars and planets will be auspicious. The planets, duly
revolving in their orbits, will be greatly propitious. Abundance, prosperity,
wealth, and peace will be everywhere.”
Herein we see that once balance or Dharma is restored, as reestablished
by Lord Kalki, the planet begins to heal and rejuvenate itself. Those
creatures that were once extinct due to the pollution and imbalance caused
by humanity will appear again. The sacred rivers of the Ganga and Yamuna
and others also reappear. The planet creates what it needs again, and after
years of drought and famine the clouds will supply rain again. Everywhere
there will be peace and bountifulness.
The following description shows how, at the beginning of the next
Satya-yuga, everyone will again live in harmony and with a common cause
and goal, based on spiritual upliftment for one and all. “Reaching at this
stage, there will be an end to Kali-yuga, in which the truth and the tapas
[austerity for spiritual insight] would reemerge completely, together with
Dharma. At that point in time the Brahmanas will perform their tapas. They
will be extremely religious and well-versed in the Vedic knowledge. In
every household, there will again be chaste ladies devoted to religion [the
Vedic spiritual path]. There will be regional kings who will be devoted to
their own Dharma [duties as an honest and principled ruler], devoted to
[genuine and highly advanced] Brahmanas [the intellectuals and priests who
understand Vedic spiritual knowledge], as well as glorious, devoted to
Dharma, and will always be performing good deeds and activities. The
Vaishyas [Vedically principled and honest merchants] will engage
themselves in commerce and will be devoted to the Brahmanas and
religion. The Shudras [or worker class, artists, performers, etc.] also will be
quite meritorious, devoted to Dharma and adore the Brahmanas. The
Brahmanas, Kshatriys, and Vaishyas will perform the yajnas [Vedic rituals]
of Vishnu. There will be Vaishnavas [worshipers of Vishnu] always reciting
the name of Lord Vishnu and devoted to Me [Lord Narayana, Vishnu].
They will be well-versed in the Smritis, Shrutis and Puranas, as well as
Vedic Dharma and will enjoy the company of their wives only at the
appropriate times. Therefore, Krita-yuga will be influenced only by Dharma
and there will be no particle of adharma [non-Vedic or nonspiritual or
immoral actions or thoughts]. (Brahma-Vaivarta Purana, Prakriti Khanda,
7.63-68)
The Mahabharata also states some of the same things but with further
elaborations on how conditions will be when Satya-yuga or Krita-yuga
begins again: “O descendant of Bharata, when at the appearance of the
Krita Yuga, sin will thus be completely destroyed and virtue will flourish,
men will again be engaged in religious rites. Well-planted gardens,
sacrificial grounds, large tanks, Vedic schools and colleges, ponds and
temples, will (all) reappear everywhere; various sacrifices will also begin to
be performed at the appearance of the Krita age. Brahmanas will be honest
and good. Being devoted to asceticism, they will be rishis [wise sages]. The
hermitages [that had been] occupied by the wicked wretches will once more
be the homes of men devoted to Truth. Men in general will begin to honor
and practice Truth. All seeds sown on earth will grow. O king of kings,
every kind of crop will grow in every season. Men will devotedly practice
charity, vows, and religious rites. The Brahmanas, devoted to meditation
and sacrifices [Vedic rituals], will be of virtuous soul and cheerful
disposition. The kings will virtuously govern the earth. In the Krita-yuga,
the Vaishyas will devote themselves to trade, the Brahmans will be devoted
to their six duties and the Kshatriyas will be devoted to the display of
prowess [for the protection of the citizens]. The Shudras will be devoted to
the service of the other three orders. Such will be the Dharma in Krita,
Treta, and Dvapara-yugas.
“O son of Pandu, I have now narrated to you everything. I have told you
the periods embraced by the several yugas, that which is known to all.
Thus, have I now told you everything appertaining to both the past and the
future as narrated by Vayu in his own Purana adored by the Rishi. Immortal
as I am, I have many times seen and ascertained the course of the world. I
have now told you all that I have seen and felt.” (Mahabharata, Vana Parva,
191.7-17) The Vishnu Purana (Book Four, Chapter One) also relates that
the Vedas and the principles of Sanatana-dharma, or the eternal nature of
the soul, fade and disappear from the planet at the end of every four ages.
The Bhagavatam (8.14.4-5) also confirms that there are saintly persons who
help reestablish these principles in Satya-yuga along with the basis of
varnashrama [the divisions of four varnas, such as Brahmanas, Kshatriyas,
Vaishyas, and Shudras that are established not by one’s birth, but by one’s
natural talents and tendencies; and the four ashramas, namely Brahmacari,
Grihastha, Vanaprastha, and Sannyasa], which is the proper organization of
society for humanity.
The Vishnu Purana continues to explain that it is in the jurisdiction of
the seven universal sages or rishis (the Saptarishis) to make sure the Vedic
knowledge is given currency again, even if these rishis must descend from
the higher planets to do so. So, in every Satya-yuga the Manu [the demigod
son of Brahma who is the lawgiver of humanity] of that age is the author of
the body of law, while the sons of Manu and their descendants are
sovereigns of the earth. This means that although the genuine spiritual
knowledge or Vedic information may disappear from the face of this planet,
it is still dwelling elsewhere in the universe, or even out of the jurisdiction
of society in this world, and it is the duty of higher authorities to reestablish
it in its proper time.
To help in this regard, it is predicted in the Srimad-Bhagavatam
(12.2.37-38) and the Vishnu Purana (Book Four, Chapter 24) that there are
two persons who are waiting for the end of Kali-yuga: Devapi of the race of
Puru and brother of King Shantanu, and Maru, a descendant of King
Ikshvaku. They will be great kings and will help in the process of
reestablishing the proper principles in society. These two are alive even
now by their great mystic strength obtained through the power of devotion
[bhakti]. They have lived through all four of the yugas and reside in the
village of Kalapa. They are waiting for the end of Kali-yuga. Then, at the
beginning of Satya-yuga, under the instructions of the Supreme, they will
return to society and be members of the family of the Manu and reestablish
the eternal religion of humanity, Sanatana-dharma [based on the soul’s
eternal nature to serve the Supreme], and the institution of varnashrama,
which is the proper organization of society for its continued harmony in
life, and its material and spiritual progress. They will become great kings
and form a proper government.
The Srimad-Bhagavatam (9.12.6) also relates the means by which Maru
has been able to continue living and what his mission will be: “Having
achieved perfection in the power of mystic yoga [pranayama or breath
control], Maru still lives in a place known as Kalapa-grama. At the end of
Kali-yuga, he will revive the lost Surya dynasty by begetting a son.” Thus,
by the arrangement of the Supreme Being, there are those who will always
be the guardians of that spiritual knowledge that contains the genuine
principles for attaining the real goal of human existence, and who will
provide the means so that it is passed along to others.
After all of this is accomplished, as related in the Srimad-Bhagavatam
(12.2.39), the cycle of the four ages of Satya, Treta, Dvapara, and Kali-
yugas [a Chaturyuga] will continue to repeat itself along with the same
general pattern of events.
Those who repeatedly hear the transcendental glories of the Kalki
incarnation of Lord Maha-Vishnu with devotion will find that all
inauspiciousness within their hearts will be reduced to nil. (Kalki Purana
34.16)
CHAPTER SEVEN
The Destruction of the World
Most all cultural or religious literature seems to foretell a time when the
world comes to an end. The Vedic literature is no exception. However, in
the Vedic version, this is but part of a cycle of creation and then destruction
before another recreation.
In the process of the universal annihilation, the Vedic prophecies
foretell a time when Lord Kalki will not appear at the end of Kali-yuga to
bring back the age of enlightenment, Satya-yuga. That is the time when this
world will simply slide into complete destruction. The Kurma Purana
(2.45.5-13) describes four different types of dissolution. These are Nitya,
Naimittika, Prakrita, and Atyantika. The Nitya dissolution is the death of
the physical body that everyone undergoes. A Naimittika dissolution is that
which takes place during Brahma’s night at the end of a kalpa. A Prakrita
dissolution is when the entire universe is annihilated, like at the end of a life
of Brahma. And the Atyantika dissolution is when one becomes perfect in
spiritual consciousness and attains the spiritual abode, thus attaining
freedom from the cycle of birth and death.
The Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.10.14) also explains three similar types of
worldly destruction. One is due to the scheduled time of universal
annihilation, another is due to the universal fire that emanates from the
mouth of the Lord’s incarnation as Ananta Sesha or Sankarshana, and the
other is due to our quality of activities and reactions, or individual and
social karma.
Karmic destruction in this case refers to the destruction that goes on in
this world due to the actions of society at large which create social karma,
or the reactions to the activities that are performed that society must then
experience. Some of these calamities and disasters are predicted and some
are not. Some of these karmic destructions will be in the form of war,
government breakdown, economic collapse, social upheaval, industrial
disaster, and outbreaks of incurable diseases. These forms of reactions will
go on throughout the age of Kali and cause many levels of worldly
upheavals and destruction of such things as our natural resources, land,
cities, and people. Various psychics or astrologers may predict such things,
but the Vedic prophecies allude to these only in a general way because they
are a part of the natural course of events that take place based on the
consequences of mankind’s consciousness and activities, as described in
Chapter Four. As the age of Kali continues, various forms of these disasters
and worldly changes will become so numerous that it will be pointless to
expect anyone to predict all but the most important. There would be a need
for volumes of books to mention all of them if they could be accurately
predicted. Some of these karmic reactions will be on a more personal level,
while others will affect society at large, such as the destruction of social
foundations like marriage and the family; or the loss of economic stability,
jobs, and health; or even one’s duration of life. All of these are caused by
things like our lifestyles, attitudes, and those things that we do to ourselves
or to others.
Two of the other forms of destruction mentioned above are scheduled
and take place within a designated window of time in the plan for the
universe, such as the end of what is called Brahma’s day, and the final
annihilation at the end of the Brahma’s life. The next scheduled annihilation
of the world, according to the Vedic prophecies, will be at what is called the
end of Brahma’s day, which, at this point in time, is still a long way off.
THE NEXT ANNIHILATION OF THE WORLD
It is explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.10.30) that in all of the
planetary systems throughout the universe there exists the fear of time, or
death, even among the great demigods. Even the greatest demigod, Lord
Brahma, lives 311,040,000,000,000 earthly years, and is also afraid of the
Supreme in the form of death. Even though Lord Brahma lives for so long,
this is considered only 100 years on his level of existence.
Furthermore, each of those years is divided into 365 days. Each day is
stated to consist of one thousand cycles of the four yugas, which is known
as a kalpa, or 4,320,000,000 solar years. And onehalf of each day consists
of Brahma’s night, which is of the same duration. (Srimad-
Bhagavatam12.4.2-4)
The three universal planetary systems are subject to annihilation during
his night. This is called the Naimittika, or occasional annihilation. This is
not when the whole cosmic creation is destroyed, but when things within
the universe are absorbed by Brahma while he ceases certain parts of his
activities while he is said to sleep. The final annihilation is when
everything, even Lord Brahma who helped create the conditions and living
beings within the universe, is withdrawn into the body of Maha-Vishnu.
The Vayu Purana (38.133-139) describes that at the end of the kalpa
during Brahma’s night there is a complete withdrawal of all living entities
by Brahma. When Brahma feels the need to sleep, he begins to dissolve all
beings along with everything else into him. Then a drought sets in and lasts
for 100 years [earth time] which makes all beings on the surface of the earth
lose strength and merge into the earth, after which the sun evaporates all
moisture from the earth.
The Vayu Purana (38.143-161) and the Kurma Purana (2.45.18-34)
relate that the sun, using the moisture as food, becomes more intense and
forms seven suns. Those intense rays dry up the earth planet, reaching the
nether and upper regions of the universe and scorching all other worlds. The
whole sky is filled with fiercely blazing samvartaka fires [the universal fires
of destruction]. All living beings become dissolved, and all mountains,
oceans, and continents are reduced to ashes. The fire consumes the different
planetary systems, including those of the Gandharvas, Pishacas, Yakshas,
the serpents, and Rakshasas. The fire burns up the four worlds, Bhurloka,
Bhuvarloka, Svarloka, and Maharloka. The entire universe shines like a hot
iron ball.
In the following description, Suta Goswami explains the events that
take place at the end of a kalpa, one of Brahma’s days, to the many sages
that had assembled in the forests of Naimisaranya.
“O Brahmanas! Thereafter, the abodes presided over by the deities
become vacant and fall down along with constellations, stars and planets
getting hurled and destroyed. When the lords of the three worlds, including
the eight Indras pass away, the fourteen groups of Devas [the higher beings
and demigods], beginning with Ajita and others, and ending with
Chakshusas–the Devas who were mighty and full of splendor in all the
manvantaras–who go to [the higher planetary system of] Maharloka where
they will become identical with those Devas who stay there till the end of
the kalpa.
“It is reported that when the time of Samhara (the heaping and
collision) comes, those fourteen groups of Devas will forsake the
Maharloka planetary system and go to the [higher] Janaloka planet with
their physical bodies, and accompanied by their followers. Thus, when the
Devas have gone from Maharloka to Janaloka, when bhutadi [the cosmic
ego–ahankara] and other (prime causes of the universe) remain and (even)
immobile living beings have come to an end, when the abodes of the worlds
beginning with the Bhuh planetary system and ending with Mahah have
become void, when the Devas have gone upward and become united with
the Kalpavasins (those who stay till the end of the kalpa), after withdrawing
(annihilating) those Devas, Sages, Pitris [forefathers], and Danavas,
Brahma with his powerful vision sees that it is the end of the yuga [the last
time period of the kalpa or day of Brahma] and then he puts an end to his
creation. The knowers of day and night of Brahma understand that the day
of Brahma consists of a thousand cycles of the four yugas, and similarly the
night too consists of [the time equal to] a thousand cycles of four yugas.”
(Vayu Purana 38.123-131) The Bhagavatam (3.11.28-32) goes on to
explain that during the night of Brahma, the universe and the innumerable
living entities merge into the darkness of night. Everything is silent, merged
into dissolution. The three planetary systems disappear. The sun and moon
lose their glare. This devastation is caused by the fire that emanates from
the mouth of Sankarshana, another name for Ananta Sesha, who lies on the
Garbhodaka Ocean in the lower part of the universe. This fire is said to go
on for 36,000 solar years. Great mystical sages like Bhrigu and others leave
the Maharloka planet and travel to the higher planetary system of Janaloka
due to the fire that rages through the three planetary systems below. Then
all of the seas overflow and the universal winds blow violently. Thus, the
three major planetary systems of the universe are flooded with water and
torrential rains for another 36,000 solar years. The higher planetary systems
of Maharloka, Tapoloka, Satyaloka, and Brahmaloka are not dissolved in
the devastating waters. During the deluge, the Supreme Being, Vishnu,
known in this form as His universal expansion of Garbhodakashayi Vishnu,
lies down on His bed of Ananta Sesha on the universal waters of
devastation of the rising Garbhodaka Ocean, and enters a mystic sleep,
known as yoga-nidra, which is a state of spiritual meditation.
This process of destruction is explained in more detail in the Vishnu
Purana (Book Six, Chapters Three & Four). It states that at the end of 1,000
cycles of the four yugas, called a chaturyuga, the earth is almost exhausted.
A great scarcity of food ensues, which lasts 100 years. Because of the lack
of food, all beings become weak and slow, and finally perish entirely. Lord
Vishnu then assumes the character of Rudra (a form of Lord Shiva), the
destroyer, and descends to reunite all of His creatures within Himself. He
enters into the seven rays of the sun, causing all moisture in the oceans,
rivers, soil, and living bodies to evaporate. The whole earth is dried up.
Thus fed with abundant moisture from the evaporation, the seven rays dilate
into seven suns, whose radiance glows everywhere and sets the three
planetary systems and the lower system of Patala on fire. The three
planetary systems become rugged and deformed throughout their
mountains, rivers, and seas as they are consumed by these suns. The earth
alone remains, destitute of moisture, resembling the back of a turtle.
Then Lord Hari (Vishnu), in the form of Rudra, who is the fire of time,
destroyer of all things, becomes the scorching breath of Ananta Sesha,
Sankarshana, and reduces the lower planetary system of Patala to ashes.
The great roaring fire makes its way up through the universe to earth and
destroys it. A vast whirlpool of flame then spreads to the higher region of
the demigods and puts them all to ruin. The three planetary systems appear
like a frying pan surrounded by flames that consume all things. The
inhabitants of the upper planetary systems then move higher to Maharloka,
and when that becomes too hot, those who desire final liberation depart for
the higher regions of Janaloka.
The Vayu Purana (38.188-195 & 39.51-55) further relates that it is
those saintly mortals who are distinguished by piety and diligent worship of
Lord Vishnu who are in Maharloka with elevated ancestors, the Manus
(lawgivers), the seven universal rishis, and other celestial spirits. They
leave Maharloka when the flames of destruction reach it and go to Janaloka.
They leave in their subtle forms and determine to become re-embodied
when the world is renewed or recreated at the beginning of the next kalpa,
or day of Brahma. This process of destruction and regeneration goes on
until, at the end of Brahma’s life, everything is destroyed and wrapped up
into the body of Maha-Vishnu. But those who have attained Brahmaloka by
understanding themselves as spiritual beings in relation to the Supreme
Lord are finally given freedom from any further cycles of birth and death.
Lord Brahma’s personal planet is the highest of all orbs in the universe,
from which many residents leave the material manifestation to enter
directly into the spiritual worlds. The Vishnu Purana goes on to explain that
Rudra, after consuming the universe with fire, breathes forth heavy clouds
that spread over the universal sky and roar with thunder and lightning.
Some are black and others are white, yellow, deep blue, bright red, etc.
They fill all space and shower torrents of rain that quench the dreadful fire
that engulfs the three levels of planetary systems. It rains continuously,
pouring down drops as large as dice upon earth and heaven. The universe,
now filled with darkness, and all life having perished, is full of clouds that
pour rain for more than another 100 years of the demigods.
From the Vayu Purana (38.162-170) we get this description of part of
the dissolution at the end of a kalpa, or a day of Brahma in preparation for
his night.
“Thereafter, the terrible Samvartaka clouds begin to rise in the sky.
They assume the shapes of the herds of huge elephants and are embellished
with lightning streaks. Some are dark-colored like the blue lotus. Some are
like white lilies, some resemble lapis lazuli, and other are like emerald and
sapphire. Others are white like the conch shell and the kunda flowers. Some
are (black) like the natural collyrium. Some clouds are smoke-colored and
some clouds are yellow. Some clouds have the (grey) color, some resemble
the red lacquer, others have the luster of the red arsenic, and there are
dovecolored clouds. Some glow-worm colored clouds rise up in the sky;
some are as vast as the expansive cities and the Earth, and some are as huge
as herds of elephants. Some clouds are like mountains and some are like
rocky regions. Some resemble large basins and some huge shoals of fish.
“Terrific in appearance and multi-formed, all those clouds, thundering
terribly, fill the entire firmament at that time [of dissolution]. Then the
terrific and fresh clouds, identifying themselves with the suns, organize
themselves in seven groups and extinguish the fire. The clouds then shower
energetically and quell the entire inauspicious and horrible fire.”
The Vayu Purana (38.171-181, 184) goes on to describe that over the
course of one hundred years, the fires become quelled and the universe
becomes filled with water. “The universe is then filled with waters from the
heavy downpour [from the clouds]. The brilliance of the burning fire is
overcome by the waters, and the fire enters [merges] into the water. When
in the course of a hundred years, the whole fire is quelled, the clouds that
arise from the fire inundate the entire universe with huge quantities of
showers. Urged by the selfborn deity (Brahma), they fill the universe with
their showers. Others assail the sea-shore with large quantities of water. The
entire earth with its continents and mountains is covered with water. O
Brahmanas, the entire quantity of water showered by the clouds [upon the
earth] enters the ocean. There it is again sucked up by the rays of the sun.
The water sucked up by the rays of the sun clings to the clouds. It falls
again on the earth whereby the oceans are filled up. Then the oceans
overflow their shores all round. Mountains crumble down and the earth
sinks into the water. Whirling up suddenly, a violent wind of terrible nature
envelops all those clouds in the sky. In that ekarnava (a single vast sheet of
water) all the mobile and immobile beings get dissolved.
“Learned men call this sheet of water whereby the entire world is
enveloped ekarnava. All separate entities are lost sight of. Neither the
surface of the earth, nor the atmosphere, neither the wind nor the firmament
is visible distinctly. When only water is seen flowing hither and thither, it is
called salila. When it stands covering the whole earth, that (mass of) water
is called arnava (an ocean). At the end of that period of a thousand sets of
four yugas, one day of Brahma passes. At the end of the whole of that
period, the entire universe becomes submerged in the ekarnava. All the
activities of Prajapati, Brahma, cease [as he prepares for his night, which is
of equal length to his day].”
The Brahmanda Purana (3.4.1.169-173) continues to describe that from
the fire that is destroyed by the showers, the clouds, arising from those fires,
fill the entire universe with torrents of water currents. All land and spaces
are swallowed up by the water. When everything becomes dissolved in that
fearsome expanse of water, then it is understood that the kalpa has come to
an end.
The Vishnu Purana then elaborates that when the waters reach the
region of the seven rishis, and the whole universe is filled, the mighty
clouds stop raining. The universal breath of Lord Vishnu then becomes a
strong wind that blows throughout the universe for more than 100 years
until all of the clouds are dispersed. Then the wind is reabsorbed into Lord
Vishnu and then He, from whom all things are made, reposes on Ananta
Sesha and enters that mystic slumber called yoganidra.
Now we find in the Kurma Purana (2.45.54-56) where Lord Kurma
(Vishnu) says He adopts maya and enters the yogic slumber as the whole
universe submerges into the water. During the period of His sleep, the great
sages that stay in Janaloka see Him with their mystic vision. Then the Agni
Purana (368.12-15) confirms that when the water rises up to the region of
the seven sages (the Great Bear constellation), from the breath of Lord
Vishnu issues a hundred storms that disperse the clouds. Then after drinking
the wind, Lord Hari lies down on the great ocean and rests in yogic sleep,
yoganidra, for another kalpa period, contemplating His own form as
Vasudeva. Then the universe lies in an unmanifest state in the Prakriti
[material nature in its primordial state].
The Brahma Purana (125.2-10) similarly relates that the winds that
blow for 100 years from Vishnu’s exhalation destroy all of the clouds. Then
Lord Hari (Vishnu) drinks up all the wind and lies on the bed of Sheshanaga
in that vast expanse of water. He is praised and eulogized by the Siddhas,
mystically perfected beings, that are residing on the Janaloka planetary
system, and is meditated on by those seeking liberation who live on
Brahmaloka. He then enters the yoganidra (yogic mystic slumber) and
meditates on His own form. When this Soul of souls is awake, the universe
is active. When He lies on the bed to sleep, the visible universe ceases to
function and vanishes. When Vishnu, assuming the form of Brahma,
awakes at the close of the night, the work of creation begins again.
The Mahabharata (Shanti Parva, 233.1-13, 18-19) offers a similar
version of this but in a summary. Therein Vyasadeva describes that he shall
now tell you how Brahma’s night comes when his day is gone. At that time
he withdraws all things to himself, making this gross universe exceedingly
subtle, and merges everything into himself. When the time for universal
dissolution comes, twelve Suns, and Agni, the god of fire, with his seven
flames [or rays], begin to burn. Wrapped by those flames, the entire
universe begins to blaze forth in a huge fire. All things mobile and
immobile that are on the earth first disappear and merge into the substance
of which this planet is formed. After all mobile and immobile objects have
thus disappeared, the earth, shorn of trees and herbs, looks nude like a
tortoise shell. Then water takes up the attribute of the element of earth, with
its characteristic of having scent or aroma. When earth becomes shorn of
this principal attribute, that [is when that] element is about to be destroyed.
Water then prevails, surging into big billows and roaring dreadfully. Only
water fills this space and moves about or stands still. Then the attribute of
water is overcome by heat, and losing its own attribute, water emerges in
that element [of fire]. Dazzling flames of fire, ablaze all around, hide the
sun that is in the center of ether. Indeed, then, ether itself, full of those
flames, burns in a vast fire. Then wind comes and takes the attribute or form
of heat and light, which, possessed of great power, becomes awfully
agitated. Obtaining its own attribute of carrying sound, the wind begins to
move upwards and downwards and transversely along all the ten points [ten
directions]. Then space [ether] takes [absorbs] the attribute of sound,
[carried by] the wind, upon which the latter is extinguished and enters into a
state of existence resembling that of unheard or unuttered sound [absolute
silence]. Then space [ether] is all that remains, and that element whose
attribute is sound, exists in all the other elements, shorn of the attributes of
form, taste, touch, smell, and without shape of any kind, like sound in its
unmanifest form of existence. Then sound, which is the attribute of space, is
swallowed up by Mind which is the essence of all manifest things. Thus,
Mind withdraws all that is manifested by Mind. This withdrawal of
manifest Mind into unmanifest Mind, is called the destruction of the
external universe… Truly has this, which should be conceived (with the aid
of the scriptures) and which is a topic of science, been thus described by
yogis empowered with Supreme Souls, after actual experience. In this way
does Brahma repeatedly practice the processes of creation and destruction
[and then recreation], and even thus are Brahma’s day and night, each
consisting of a thousand yugas.”
Let us remember that this is a partial and scheduled annihilation of
much but not all of the interior of the universe. After the length of time
known as Brahma’s night comes to an end, it is arranged that the universe
begin again and be recreated. The Brahmanda Purana (3.4.1.189-203)
continues to explain that Lord Brahma, while lying down, stays in the
waters in the darkness of night. When the night ends, Brahma wakes up
with a desire to create. He then concentrates on the activity of creation.
When his night becomes dawn [so to speak], all living beings are again
born of Brahma, including the sages, Manus, and Siddhas. Thus, the night
of Brahma comes to an end.
The Vayu Purana (38.195-207) further elaborates that when the night
ends and Brahma awakes, he has the desire to create. The rebirth of all
living beings, after the dissolution, is called samsara. All living beings are
born again from Brahma at the beginning of every kalpa in the same
succession as before. All living beings start as new, having been absolved
of all sins, karma, and all reactions during the dissolution.
In this way, the Vishnu Purana concludes, for the same length of time as
Brahma’s day is his night, during which the world is submerged in the vast,
universal Garbhodaka Ocean. When the universal spirit awakes, the world
revives. Awakening at the end of his night, the unborn Lord Vishnu, in the
form of Brahma [when no other living being is qualified to be Brahma],
creates the universe anew. This is also stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam
(3.11.23): “After the end of Brahma’s night, the creation of the three worlds
begins again in the daytime of Brahma, and they continue to exist through
the life durations of 14 consecutive Manus, or fathers of mankind [equaling
another 1000 cycles of the four yugas as before].”
Thus, as stated in the Linga Purana (40.86-92), as a thousand cycles of
the four yugas make one day of Brahma, or one kalpa, his night consists of
the same. What happens in the basic pattern of four yugas is repeated in the
next four yugas, and the pattern of one kalpa is the same as the next.
However, the difference or variations in the basic order or pattern of events
within the kalpas is limited to 25. Thus, the world goes through the
continuous cycle of creation and annihilation for the duration of time
known as the life of Brahma.
Though there are many more references in the Vedic literature we could
include in these descriptions of the universal destruction at the end of
Brahma’s day, what has been provided is more than an essential story of
how this takes place.
Furthermore, one thing to remember is that some differences in the
descriptions of the events of the creation, as seen occasionally between the
Puranas, is admitted to be there, but is limited to 25. This is because the
different Puranas are known to describe the events that take place in
different kalpas, and one kalpa may have a slight variance from another.
Thus, it is not merely a mechanical system, but depends on the changing
moods that Brahma enters in his meditations while he creates the various
species of life and planetary systems that gradually again fill the universe.
THE FINAL ANNIHILATION OF THE UNIVERSE
At the end of time, called the end of Brahma’s life of 100 years, each of
which has 365 of his days, there is the final annihilation of the universe. In
the Kalki Purana, Lord Kalki, as an expansion of Lord Vishnu, summarizes
the meaning of the final annihilation of the universe. Lord Kalki said:
“When the final dissolution of the universe will take place, everyone, even
Lord Brahma, will be annihilated. At that time, the entire universe will
become merged within Me. In the beginning, only I existed, and therefore,
all living entities and elements emanated from Me.
“After the [previous] final dissolution, the entire universe remained
unmanifest and there was no one except the Supersoul. Then, at the end of
that long and dark night, I manifested My universal form in order to enact
the pastime of material creation.
“That universal form of Mine has thousands of heads, thousands of
eyes, and thousands of legs. From that mouth of the universal form came
the supremely powerful Brahma, who spoke the four Vedas.
“In accordance with My order, which is as good as the Vedas, the
omniscient Brahma began his work of creating the living entities, who are
My separated parts and parcels, as well as the time factor, and the planetary
systems. In the beginning, Brahma created the progenitors, Manus,
demigods, and human beings.
“Although all of them are My parts and parcels, they engage in different
kinds of activities by the arrangement of maya [the illusory force], under
the dictation of the three modes of material nature. As a result, all moving
and non-moving living entities are materially designated.
“All moving and nonmoving living entities are My separated parts and
parcels, although they appear to be products of maya. At the end, everyone
will merge into Me. The Brahmanas and other members of the social order
are just like parts of My body.” (Kalki Purana 4.2-8)
The final annihilation of the universe begins at the end of the last day of
Brahma’s life. The Bhagavatam (11.3.9-15) explains that when it is time for
the annihilation of all material elements, the Supreme Being withdraws the
cosmic manifestation in His form of time, causing the whole universe to
vanish into its unmanifest state. Of course, this is at the end of Kali-yuga
when Brahma finishes his life span of 100 celestial or divine years. Again,
the start of this process begins as it did before at the end of a kalpa with a
terrible drought that takes place on earth for 100 years, and everywhere is
tormented by the heat of the sun. From the mouth of Sankarshana emanates
a fire that scorches everything as it is carried by great winds. Then hoards of
universal clouds pour torrents of rain for 100 years, flooding the entire
universe in water with raindrops as long as the trunk of elephants.
Thereafter, Vairaja Brahma gives up his own body and enters the subtle
unmanifest nature, the pradhana. Then the elements merge or withdraw into
one another, starting from the earth into water, then into fire, into air, into
space, into time, and into the element of false ego in the mode of ignorance.
False ego is the subtle element that causes the living entities to forget their
spiritual nature and to think they are their material bodies. Then the material
senses and the subtle element of intelligence merge into false ego in the
mode of passion, and the mind and demigods merge into false ego in the
mode of goodness. Then the final element of false ego merges into the
maha-tattva, which is the total amount of ingredients of the material energy
in its unmanifest state.
The above paragraph is a simplistic explanation of the final annihilation.
More details are found elsewhere in Srimad-Bhagavatam (starting at 12.4.5-
7). To begin elaborating the details, therein we first find that when Brahma’s
life is complete, the seven basic elements of creation are annihilated. Once
these are destroyed, then the whole universe begins to break down in the
process of annihilation. This begins with the earth receiving no rain for 100
years. This causes the drought which leads to famine. Thus, all inhabitants
of the earth are gradually destroyed.
As the living beings give up their bodies during the time of dissolution,
they merge into the Supreme Being in His form as Garbhodakshayi Vishnu,
who exists in each universe. As stated in the Bhagavatam, it was the
Supreme Being alone who existed before the manifested creation, and in
Him only do all living beings merge during the dissolution, as if sleeping at
night, their energy suspended until the time of the next cosmic creation.
This means that each separate spirit soul remains as an individual but are
brought together and merged in the spiritual existence within this Supreme
Being. However, their desires for material pleasures remain. Thus, they
continue in a dormant state and during the next creation they again are
manifested in the material energy and accept the appropriate physical
bodies that enable them to chase after the same desires they had before. In
this way, they appear in different species of life according to their
inclinations and, thus, populate the worlds. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.10.21-
22)
The Bhagavatam (12.4.8-10) continues describing that the sun will
evaporate all of the water from the ocean, all living bodies, and the soil.
Then the great fire of annihilation will emanate from Lord Sankarshana’s
mouth and burn the entire universe as it is carried by the fierce universal
winds. The universe will become a huge but lifeless cosmic shell. Burned
from below by the fire of Lord Sankarshana and from above by the
scorching sun, the universal shell will look like a burning ball.
The Brahma Purana (124.24-28) elaborates that by means of the flames
from Sheshanaga (Sankarshana), the Supreme burns the nether worlds from
below. This fire of universal destruction reaches the earth and burns the
entire surface. The fires also burn the Bhuvah and Svarga worlds, and when
the higher planets are burned up, the residents leave in their subtle bodies
for Maharloka. However, the Brahmanda Purana (3.4.1.157) goes on to
relate that the fires of devastation now move throughout the universe and
this time, in the final annihilation of the cosmos, also burn the Bhuvaloka,
Bhuvarloka, and Svarloka worlds, as well as the Maharloka planetary
system.
Elsewhere in the Bhagavatam (5.25.3), it states that Lord Shiva plays a
significant role in the final annihilation of the universe. “At the time of
devastation, when Lord Anantadeva [Ananta Sesha, Sankarshana] desires to
destroy the entire creation, He becomes slightly angry. Then from between
His two eyebrows appears threeeyed Rudra, carrying a trident. This Rudra,
who is known as Sankarshana, is the embodiment of the eleven Rudras, or
incarnations of Lord Shiva. He appears in order to devastate the entire
creation.”
The Brahma Purana (124.16) goes on to explain that it is the
imperishable Lord Krishna who assumes the form of Rudra to bring all the
elements and living beings back into Himself in this process of annihilation.
After Shiva appears in this way, he begins to do his dance of
dissolution, dancing wildly to the beat of his drum. “At the time of
dissolution, Lord Shiva’s hair is scattered, and he pierces the rulers of the
different directions with his trident. He laughs and dances proudly,
scattering their hands like flags, as thunder scattered the clouds all over the
world.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam (4.5.10) Lord Shiva’s dancing causes such a
commotion that it brings in the clouds that cause the universe to become
inundated with water, which is what happens next.
The Bhagavatam (12.4.11-12) continues to describe that a terrible wind
will blow for more than 100 years causing great destruction and making the
sky turn gray with dust. Then many multicolored clouds filled with terrible
thunder will gather and pour floods of rain for another 100 years until the
universal shell fills with a great cosmic flood. Then the Brahma Purana
(125.40) also says that with the whole universe filled with darkness and all
entities destroyed, these powerful clouds rain for more than a hundred
years.
The Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.4.13-19) as well as the Brahma Purana
(125.12-34) goes on to relate that at this point all of the individual elements
throughout the cosmic creation will lose their distinguishing qualities and
merge into one another in a process that proceeds from the most gross and
physical of the elements to the most subtle. The element of earth will lose
its distinguishing quality of fragrance and be swallowed up by the water
and be absorbed into it. Water then loses the quality of taste and is
consumed by, and merges into, the element of fire. Air overpowers the
quality of form in fire causing fire to merge into the element of air. Ether
then overpowers air which loses the quality of touch, which causes air to
merge into ether. The subtle element of false ego in the mode of ignorance
consumes sound, which is the quality of ether, thus forcing ether to merge
into false ego. Similarly, false ego in the mode of passion absorbs the
senses, and false ego in goodness absorbs the demigods. Then the total
ingredients of material creation in its unmanifest state, the mahat-tattva,
absorbs false ego and its functions. That mahat is absorbed into the modes
of nature, which are goodness, passion and ignorance. The modes of nature
are then reduced to a state of equilibrium and, impelled by the time factor,
are absorbed into the original mahat, the unmanifested form of nature. This
unmanifested nature is not subject to the changes that are due to time
because it has no beginning nor end. It is the unmanifest, eternal seeds of
creation.
The Bhagavatam (12.4.20-22) further states that once the contents of
the universe reach this stage of unmanifest nature, known as pradhana, then
no longer are there such things as planets, demigods, senses, and vital air.
Nor are there the material elements of earth, air, fire, and water. Nor are
there subtle elements, such as mind, intelligence, speech, nor the modes of
nature, nor even time. Neither are there any states of consciousness.
Everything is void and indescribable. This pradhana is the root or
foundation of the material creation.
This is the Prakritika annihilation when all of the material energies of
the Supreme Being, impelled at first by time, begins the transformations by
which they lose their potencies and are then dissolved together into
primordial matter. Then the innumerable universes and nonmanifest
material ingredients merge into the huge body of Maha-Vishnu with the
inhalation of His breath. He is situated in what is called the Karana Ocean,
or Causal Ocean, in which all the universes rest while they are manifested.
Furthermore, it is explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.87.12-13) that
after the universal annihilation when Lord Maha-Vishnu withdraws into
Himself all of the universes He had created, He will lay for sometime as if
asleep, and His energies will rest dormant within Him. When the time
comes for the next creation, then the forms of the personified Vedas will
appear from the Lord’s breathing and will awaken Him by chanting
descriptions of His characteristics just as poets or singers awaken a king.
This confirms that the Vedas are not simply books, but they are spiritual
sound vibrations that exist eternally within the spiritual strata, and they are
brought into this material world for the benefit of the materially bound
living beings.
The above verses are in reference to when Lord Maha-Vishnu again
creates the cosmic universes which appear in His breathing. It is explained
that the material universes manifest with the exhalation of Lord Maha-
Vishnu and they merge back into Him with His inhalation. This is similar to
the way so many germs are found in the exhalation of an ordinary human,
which can again be ingested with each inhalation. However, when Maha-
Vishnu no longer intends to exhibit His material energies or manifest the
material creation, Maha-Vishnu no longer exhales. What happens then is
explained in the Bhagavatam (11.24.22-27): After the process of
annihilation has reached the level in which the universe is void, all material
energies then merge into the Supreme in His form of the omniscient
Mahapurusha, the originator of all living beings in the material creation.
That origin of all life, Maha-Vishnu, then merges into the Supreme in His
original form as Lord Krishna, who exists in the highest levels of the
spiritual world. In this way, all material energies ultimately remain absorbed
in the body of Lord Krishna until He decides to manifest the material
creation again. At that time He again expands into His form as Maha-
Vishnu, who thus manifests the energies for the cosmic creation. Thus,
ultimately, the Vedic texts establish that it is from the Supreme Being in His
original form of Lord Krishna that all creation and annihilation are
manifested.
This is further confirmed and explained in the Brahma-Vaivarta Purana
(Prakriti Khanda, 7.76-79): “That is called the natural dissolution of the
universe. At that point of time, the earth becomes invisible and the entire
universe is submerged in water. All gods like Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, the
ascetics, and all the creatures which are moveable and immoveable merge
into the body of Lord Krishna. The material nature also is merged in Him.
That is why it is known as the natural dissolution. After the fall of Brahma
and his merging [into the unmanifest] at the time of dissolution, the entire
period is like the winking of the eye for Lord Krishna. Thus, the entire
world is destroyed, but the [spiritual world of] Goloka and Vaikuntha
remain intact together [beyond the material manifestation] with Lord
Krishna and His devotees [engaged in pastimes together].
“There, Lord Krishna divides Himself into two main expansions; one is
His two-armed form in Goloka [the highest and most central of all the
spiritual planets] while the other has four arms [in His expansions as
Vishnu] in the Vaikuntha [spiritual planets].” (Brahma-Vaivarta Purana,
Prakriti Khanda, 7.85)
“In the winking of the eye of Lord Krishna, the same material universe
re-emerges. Thus, the number of times the universe was created and is met
with dissolution, along with the number of kalpas [days of Brahma] that
may have passed is difficult to describe, and no one knows for sure.”
(Brahma-Vaivarta Purana, Prakriti Khanda, 7.80-81) In other words, this
cycle of creation, destruction and recreation is endless and has been going
on indefinitely.
The process of both the material creation and its annihilation can be
summarized in this way: In the very beginning of creation, a portion of Sri
Krishna, the Supreme Being, assumes the form of Maha-Vishnu and lies on
the causal ocean, the Karanadakshayi Ocean, which appears like a vast
cloud in a corner of the spiritual sky. Within that Maha-Vishnu all of the
unmanifest material ingredients exist, merged in His spiritual body until He
is ready to create the cosmic manifestation. Then innumerable universes
emanate from the exhalations of Maha-Vishnu and from the pores of His
skin. Then these universes float in the waters of creation, called the
Karanadakshayi Ocean. Within each universe, a portion of that Maha-
Vishnu appears in His expansions known as Garbhodakshayi Vishnu, who,
thus, oversees the process of creation in each universe. It is into this
Garbhodakshayi Vishnu, reclining on the Garbhodaka Ocean, that all of the
universal elements merge during the dissolution of Brahma’s night. But
when the universe undergoes a complete annihilation, all of the universes,
even the Garbhodakshayi Vishnus, merge back into the huge and
immeasurable body of Maha-Vishnu as He inhales. The duration of each
cosmic creation is, thus, no more than a breath of Maha-Vishnu as He rests
in the Karana Ocean during His mystic slumber, called yoga-nidra. The
material world is said to be nothing more than a temporary dream, but it is
the yoga-nidra dream of Lord Maha-Vishnu which manifests as this cosmic
creation. After the final annihilation of all the universes, when the Supreme
Being no longer cares to exhibit His material energies in the cosmos, the
cloud of the material creation, the Karana Ocean, disappears into Lord
Maha-Vishnu. Then He merges back into the body of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, who exists in the highest levels of the
spiritual world.
As it is pointed out in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.4.36-38), this is the
process of the constant generation, transformation, and annihilation of all
living beings and their varied experiences while they exist within the
material elements.
From these descriptions we can understand, as further explained in the
Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.4.23-28), that it is the Supreme Absolute Truth, or
God, alone who is the ultimate basis from which everything manifests.
Everything within this material creation has no separate existence from that
Supreme Reality. Everything, therefore, is connected with and has its
foundation on the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Person, who is the cause of
all causes. On that basis everything we see is nothing more than a display of
His energies. Therefore, nothing really exists outside this connection with
the Supreme Being. Forgetting this, or neglecting it, or acting outside of this
awareness is but maya, the illusion. That is why the whole basis of true
spiritual development is to rise above the illusion and get back to the reality.
When the Winds of Kali Rage
When people in general become accustomed to greed
and deceitfully endeavor to attain more than they need,
When dealings between friends become so demanding
and in family relations there’s misunderstandings
When between husband and wife there is always strain
that is the age when the winds of Kali rage.
When men become quarrelsome and have but short lives
and are disturbed, lazy, and think spiritual truths are all lies,
When those who are spiritually advanced are no longer respected
and women, children and old men no longer protected,
When innocent beings are caught and mercilessly caged
that is the age when the winds of Kali rage.
When smoke and dust linger and darken the skies
and rains cease to pour and rivers start to dry
When natural disasters leave destruction after they’ve hit
when the earth reflects the minds of people who inhabit it
and when they think it’s peaceful another holocaust will blaze
even scientists will not know why the winds of Kali rage.
When the leaders of this world become so corrupt and cruel
employing torture and high taxes over the people they rule
Out of ignorance only people will say, “This is a beautiful life,”
while ignoring those who are dying and living in strife
They take such troubles in stride saying, “There’ll be better days,”
but such words are meaningless when the winds of Kali rage.
When property alone confers rank, wealth the only devotion,
lust the only bond of the sexes, falsehood the only promotion,
When women are slaves to man’s passion, rich men reputed as pure,
presumption substituted for learning, dishonesty subsisting the
universe,
When morals and piety decrease until the world is wholly depraved,
that is the age when the winds of Kali will rage.
When people develop cruel habits without ever questioning why
thinking that making the mind and body happy is all there is to life,
Like a cult of robots they try to keep up with the times
One person does what the others do, ignoring the warning signs,
Controlled by unquenchable desires, they’ll run in a craze,
that is the age when the winds of Kali hopelessly rage.
Of course, this age has not gotten so bad that we can’t find a bit of
peace
but it’s said that in the future all such pleasures will cease
So before the trouble gets worse and we no longer have the time
let’s try to make some advancement and elevate our minds,
Because if we wait too late we may find there’s nothing we can
change,
for we’ll already be caught in the age when the winds of Kali rage.
APPENDIX ONE
Timing The Ages
When describing the length of the yugas or ages, and which yuga we are
in and how far along we are in it, there is sometimes confusion about how
to calculate them. A number of theories have cropped over the years
regarding how the yugas transpire. The problem is when they are figured
only according to years of earth’s time, they will never be accurate. They
are described in the Vedic literature according to the celestial years, or years
of the Devas. Nonetheless, there are specific references in the Vedic texts
which make it clear how to calculate them. For starters, the Mahabharata
(Shanti Parva, 231.12-20) explains it in detail:
“The rishis, measuring time, have given particular names to particular
portions [of time]. Five and ten winks of the eye make what is called a
Kastha. Thirty Kasthas make what is called a Kala. Thirty Kalas, with the
tenth part of a Kala, make a Muhurta. Thirty Muhurtas make one day and
night. Thirty days and nights form a month, and twelve months form a year.
Persons well-read in mathematical science say that a year is made up of two
solar motions, meaning the northern and southern. The sun makes the day
and night for men. The night is for the sleep of all living creatures, and the
day is for work. A month of human beings is equal to a day and night of the
departed manes [ancestors who have gone on to the subtle worlds]. That
division consists in this: the light half of the month is their day which is for
work; and the dark fortnight is their night for sleep. A year (of men) is
equal to a day and night to the gods [Devas or celestials]. This division
consists in this: the half year for which the sun travels from the vernal to the
autumnal equinox is the day of the gods, and the half year for which the sun
moves from the latter to the former is their night. [Thus, an earth year is but
a day for the Devas.] Calculating by the days and nights of human beings
about which I have told you, I shall speak of the day and night of Brahma
and his years also. I shall, in their order, tell you the number of years, that
are for different purposes calculated differently, in the Krita, the Treta, the
Dvapara, and the Kali yugas. Four thousand celestial years is the duration
of the first or Krita age. The morning of that cycle consists of four hundred
years and its evening is of four hundred years. [Note: This says celestial
years, or years of the demigods on the higher planets. Such years are much
longer than those of planet earth. So 4000 celestial years, with the morning
or Sandhya of 400 celestial years and the evening or Sandhyansa, or
intermediate period, of another 400 years equals 4800 celestial years or
1,728,000 human years.]
“Regarding the other cycles [or yugas], the duration of each gradually
decreases by a quarter in respect of both the principal period with the minor
portion and the conjoining portion itself. These periods always keep up the
never-ending and eternal worlds. They who know Brahma, O child, regard
this as Immutable Brahma.” (Mahabharata, Shanti Parva, 231.21-22)
This means that as each age or yuga appears, from the Krita, Treta,
Dvapara, to Kali, each yuga decreases by a quarter of the previous yuga, in
addition to the conjoining Sandhya and Sandhyansa periods with each yuga.
In this way, it is roughly calculated that a whole cycle of the four yugas,
namely Krita, Treta, Dvapara, and Kali-yuga together, total about 12,000
celestial years in length.
The Mahabharata (Shanti Parva, 231.29-32) continues: “The learned
say that these 12,000 celestial years form what is called a cycle. A thousand
such cycles form a single day of Brahma. The same is the duration of
Brahma’s night. With the beginning of Brahma’s day the universal entities
come into being. During the period of universal dissolution the Creator
[Brahma] sleeps in Yogameditation. When the period of sleep expires, He
awakes. What is Brahma’s day covers a thousand such cycles. His night
also covers a thousand similar cycles. They who know this are said to know
the day and the night. On the expiry of His night, Brahma, waking up,
modifies the indestructible intelligence by causing it to be overlaid with
ignorance. He then causes Consciousness to spring up, whence it originates
Mind which is at one with the Manifest.” [This creative process is described
in detail in my book How the Universe was Created and Our Purpose In It.]
In calculating the duration of the different yugas, there are a few
differences between the Puranas, otherwise their descriptions are all the
same. The Brahmanda Purana (1.2.29.31-34) specifically states that Krita
or Satya-yuga is 1,440,000 human years in length, Treta-yuga is 1,080,000
years, Dvapara-yuga is 720,000 years, and Kali-yuga is 360,000 years in
length. The Linga Purana (4.24-35) also agrees with this except for Treta-
yuga, which it says is 1,800,000 years in length. These figures are correct
when we leave out the conjoining Sandhya [at the beginning of each yuga]
and the Sandhyansa [ending of each yuga] periods.
When explaining the various measurements of time, the Vishnu Purana
(Book One, Chapter Three) and the Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.11.19), along
with the Bhagavad-gita (8.17), the Vayu Purana (Chapter 57), and
Bhavishya Purana (Brahma Parva, 2.86-107), and others, such as the
Mahabharata as quoted above, also all agree on the measurements of the
durations of the yugas. This shows that these time measurements are
corroborated throughout the Vedic texts, and if anyone has a different
theory about the Vedic time frame, then they are going outside the Vedic
descriptions. We will describe this in more simplified terms as follows:
In the explanations of the measurements of time found therein, one
cycle of the four yugas together is 12,000 years of the demigods, called
divine years. Each of these years is composed of 360 days, and each of their
days is equal to one human year. So Kritayuga is 4000 divine years in
length, Treta-yuga is 3000 divine years in length, Dvapara-yuga is 2000
divine years in length, and Kali-yuga is 1000 divine years long, each one a
quarter less than Krita or Satya-yuga, with the addition of the conjoining
portions of the Sandhya and Sandhyansa.
So, each yuga is preceded by a period called a Sandhya, which is as
many hundred years in length as there are thousands of years in that
particular yuga. Each yuga is also followed by a period of time known as a
Sandhyansa, which is also as many hundreds of years in length as there are
thousands of years in the yuga. In between these periods of time is the
actual yuga. Therefore, we have:
Krita-yuga = 4000 divine years, Sandhya = 400 divine years,
Sandhyansa = 400 divine years. Total = 4800 divine years x 360 days =
1,728,000 human years.
Treta-yuga = 3000 divine years, Sandhya = 300 divine years,
Sandhyansa = 300 divine years. Total = 3600 divine years x 360 days =
1,296,000 human years.
Dvapara-yuga = 2000 divine years, Sandhya = 200 divine years,
Sandhyansa = 200 divine years. Total = 2400 divine years x 360 days =
864,000 human years.
Kali-yuga = 1000 divine years, Sandhya = 100 divine years,
Sandhyansa = 100 divine years. Total = 1200 divine years x 360 days =
432,000 human years.
This equals 4,320,000 human years, or 12,000 divine years, in one cycle
of the four yugas together, and 1000 cycles of these yugas equals a
Chaturyuga at 12,000,000 divine years and 4,320,000,000 human years in
one day of Brahma. It is also explained that Kali-yuga began with the
disappearance of Lord Krishna from the planet. This has been calculated to
be 3102 BCE. Since Kali-yuga is described as being 432,000 earth years in
length, with 5,000 years and more already passed, then the age of Kali-yuga
has approximately 326,000 more years to go.
To be more clear about this, these calculations are further confirmed in
the Brahma-Vaivarta Purana which relates the same figures in the
following way:
“Now I will tell you about the counting of time. As the days rise and
end, similarly all the four yugas also come and end. A single divine day and
night of Manu compares with the completed year of the humans. Those
well-versed in the signs of time, ordain that after the passing of the three
hundred and sixty yugas of the humans, a divine yuga of the gods is made.
Seventy-one divine years [of the gods] comprise a manvantara. An age of
Indra is equivalent to one manvantara. Thus, after the existence of twenty-
eight Indras, there is one day and night of Brahma. Thus, after the lapse of
one hundred and eight years, the life of Brahma comes to an end.”
(Brahma-Vaivarta Purana, Prakriti Khanda, 7.72-75)
The same time frame is calculated with a different description in the
Kalki Purana (19.12-14) as follows:
“Twelve thousand years of the demigods is the duration of the four
yugas on earth. The duration of Satya-yuga is four thousand celestial years,
Treta-yuga is three thousand celestial years, Dvaparayuga is two thousand
celestial years, and Kali-yuga is one thousand celestial years. The
transitional periods of the four yugas are four hundred, three hundred, two
hundred, and one hundred celestial years respectively. In this way, the total
comes to twelve thousand celestial years. The duration of the reign of each
Manu is seventy-one cycles of the four yugas. Fourteen Manus reign during
one day of Brahma. This is also the duration of Brahma’s night [which is as
long as his day].”
To understand this in greater detail and to also show the consistency of
these calculations throughout the Vedic literature, we can use the additional
example. Here Suta Gosvami explains to the sages during the huge
gathering at the forest of Naimisaranya 5000 years ago, all of the divisions
of time and how the lengths of the yugas are formulated, as related in the
Vayu Purana.
“In the context of the description of the earth, etc., I have already said
about the four yugas. Now I shall recount them in detail. (Listen and)
understand them. Calculating everything and mentioning in detail, I shall
narrate in full the six aspects of yugas, namely yugabheda (difference in
yugas), yugadharma (the particular characteristics of each yuga),
yugasandhi (the junction of yugas), yugamsha (the parts of yugas), and
yugasandhana (the joints of the yugas). The human year can be understood
(calculated) by means of valid working knowledge. Calculating on the basis
of that year [in the human time frame], I shall explain the four yugas. The
time taken to utter a short syllable is equal to a Nimesha. Nimesha,
Kashtha, Kala, and Muhurta are the units of time. Fifteen Nimeshas
constitute a Kashtha, thirty Kashthas make one Kala, and thirty Kalas make
one Muhurta. Thirty Muhurtas make one full day and night. The sun
demarcates the human as well as the divine days and nights. The day is
intended for activity and the night is meant for sleep. A (human) month
constitutes the day and night of the Pitris [the departed ancestors, now
included as part of the celestials]. Its division is thus: The dark half is the
day for them and the bright half is their night for sleep [as calculated by the
waning and waxing of the moon].” (Vayu Purana 57.2-9)
“Therefore, thirty human months make one month of the Pitris [the
celestial ancestors]. On the basis of the human calculation, three hundred
and sixty months constitute a year of the Pitris. A hundred human years
constitute three years and four months of the Pitris. A human year in
accordance with the human calculation is one day and one night of the
Devas [the higher demigods]. This is the conclusion in this scripture.” (Vayu
Purana 57.10-12)
“So, the divine day and night together [of the Devas] make a human
year. A further classification is that the Uttarayana period (northern transit
of the sun) is the day and the Dakshinayana period (southern transit of the
sun) is the night (of the Devas). Thirty of the days and nights of the gods, or
thirty human years make one divine month (of the gods). One hundred
human years make three divine months and three divine days. Thus is the
divine reckoning for divisions of time.” (Vayu Purana 57.13-15)
“Three hundred and sixty years according to human calculation
constitute one divine year. Three thousand and thirty years according to
human calculation constitute one year of the Seven Sages (Saptarishis) or
the (astrological constellation of) the Great Bear. Nine thousand and ninety
human years make one Kraunchan year. Thirty-six thousand human years
should be known as one hundred divine years. Thus is the calculation of the
divine unit of time. Persons well versed in calculation say that three
hundred and sixty thousand (360,000) years reckoned on the basis of human
time units constitute a thousand divine years [of the Devas]. It is thus that
the sages sang about the divine calculation. They have formulated the
reckoning of the yugas and their duration on the basis of this divine
calculation.” (Vayu Purana 57.16-21)
Now with all of this calculating we reach the point where it is used to
establish the durations of the four yugas as followed:
“Wise people know that there are four yugas in Bharata Varsha [the area
of India and sometimes considered planet earth in general]. The first one is
Krita, followed by Treta, Dvapara, and Kaliyuga. One should reckon these
yugas in this order. They say that the Krita-yuga consists of four thousand
years. The Sandhya (transition period) consists of as many hundreds of
years (400 divine years). The Sandhyamsha (part of the junction with the
next yuga) is equal to the Sandhya period. In the Sandhyas and
Sandhyamshas of the other yugas there is a gradual reduction of a thousand
[years of the yuga] and hundred years [in the Sandhya and Sandhyamsha
transitions]. [This means that] Treta-yuga contains three thousand years,
and its Sandhya and Sandhyamsha [junctions with the preceding and
following yugas] consist of three hundred years each. The wise say that
Dvapara-yuga contains two thousand [celestial] years, and the Sandhya
consists of two hundred years and the Sandhyamsha is equal to the Sandhya
[two hundred years]. The learned say that Kali-yuga consists of a thousand
years, and its Sandhya is of a hundred years and the Sandhyamsha is the
same. This period of twelve thousand (divine) years is known as a Maha-
yuga. The four yugas together are Krita, Treta, Dvapara, and Kali.” (Vayu
Purana 57.22-28)
“In this world the calculation of years is based on the human level. Now
I shall mention the duration of Krita-yuga in accordance with that type of
[human] calculation. The duration [of Krita-yuga] is one million, four
hundred and forty thousand [human] years. As for Kali-yuga, it is one
fourth of that. Thus the specific duration of time of the four yugas excluding
the Sandhyas and Sandhyamshas is declared. Including the Sandhyas and
Sandhyamshas the duration of the four yugas put together is four million
three hundred and twenty thousand [4,320,000] human years.” (Vayu
Purana 57.29-32)
Thus, we have provided the different ways of explaining the units of
time to calculate the length of the yugas according to the references in the
Vedic texts. I hope this has provided enough information and evidence to
clarify and conclude what is sometimes a confusing issue, and that the same
figures and conclusions are arrived at in various texts.
THE MANU AVATARAS
To more clearly understand the division of time known as a
manvantara, or the life span of one Manu, the full explanation is provided
herein. First of all, the Manus appear for certain durations within a day of
Brahma. Brahma’s day is calculated as 4,300,000 years (the time of one
cycle of the four yugas) times 1,000, or about 4,320,000,000 human years.
Within one day of Brahma there are 14 Manus. The list of the 14 Manus in
this universe is as follows: Yajna is Svayambhuva Manu, Vibhu is
Svarocisha Manu, Satyasena is Uttama Manu, Hari is Tamasa Manu,
Vaikuntha is Raivata Manu, Ajita is Ckakshusha Manu, Vamana is
Vaivasvata Manu (the Manu of the present age), Sarvabhauma is Savarni
Manu, Rishabha is Daksha-savarni Manu, Vishvaksena is Brahma-savarni
Manu, Dharmasetu is Dharma-savarni Manu, Sudhama is Rudra-savarni
Manu, Yogesvara is Deva-savarni Manu, and Brihadbhanu is Indrasavarni
Manu. These fourteen Manus cover the 4,320,000,000 solar years of one
day of Brahma. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.5 purport &Chaitanya-
caritamrita, Madhya-lila 20, 319-328)
To understand more completely how long these Manus reign we can
consider the following information. For example, there are four ages,
namely Satya-yuga, Treta-yuga, Dvapara-yuga, and Kaliyuga, which
together comprise a divya-yuga, which is one set of the four yugas, also
called a chatur-yuga. Let us remember that Satya-yuga lasts 1,728,000
years, Treta-yuga 1,296,000 years, Dvapara-yuga 864,000 years, and Kali-
yuga 432,000 years. That is a total of 4,320,000 years. A day of Brahma,
called a kalpa, lasts for 1,000 of these cycles, and is thus 4,320,000,000
solar years. There are 14 Manus in each day of Brahma. Each Manu is said
to exist for one manvantara, which is a period of time lasting 71 divya-
yugas. Therefore, each Manu exists for roughly 306,720,000 years.
Additionally, Brahma lives for 100 years, composed of 365 of such days in
a year. (Bhagavad-gita 8.17 & Srimad-Bhagavatam.3.11.20 & Vishnu
Purana, Book One, Chapter Three, p.35)
From further analysis we can also discover the age of the earth from
these Vedic calculations. The present Manu is the seventh in line, called
Vaivasvata Manu, the son of Vivasvan. Twenty-seven divya-yugas, or
cycles of the four yugas, of his age have now passed. So 27 divya-yugas
means 116,640,000 years. It is scheduled that at the end of the Dvapara-
yuga of the twenty-eighth divya-yuga of the seventh Manu, Lord Krishna
appears on earth with the full paraphernalia of His eternal spiritual abode,
named Vrajadhama or Goloka Vrindavana. Brahma’s day consists of
4,320,000,000 years. In this way, six of these Manus appear and disappear
before Lord Krishna takes birth. This means that 1,975,320,000 years of the
day of Brahma have gone by before the appearance of Lord Krishna.
(Chaitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 3, 7-10 & Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.30.49
purport)
Therefore, this is also the age of the earth in this particular day of
Brahma by these Vedic calculations. Science is sometimes surprised that
such lengths of time were part of the ancient Vedic conception of the
universe.
APPENDIX TWO
Description of Kali-yuga From the
Ramayana
The Ramayana by Tulasi Das (Sri Ramacharitamanasa, Uttar-kanda,
verses 96-103) is another Vedic text which contains particular predictions
on the conditions that will be found in the age of Kali-yuga. We have not
included these beforehand, but they are quite similar to those we have
already quoted, so here is a summary of some of what it says.
Kakbhushundi said: In the Kali-yuga, the hot-bed of sin, men and
women are all steeped in unrighteousness and act contrary to the Vedas. In
the age of Kali, every virtue becomes engulfed by the sins of Kali-yuga; all
good books disappear; impostors promulgate a number of creeds which
they invent out of their own wit. The people become fallen prey to delusion
and all pious acts are overtaken by greed. Now listen, while I describe a few
peculiarities of Kali-yuga.
In that age, as it unfolds into the future, no one follows the duties of
one’s own social status or position, and the four ashramas or stages of life
also disappear. Every man and woman takes delight in revolting against the
Vedas, and the principals they establish. The Brahmanas sell the Vedas and
their knowledge; the kings bleed their subjects through taxes; no one
respects the injunctions of the Vedas. The right course for every individual
is that which one takes a fancy to; for example, a man of erudition is he
who plays the braggart. Whoever launches spurious undertakings and is
given over to hypocrisy is regarded as equal to a saint. He alone is clever
who robs another of his wealth; he who puts up false appearances is an
ardent follower of established usage. He who is given to lying and is clever
at joking is spoken of as a man of respect in the Kali age. He alone who is a
reprobate and has abandoned the path of the Vedas [viewed as purely
secular, though in reality spiritually weak] is viewed as a man of wisdom
and dispassion in the Kali age. He alone who has grown big nails and long
locks of matted hair is a renowned ascetic in the Kali age. [Quality no
longer carries any value, but all credibility lies with appearances.]
They alone who put on an unsightly garb and ornaments and eat
anything and everything, no matter whether it is worth eating or not, are
considered ascetics; they alone are perfect men and they are worth adoring
in the Kali age. They who are of maleficent conduct are held in great esteem
and they alone are worthy of honor. Even so they alone who are babblers in
thought, word and deed are orators in the Kali age.
Dominated by women, all men dance to their tune like a monkey
controlled by its trainer. Shudras instruct the twice-born (Brahmanas,
Kshatriyas and Vaishyas) in spiritual wisdom and wearing the sacred thread,
accept the worst type of gifts. All men are given over to sensuality and
greed and they are irascible and hostile to the gods, to the Brahmanas, to the
Vedas as well as to the saints. Unfortunate wives desert their accomplished
and handsome husbands and bestow their hearts on a [irresponsible]
paramour. Wives having their husbands alive wear no ornaments on their
person, while widows adorn themselves in the latest style [showing that
husbands may be worth more dead than alive, or once free they are on the
prowl for a new one]. The disciple and the preceptor severally resemble a
deaf man and a blind man: the one would not listen, while the other cannot
see. A spiritual guide who robs his disciple of money but fails to rid him of
his sorrow [through spiritual upliftment] is cast into a terrible hell. Parents
call their children and teach them such religion as may only fill their belly.
Men and women may talk of nothing else than the knowledge of God
(Brahma-Gyana); while in their greed they would kill a Brahmana, or for
that matter, kill even their own spiritual guide for the sake of a single shell.
Shudras argue with the twice-born [those who are spiritually developed]
and ask: “Are we in any way inferior to you? A good Brahmana is he who
knows the truth of God!” and defiantly glowers at them.
They alone who are covetous of another’s wife and are clever at wiles
and steeped in delusion, malice and worldly attachment are enlightened
men swearing by the identity of the individual soul with God. Such is the
practice I have seen in every Kali age. Doomed themselves, such people
bring ruin even to those rare souls who tread the path of virtue. They who
find fault with the Vedas by dint of logic are condemned to each hell for a
whole kalpa (day of Brahma). People of the lowest grade in society get their
heads shaved and enter the order of Sannyasa (renunciation) [though they
be completely unqualified] when their wives are no more in this world and
they have lost their household properties. [Thus, they misuse it as an easy
retirement program when they have nothing else they can do.] They allow
themselves to be worshiped by the Brahmanas and bring ruin to themselves
here as well as hereafter.
As for the [ordinary] Brahmanas, they are often unlettered, grasping,
lascivious, immoral and stupid, and marry low-caste women of lewd
character. Shudras on the other hand practice japa (the muttering of
prayers) and austere penance, undertake sacred vows of various kinds and
expound the Puranas from an exalted seat. All men follow a course of
conduct of their own imagination; the endless variety of wrong-doing
cannot be described in words.
In the Kali age there ensues a confusion of varnas [social classes and
qualities] (due to promiscuous intermarriages) and every one infringes the
sacred laws. Men perpetrate sins and reap suffering, terror, disease, sorrow,
and desolation. Overcome by delusion they walk not in the path of devotion
to Sri Hari, conjoined with dispassion and wisdom - a path which has the
approval of the Vedas - and invent diverse creeds of their own.
The so-called recluses [those expected to be renunciants] build
themselves houses and furnish them at considerable expense [thus often
displaying more wealth than the average householders and laymen].
Dispassion is no more to be seen in them, the same having been wiped out
by their eagerness for sensual pleasure. The so-called ascetics grow wealthy
and householders go penniless; the freaks of the Kali age are beyond all
telling. Men drive out a well-born and virtuous wife and bring home some
servant-girl, casting to the winds all good usage. Sons respect their fathers
and mothers, only so long as they have not seen the face of their wives.
From the time they take a fancy to their wives’ kinsfolk, they begin to look
upon their own people as their enemies.
Kings get addicted to sin and cease to have anything to do with piety.
They ever persecute their subjects by inflicting unmerited punishment on
them. The meanest churl, if he is rich, is considered an accounted noble. A
Brahmana is known only by his sacred thread, and an ascetic by his naked
body. He who refuses to recognize the Vedas and Puranas is counted as a
true saint and a servant of Sri Hari in the Kali age. In the Kali age, those
who find fault with others’ virtues can be had in any number, but no one
[can be found] possessing real virtues.
In the Kali age famines are of frequent occurrence and for want of food
grains people perish en masse. In the age of Kali duplicity, perversity,
hypocrisy, malice, heresy, pride, infatuation, concupiscence, and arrogance,
etc., pervade the whole universe. Men practice japa, austere penance and
charity, perform sacrifices and undertake sacred vows with some unholy
motive [hope for materialistic gain]. The gods rain not upon the earth and
food grains sown in the soil do not germinate.
In the age of Kali there is no contentment, nor discernment, nor
composure. People of all classes, whether high or low, have taken to
begging. Envy, harsh words and covetousness are rampant; while evenness
of mind is absent. The duties and rules of conduct prescribed for the four
orders of society and stages in life are neglected. Self-control, charity,
compassion, and wisdom disappear while stupidity and fraud multiply to a
large extent. Men and women all pamper their body; while slanderers are
diffused all over the world.
However, though the age of Kali is a store house of impurities and
vices, nonetheless it has many virtues, too. Final emancipation is possible in
the Kali age without any exertion. Moreover, the same goal which is
reached through worship of God, or performance of sacrifices or the
practice of Yoga in the Satya-yuga, and in the Treta and Dwapara-yuga,
men are able to attain through chanting of the holy name of Sri Hari [Lord
Krishna or His other incarnations such as Lord Ram] in the Kali age. No
other age can compare with the Kali age provided a man has faith (in its
virtue); for in this age one can easily cross the ocean of transmigration
simply by singing Sri Ram’s holy praises.
So, once again we see here in the Ramayana that the prescription for
changing the course of Kali-yuga, and for holding back its dark influence, is
that we all learn about and engage in the devotional service of the Lord,
which begins with the chanting of the holy names of Lord Hari, Krishna.
We can easily chant japa, which can be done quietly for our own meditation
such as on beads, or in the congregational and group singing of the holy
names in the temple or our homes. As we can begin to see the unwanted
changes take place around us that are predicted to increase as the age of
Kali moves forward, the more we will need to take up this principal of
chanting the holy names and discussing this spiritual knowledge of the
Supreme. Without that, in time all such knowledge will, with each
successive generation, gradually disappear from the face of the earth. Let us
hold that possibility away from us as much as possible.
APPENDIX THREE
The Bhavishya Purana
When it comes to prophecies in the Vedic literature, anyone who is
aware of the contents will also look for the information and predictions
found in the Bhavishya Purana. The Bhavishya Purana is especially known
for its descriptions of the future, but it has been determined that it is not
always a dependable source. The Bhavishya Purana is considered to be one
of the major 18 Puranas of the Vedic canon. As the name suggests, it
includes a section on future events (bhavisyati). The Bhavishya Purana is
also mentioned in the ancient text of the Apastambha-dharma-sutras, so it
is to be taken as an original Puranic literature dating from the time of Srila
Vyasadeva, who is said to be its original author. In the text of the Bhavishya
Purana, it is spoken by Sumantu, the disciple of Srila Vyasadeva, to King
Shatanika. This was at the suggestion of Srila Vyasadeva [VedaVyasa] who
was sitting nearby in the assembly of sages, all of whom were listening to
the discussion. (Bhavishya Purana, Bhrama Parva, 1.28-35) Thus, it is
considered an authentic Vedic text coming from Srila Vyasadeva.
However, there are presently four known editions of the Bhavishya
Purana, each having different predictions from the other. So, its
dependability also hinges on which edition you are able to obtain. One
edition contains five chapters, one contains four, another contains three and
yet another contains only two. Even the Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.13.4-9)
lists the number of verses in the Puranas, of which the Bhavishya Purana is
said to have 14,500 verses. Yet, in other places we find that it is indicated
the Bhavishya Purana has 26,000 verses. Additionally, the contents in all
four editions differ in various degrees—some having extra verses and some
having less. Due to these circumstances, it is difficult to ascertain which of
the four is the original text of the Bhavishya Purana, if indeed an original
text still exists,
We know that some parts of it, many chapters in fact, have been lost,
while other portions are likely to have been tampered or changed with
possible unauthorized additions. Most of what we find in it may be truthful
and dependable, and holds to the regular Vedic principles and information,
but some parts or verses may be interpolations added later to suit the
situation or agenda of those doing the tampering. So, how do we determine
what is reliable? That is not so easy. Most prophecies in the Puranas can be
corroborated by other Puranas. That is somewhat true of the Bhavishya
Purana as well, yet it also holds some that are completely unique. This does
not mean that they are all false, but some of them may be questionable. So,
I have separated it from the rest of the Vedic prophecies and provided what
we find of it in this appendix for further scrutiny.
The word bhavishyati means “what will be.” The Bhavishya Purana is
comparatively short among the other Puranas, with about 14,000 couplets
or shlokas. It contains many topics, stories, and various levels of
knowledge, all of which are in agreement to the basic Vedic standards.
However, it is most noted for its sections filled with astrological predictions
and long lists of the dynasties and kings of the age of Kali-yuga. Most of
the information in it is the general sort that many Puranas contain. Yet,
most of the predictions deal with the time following the war between the
Kauravas and the Pandavas at Kuruksetra, generally accepted as having
occurred around 3140 to 3137 BCE. Thereafter, the age of Kali began in the
year 3102 BCE with the disappearance of Lord Krishna. It is generally
considered that the Bhavishya Purana was written by Srila Vyasadeva while
Senajit was king, 267 years after the war of Kuruksetra, although it could
have been earlier.
One of the latter sections of the Bhavishya Purana clearly describes
Kali-yuga as an evil time. It explains the Yavanas (Greeks) would invade
India with the ambition and hope of plundering others. It explains that such
Yavanas will follow corrupt ways: The rulers will not be properly appointed
by qualifications. Various races of humans will become prominent and rule
the earth. Many races will decline as soon as they rise. Unrighteous and
poor rulers and kings will kill each other for little reason. The sophisticated
Aryan class of people, and the lower class mleccha races who do not
believe in Vedic customs, will mingle freely. Such low class rulers will
create conditions in which women, children, and old men will receive no
respect, and even be massacred. As the Yavanas, Aryans, and mlecchas in
turn prevail over each other, civilization will become corrupt in moralistic
principles. The populations will perish.
Yavana was the name of one of the sons of Maharaja Yayati. He was
given the area of Turkey to rule, so Turkey is the area of Maharaja Yavana’s
descendants. At one time the Yavanas were Kshatriyas, warriors connected
with the Vedic culture. However, they later gave up Vedic culture to follow
their own proclivities. In the battle of Kuruksetra, they were defeated by the
Pandavas after they had taken the side of Duryodhana and the Kauravas
under the influence of Karna. Thus, they left the region of India in disgrace.
These Yavanas are described in the Mahabharata (Adi Parva, 85.34). It was
predicted that these Yavanas would return to India and conquer it. This has
become true with the Muslim invasions.
The Bhavishya Purana also states that during the third century CE,
destitute outcastes and Shudras will become kings in areas along the rivers
Indus, Chenab, and the Kounti, and in the area of Kashmir. None of these
kings will have good qualities such as righteousness, truthfulness, or grace.
Similar to these prophecies are those found in other Puranas, such as
the Matsya, Vayu, Brahmanda, Vishnu, Garuda, and the Bhagavata Purana,
along with the Mahabharata and even the Ramayana. These descriptions
have their similarities as well as differences.
THE PROPHECY OF JAYADEVA GOSWAMI
One of the unique prophecies from the Bhavishya Purana by Srila
Vyasadeva is of the appearance of the great devotee Jayadeva Goswami.
The story is that the sage Brihaspati had described to Lord Indra, the king of
heaven, how in the city of Pampapura there was a Brahmana by the name of
Heli. He was a great worshiper of the sun planet but did not want to accept
dakshina (donations) so he used 5000 coins to develop a shop in which he
used his artistic talents to produce beautiful clothes, paintings, metal deities,
etc. All the profits he earned he used in his worship to the sun-god,
especially in the month of Magha (January-February).
Gradually, the sun-god Vishvakarma (the architect of the gods) was
pleased with him and appeared in a brilliant form on the top of a large pillar
at the lake called Pampasarovara. Heli made food offerings to the sun-god
at noontime, pleasing the sun-god. Thus, when Heli left his body he entered
into the sun. Brihaspati explained that in this way, the sun-god could also
help Lord Indra.
As further explained by Suta Gosvami, Lord Indra thus began to
worship the Sun-god in a similar fashion. Being pleased by such worship,
the sun-god Tvastha (Visvakarma) explained: “I will take birth in a village
named Bilvagram in Bengal. I will become the poet known as Jayadeva and
will compile the Nirukta (Vedic vocabulary).” Thereafter, he left for Bengal
and appeared as the son of the Brahmana known as Kanduke. Jayadeva
served his parents for 12 years from the age of five. When his parents left
their bodies, he performed the funeral ceremonies (Shraddha) in Gaya, after
which they went to heaven. Afterwards, Jayadeva lived in the jungle as a
renounced Brahmana.
When Jayadeva was twenty-three, a Brahmana offered his daughter to
Lord Jagannatha. But Lord Annirudha in the form of the Darubrahma
(wooden form of the Deity of the Lord, Jagannatha) spoke and said: “O
Satyavrata, please take your daughter Padmavati and offer her to Jayadeva
who is like My own body.” Satyavrata, the Brahmana, obediently took his
daughter to Jayadeva and left her with him. The girl, Padmavati, served her
husband for many years. It was during this time that Jayadeva wrote the
Nirukta, which is one of the six Vedangas. There had been five kinds of
Niruktas, but the evil nature of the people in Kali-yuga caused them to be
destroyed and the illiterate language known as Prakrit-bhasha had been
established. Thereafter, for the sake of the demigods and the upliftment of
humanity, Panini, the author of the Ashtadhyayi grammar, established the
eloquence and purity of the Sanskrit language.
Once two thieves robbed Jayadeva of all the money he had and also
chopped off his hands and feet, leaving him to die in the ditch. His wife
greatly grieved for him. When King Dharmapala was out hunting, he found
Jayadeva in this way and asked who put him into this condition. Jayadeva
replied no one, he was simply suffering the results of his past bad activities
and karma. The king then placed Jayadeva and his wife on a palanquin and
took them to his palace and established a dharamshala or religious
institution after being instructed by Jayadeva.
Those same thieves came to see King Dharmapala while dressed as
educated Vaishnavas. They explained to the king that they have been
serving Lord Vishnu in the Shalagrama form, and He accepts their
offerings. Asked if the King wanted proof, the thieves showed the King a
four-handed form of Lord Vishnu in the act of eating. Impressed, the king
thought himself extremely fortunate and told Jayadeva that by the grace of
these Vaishnavas he had seen the Lord Himself. Therefore, Jayadeva should
also come quickly to see.
Then Jayadeva saw the thieves, who also recognized him. They
promptly told the king a story, stating that Jayadeva had once been a cook
in a king’s palace, but being greedy for money he tried to kill the king with
poisoned food. Thus that king, having discovered the plan, wanted Jayadeva
to be crucified. But the thieves explained to King Dharmapala that they
instructed Jayadeva in Vedic knowledge and then the king refused to crucify
Jayadeva but cut off his hands and feet instead.
However, while speaking in this way, the earth opened up and
swallowed the two thieves, sending them down to Patala-loka. Then
Jayadeva began to cry for them and his hands and feet reappeared on his
body. Then he explained to the king what had actually happened to him.
Jayadeva went on to write his Gita Govinda, which was read by the
king who received liberation due to its affects. In this way, the story of
Jayadeva was related, and the pastime of Lord Vishnu appearing as Sri
Krishna Chaitanya was described next.
THE PREDICTION OF NIMBARKACHARYA
The Bhavishya Purana, Pratisarga Parva, 7
th
Chapter, explains that once
after the Sun-god had been worshiped by the other demigods, he was
pleased and announced that by the order of Lord Krishna, Sudarshan, the
personification of the Lord’s disc weapon, would take birth on earth in the
age of Dvapara-yuga and would be known as Nambaditya (Nimbarka). He
would reverse the decline in religious principles at the time.
Therein, Suta Gosvami goes on to explain that Lord Krishna had
ordered him to appear on the bank of the Narmada River. This, as related in
the story, is on the southern side of the Meru mountain in the state of
Tailanga where the devarsis (god-like sages) congregate. Sri Krishna had
ordered him to accept instruction from Narada Muni and reside in the holy
places of Mathura, Naimisaranya and Dvaraka.
Sudarshana accepted these orders and appeared on earth in the family of
a holy Brahmana, Aruna, and his wife, Jayanti. They were living as austere
sages in the state of Tailanga. His brilliant luster appeared in the heart of
Jayanti, who looked like the bright moon. Then during the month of Kartika
(Oct-Nov), on the night of Gaura paksha purnima, when the five planets
were arranged in high places, in Masa-lagna, during the evening sunset,
Sudarshana, who enthused the whole universe with Vedic knowledge,
appeared from Jayanti.
How Nimbarka got his name is also related. It is said that once Lord
Brahma went to visit Nimbarka at his ashrama just before sunset and asked,
since he was hungry, if he could have something to eat while the sun is still
in the sky. Nimbarka gave him some food and while he was eating, the sun
went down. Yet, by his own power, Nimbarka kept a disc which shined like
a sun on a Neem tree. Impressed, Lord Brahma paid his obeisances to
Nimbarka by laying flat on his stomach. After getting up and being pleased
by the Brahmana’s austerity and power, Lord Brahma told him that he
would be known as Nimbaditya (Nimbarka–one who made the sun appear
from a Neem tree).
THE PREDICTION OF MADHVACHARYA
This is from the Bhavishya Purana, Pratisarga Parva, Chapter 7. It is
described that Brihaspati explained to Lord Indra, the king of the heavenly
region, how a Brahmana named Shakrasharma in Ayodhya, worshiped the
Asvini Kumaras, Rudras, Vasus, and Surya, the Sun-god, through the
chanting of mantras from the Yajur-veda. Being pleased, these demigods
awarded him all desirable things. Because of such blessings, he lived for
10,000 years without aging. After finally quitting his body, he went to the
Sun planet to rule there for 100,000 years before going on to Brahmaloka,
the highest planet of Lord Brahma. After that he was still able to spend
8,000 celestial years of the demigods to tour the various higher planets
before returning to the sun planet again. However, in hearing this we should
not think that he lived there in a physical form conducive for living on
planet earth. Each planet has its own environment, and any resident there
has a body appropriate for the atmosphere of the planet. In this case, the
Sun is referred to as one of the higher planets for pious beings who are
qualified to live there.
Upon hearing about this, Lord Indra, the king of the heavenly region,
also wanted to please the Sun-god and thus began worshiping the Sun-god,
Surya, and the various demigods in the month of June-July. Then, on the
purnima or full-moon day, the Sun-god descended to the earth planet and
told the various demigods that he would take birth as a Brahmana in Kali-
yuga in the holy town of Vrindavana. This Brahmana would be born as
Madhu, the son of Madhva, and execute pious acts for the demigods
according to the Vedic customs.
Then the Bhavishya Purana describes how Suta Gosvami explained that
the Sun-god sent a special ray of light from his body and sent it to
Vrindavana. After taking birth, this Brahmana soon attracted all irreligious
people and gave them the spiritual energy, Vaishnavi-shakti, for service to
Lord Vishnu, the bestower of liberation. In this way, he became known as
Madhvacharya.
THE PREDICTION OF SHRIDHARA
The Bhavishya Purana (Pratisarga Parva, Chapter 7) also goes on to
relate how there would be a Brahmana in the age of Dvaparayuga named
Megha Sharma. He was a farmer who was also learned as a follower of the
Vedic path. He would engage ten percent of his profits in worshiping the
demigods everyday. During the time when Maharaja Shantanu ruled the
area, there was a drought that lasted for five years. Nonetheless, the farm of
Megha Sharma was still plentiful because of being watered by rains. During
the scarcity he became quite wealthy. So the king called him to request that
he give spiritual advice to him so the people could avoid this scarcity.
Megha Sharma told them how to engage in great worship to the Sun-
god in the month of Shravana (July-August). He instructed that the king
should call twelve qualified Vedic Brahmanas to chant the mantra to the sun
one-hundred thousand times. Then, through the Brahmanas, on the purnima
(full moon) day, they should offer onetenth the number of oblations into the
sacred fire. The king did this and fed all the Brahmanas nicely, after which
the Sun-god was greatly pleased and poured heavy rains across the land.
Thereafter, the king became greatly pious by regularly performing this
Surya ritual.
Then Surya, the Sun-god, went to visit Varanasi and announced that in
Kali-yuga he would appear in Vrindavana and preach the customs of the
Devas according to the Vedic path when the mlecchas [low class people]
would be ruling the land. At the appropriate time, Surya descended into
Vrindavana as a son of Deva Sharma and was named Shridhara. He finely
studied the Srimad-Bhagavatam and compiled a great commentary which
became famous and is known as the Sridhara-bhasya, “Sridhara’s
Commentary.”
THE PROPHECY OF JESUS CHRIST
Probably one of the most controversial prophecies in the Bhavishya
Purana is that concerning Jesus. Dr. Vedavyas, a research scholar with a
doctorate in Sanskrit, discusses some important prophecies from the
Bhavishya Purana, which he says dates back to near 3000 BCE. He states
that one prophecy describes the future appearance of Isha putra, the son
(putra) of God (Isha)(Jesus Christ), born of an unmarried woman named
Kumari (Mary) Garbha Sambhava. He would visit India at the age of
thirteen and go to the Himalayan Mountains and do tapas or penance to
acquire spiritual maturity under the guidance of rishis and siddha-yogis
before going back to Palestine to preach to his people. So, if Jesus was
trained by the sages of India, this would explain why he was able to
perform various miracles (siddhas) that various yogis know how to do. It
also explains why there are so many philosophical similarities between
early Christianity and Vedic culture. However, there are some people who
feel that the Isha that is mentioned herein is not the same as Jesus Christ.
Dr. Vedavyas goes on to say that the Bhavishya Purana describes how
Jesus would visit Varanasi and other Hindu and Buddhist holy places. This
is also corroborated by the manuscript on the life of Isha (or Issa),
discovered by Mr. Notovich in 1886 at the Hemis monastery in Ladakh,
India, as well as by the Hebrew inscriptions found in Srinagar, Kashmir at
the Roza bal, the tomb of Yuz Asaf [Isha or Issa]. The Bhavishya Purana
also predicted how Isha would meet Emperor Shalivahana who established
the Shalivahana or “Saka” era. Dr. Vedavyas describes this in his Telegu
book, Veerabrahmendra Yogipai Parishodhana.
The description that is taken to be of Jesus is found in verses 17-32 in
the 19
th
chapter of the Chaturyuga Khanda Dvitiyadhyayah of the
Bhavishya Purana. To get a clearer understanding, here is what the verses
say:
Texts 17 - 21
vikramaditya-pautrasca
pitr-rajyam grhitavan
jitva sakanduradharsams
cina-taittiridesajan
bahlikankamarupasca
romajankhurajanchhatan
tesam kosan-grhitva ca
danda-yogyanakarayat
sthapita tena maryada
mleccharyanam prthak-prthak
sindhusthanam iti jneyam
rastramaryasya cottamam
mlecchasthanam param sindhoh
krtam tena mahatmana
ekada tu sakadiso
himatungam samayayau
Ruling over the Aryans was a king called Shalivahana, the grandson of
Vikramaditya, who occupied the throne of his father. He defeated the
Shakas who were very difficult to subdue, the Cinas [Chinese], and the
people from Tittiri and Bahikaus who could assume any form at will. He
also defeated the people from Rome and the descendants of Khuru, who
were deceitful and wicked. He punished them severely and took their
wealth. Shalivahana thus established the boundaries dividing the separate
countries of the mlecchas [low classes] and the Vedic Aryans. In this way,
Sindusthan came to be known as the greatest country. That personality
appointed the abode of the mlecchas to be beyond the Sindhu River and to
the west.
Text 22
ekadaa tu shakadhisho
himatungari samaayayau
hunadeshasya madhye vai
giristhan purusam shubhano
dadarsha balaram raajaa
Once upon a time the subduer of the Shakas went towards Himatunga
and in the middle of the Huna country (Hunadesh - the area near Manasa
Sarovara or Kailash mountain in Western Tibet), the powerful king saw an
auspicious man who was living on a mountain. The man’s complexion was
golden and his clothes were white.
Text 23
ko bharam iti tam praaha
su hovacha mudanvitah
iishaa purtagm maam viddhi
kumaarigarbha sambhavam
The king asked, “Who are you sir?” “You should know that I am Isha
Putra, the Son of God,” he replied blissfully, and “am born of a virgin.”
Text 24
mleccha dharmasya vaktaram
satyavata paraayanam
iti srutva nrpa praaha
dharmah ko bhavato matah
“I am the expounder of the religion of the mlecchas and I strictly adhere
to the Absolute Truth.” Hearing this the king enquired, “What are the
religious principles according to your opinion?”
Texts 25 - 26
shruto vaaca mahaaraaja
praapte satyasya samkshaye
nirmaaryaade mlechadeshe
masiiho ’ham samagatah
iishaamasii ca dasyuunaa
praadurbhuutaa bhayankarii
taamaham mlecchataah praapya
masiihatva mupaagatah
Hearing this question of Shalivahana, Isha Putra said, “O king, when the
destruction of the truth occurred, I, Masiha the prophet, came to this
country of degraded people where there are no rules and regulations.
Finding that fearful irreligious condition of the barbarians spreading from
Mleccha-Desha [the country of the mlecchas], I have taken to
prophethood.”
Texts 27 - 29
mlecchasa sthaapito dharmo
mayaa tacchrnu bhuupate
maanasam nirmalam krtva
malam dehe subhaasbham
naiganam apamasthaya
japeta nirmalam param
nyayena satyavacasaa
manasyai kena manavah
dhyayena pujayedisham
suurya-mandala-samsthitam
acaloyam prabhuh sakshatathaa
suuryacalah sada
“Please hear, Oh king, which religious principles I have established
among the mlecchas. The living entity is subject to good and bad
contaminations. The mind should be purified by taking recourse of proper
conduct and performance of japa [meditation on the chanting of the holy
names of God]. By chanting the holy names one attains the highest purity.
Just as the immovable sun attracts from all directions the elements of all
living beings, the Lord of the Surya Mandala [sun planet], who is fixed and
all-attractive, attracts the hearts of all living creatures. Thus, by following
rules, speaking truthful words, by mental harmony and by meditation, Oh
descendant of Manu, one should worship that immovable Lord.”
Text 30
isha muurtirt-dradi praptaa
nityashuddha sivamkari
ishamasihah iti ca
mama nama pratishthitam
“Having placed the eternally pure and auspicious form of the Supreme
Lord in my heart, O protector of the earth planet, I preached these principles
through the mlecchas’ own faith and thus my name became ‘isha-masiha’
(Jesus the Messiah).”
Text 31
iti shrutra sa bhuupale
natraa tam mlecchapujaam
sthaapayaamaasa tam tutra
mlecchasthaane hi daarune
After hearing these words and paying obeisances to that person who is
worshiped by the wicked, the king humbly requested him to stay there in
the dreadful land of mlecchas.
Text 32
svaraajyam praaptavaan raajaa
hayamedhan ciikirat
raajyam kriitvaa sa shashthyabdam
svarga lokamu paayayau
King Shalivahana, after leaving his kingdom performed an asvamedha
yajna ritual and after ruling for sixty years, went to heaven. Now please
hear what happened when the king went to (the heavenly region of)
svargaloka.
Thus ends the second chapter entitled, “The Age of Shalivahana” of the
story of Kali-yuga of the Chaturyuga Khanda also called Pratisarga-parva of
the wonderful Bhavishya Maha Purana.
As we can read here, this relates that the grandson of Bikrama Jit,
Shalivahana, was the ruler of the Kushans. Some estimate that he ruled
from 39 to 50 CE. It is also said that he vanquished the attackers from
China, Parthia, Scythia, and the Bactrians. After establishing a border
between the Aryans and the mlecchas, he ordered all the mlecchas to leave
India. Once when Shalivahana went to the Himalayas he reached the land of
the Hun, or Ladakh, and saw a man who was fair and dressed in white,
looking very saintly. The powerful king asked who he was. The man replied
that he was called a son of God, born of a virgin, a teacher of the
nonbelievers, and was earnestly searching for the truth. The king asked his
religion. The man replied that he came from a foreign country where there
was no truth, only unlimited evil.
The man explained to the king that his religion was to purify the
consciousness and impure body, after which, seeking guidance in the
Naigama [a scripture], man could pray to the Supreme. By acting in truth
and justice and engaging in meditation on God’s holy names and spiritual
unity, man will return to Isha, the Supreme Being. God will one day unite
with all wandering spiritual beings, and Ihamasi [the evil of illusion] will be
destroyed. Then man will be absorbed in the ecstatic image of Isha who
exists in the heart and is the source of happiness. The man then told the
king, “I am called Isha-Masih [Jesus the Messiah].” After the king heard the
man speak, the king sent the teacher of the faithless back to his land of
nonbelievers.
Among various scholars, some say Jesus did not die on the cross but
was crucified, suffered and was later revived. Others also say his ascent into
heaven was actually his journey up to the heavenly land of Kashmir, where
he eventually died and was buried in Srinagar at the Roza bal, the presently
known grave of Yuz Asaf, a name said to be that of Jesus. However, there
are those who feel that Yuz Asaf and Jesus are not the same person.
One point we must clearly understand is that if we do accept that Jesus
was predicted in the Bhavishya Purana in which it is described that he
traveled through India, and if Jesus did study under the Vedic Brahmanas
and priests before returning to his homeland to preach, as some say he did,
then I’m sure it would come as a shock to most Christians that Jesus was an
initiate of the wisdom of India. Thus, he naturally based much of his own
teachings on Vedic knowledge, as anyone who is familiar with Eastern
philosophy and the teachings of Jesus can see. This would also explain why
there are so many similarities between early Christianity and the Dharmic
wisdom, much of which seems to have been lost from the Christian fold
through the ages.
It is obvious that Christianity is but a modified form of Sanatana-
dharma. The deeper levels of spiritual truths within Christianity are the
same as those found in the Vedic philosophy, if a person can reach that
depth. Yet, since Jesus spoke in parables on many occasions, the connection
with Vedic knowledge and the deeper meaning of his teachings are not
always made clear. In fact, there have been numerous diversions and
misunderstandings made because of this, as shown by the hundreds of sects
that have developed within the Christian community. So, essentially, this
would also mean that you cannot comprehend the deepest aspects of Jesus’
teachings without understanding Vedic scripture or the philosophy of
Sanatanadharma, since those are really the roots or foundation of
Christianity and the basis of the teachings of Jesus. Therefore, it makes
sense that we all look into, study and learn this Vedic knowledge and follow
its principles for a higher degree and more complete form of spirituality that
we can add to our lives. For this is the foundation of most of the spiritual
knowledge that has spread throughout the world into its many forms that we
find today.
However, if Jesus did in fact later return to Kashmir, which was called
heaven or the promised land by some, and died there, then obviously he did
not ascend into heaven the way many people would like to think. This
would show that he was but a preacher, an empowered one nonetheless,
who gave his message for the upliftment of his people.
Dr. Vedavyas goes on to say that the coming of Lord Kalki, as described
in the Bhavishya as well as many other Puranas, is the avatara equivalent
to the second coming of Christ as described in the Bible. Lord Kalki,
according tot he Vedic prophecies, is predicted to be the next great world
leader many years from now and will establish a world government and
bring back the Vedic culture in a new Satya-yuga, a new kingdom of God.
The Bhavishya Purana also relates the likelihood of a great war of wars
which could change the entire map of the world, at least politically, and
possibly even geographically if nuclear weapons are used. This has been
further corroborated by other psychics and astrologers. But how all this may
happen remains to be seen.
JESUS IN KASHMIR
If Jesus is really predicted in the Bhavishya Purana, did he also really
go to Kashmir or Ladakh in India? This is a controversial issue and there
are people who argue both sides, some saying he indeed went there, and
others saying he did not. Let us take a look at this.
I had visited the place that is called the grave of Jesus in Srinagar,
Kashmir in June of 2007. And, actually, unless you know the history and
controversy about this little building, there is not much that will give any
indications of this being the grave of Jesus. But it is good that I went when I
did, because now it is locked and off-limits to foreigners, especially
westerners.
This place is also called the Roza bal, or Rauza bol, which means “tomb
of the prophet.” This is the burial place of Yuz Asaph (or Asaf), in the
center of Srinagar’s old part of town. The name Yuz Asaph is said to relate
to Jesus. Some people believe it is the grave of Jesus, and others think it is
all based on faulty premises, meaning it is merely a rumor or urban legend.
However, there is a complete line of logic behind this, so I will only give
you the evidence and what people say and you can decide for yourself. That
way, if you are ever in Srinagar, you can have some understanding of the
significance of this place and check it out yourself.
To visit the grave of Jesus, you will find it in Anzimar next to a small
Muslim cemetery in the Khanjar (Khanyar) quarter of Srinagar’s old town.
You find Rauza bal Khanyar down a short narrow alley in an old, wooden
mausoleum. The grave itself is inside the building. The sign in front says
that it is the tomb of Ziarati Hazrati Youza Asouph and Syed Nasir-u-Din.
Therefore, this is a grave of two people, with Nasir-u-Din being a Muslim
saint. Some say that Youza Asouph (or Yuz Asaph) means the gatherer,
which could be in relation to the idea that Jesus was a gatherer of the lost
tribes of Israel, some of whom were known to have come to Kashmir.
Others say the name means the leader of the healed, since Jesus was a
healer. While still others say the name Youza Asouph means Joseph’s son.
You enter the rectangular building through a small doorway on the side
of the structure. This leads into a small hall that allows to you to look
through a few windows at the small central room inside with the
sarcophagus. If the inner doorway is unlocked, you can go in for a closer
view. On your way in you will see an inscription on a board that explains
that Yuz Asaph (or Asaf) came to Kashmir many centuries ago and
dedicated himself to the search for truth. The single inner chamber has a
cheap looking, raised wooden frame in the shape of a sarcophagus for two
graves, each covered with heavy, embroidered cloth. The first and smaller
grave is for an Islamic saint Syed Nasir-ud-Din, buried here in 1451, a
descendent of Imam Moosa Ali Raza, said to be a great devotee of Jesus.
The larger grave behind it is for Yuz Asaph. A document signed by five
Muslim judges (Muftis) of that time certifies that the tomb contains the
remains of the prophet Yuz Asaph. Near this, along the side of the inner
chamber, is a stone with the imprint of two feet showing what seem to be
nail wounds (a round wound on the left foot and an arcshaped wound on the
right foot), the scars Jesus would have suffered from his crucifixion. Some
people feel this is the sign for the identity of who is buried here. It is the
custom for pilgrims to place candles around the gravestones, and when
years of wax was removed by Professor Hassnain, not only did he discover
the footprints, but he also found a cross and rosary. As typical with Muslim
mausoleums, these graves are replicas and the actual graves are in a crypt
under the floor in the basement. However, some also say that due to age, the
ground gave way years ago and the original grave simply sank into the
ground, with the present sarcophagus built over it. A look down into the
real burial chamber is provided by a small opening. But that window is now
covered by a cloth to block the view. The grave which contains the remains
of Yuz Asaph also points east to west, according to Jewish tradition.
Previously, several decades ago, the central shrine in the house was
surrounded by beautifully carved wooden panels. But these have now been
removed and replaced with glass windows. These windows, of course, let
you see the fake sarcophagus inside, which is covered with the embroidered
cloth, as well as the two feet carved into the stone block at one end. You can
also see this from outside through the windows of the house, but the stone
with the feet can be seen only as long as the outer doorway is unlocked and
you can get in. The house is also now painted green, the color for Islam.
Whatever else was once inside, including various relics, scrolls, and
information regarding the place, have now been removed.
Suzanne Olsson, while appearing in the video “Jesus in India” by Paul
David (2008), mentions that in her research she was told by local authorities
that below the main floor, the real graves do not contain any bodies. But
behind the wall was a ledge where the body of Yuz Asaph was actually
placed, and then the ledge was sealed. That is the actual grave behind the
false wall. She at one time had the permission to take DNA samples from
the body through a small opening in that wall. This way she could verify the
age and possible identity of the person buried there. But Islamic militancy
arose before she could accomplish that and kept her from doing it. Thus,
possible verification of this may now never be possible.
However, when talking with the local Muslims who live nearby, they
will tell you adamantly that it is not the grave of Jesus, but is the tomb of a
Muslim prophet, Youza. If you ask too much, or insist on an alternative
view, they will tell you that you are committing an offense to Islam and the
Koran. Nonetheless, the tomb is built in an east-west direction, the same as
the Jewish tradition, in line as a follower of Moses, and is not in the
direction facing Mecca. But this is inconsequential to the locals. Therefore,
without background information, you would never know the significance of
this place.
The locals will also tell you that the grave is that of a messenger of God
who liked the Muslim people and settled there. They admit that the grave is
ancient, but they forget that the person buried there arrived hundreds of
years before Islam was ever an established religion. But they do not think it
was Jesus. So even among the local people different versions of the story
about the grave circulate. Also, some Muslims feel that in the end, after the
crucifixion, Jesus was lifted up to heaven because if he had actually died on
the cross, it would be a sign that he had failed in his mission.
The grave has been maintained by attendants since its construction,
which is established by ancient records to be as far back as 112 CE. The
premise is that Jesus’ Hebrew name was Yuza, similar to Yuz. In Arabic and
in the Koran his name was Hazrat Isa, or just Isa, and Issa in Tibetan, both
of which are similar to the name Isha in Sanskrit. This tradition has been
carried down through the Farhang-Asafia, Volume One, which explains
how Jesus healed some leper who then became asaf, meaning purified or
healed. The word yuz means leader. Thus, Yuz Asaph became a common
reference to Jesus as “leader of the healed.”
There are other accounts of how Yuz Asaph preached throughout Persia,
present-day Iran, converting many people. Some of these details can be
found in Agha Mustafai’s Ahivali Ahaliau-i-Paras which confirms that
Jesus and Yuz Asaph are the same person. Even the well-known Emperor
Akbar had a court poet who referred to Jesus as Ai Ki Nam-i to: Yuz o
Kristo, which means, “Thou whose name is Yuz or Christ.” Also, at Akbar’s
city, Fatehpur Sikri, near Agra, as you enter the main gate toward the
mosque, there is an inscription which states: “Jesus (Peace be with him) has
said: ‘The world is a bridge. Pass over it, but do not settle down on it!’”
Other records and place names that relate to Jesus point to his presence
in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Acts of Thomas describe the journey of
Jesus and Thomas in Pakistan (then Taxila) at the court of King Gundafor in
the 26
th
year of his rule, which would be about 47 CE.
Also, when Jesus came to Kashmir he came with a group of followers
which included his mother, Mary, who must have been over 70 years old,
and was no doubt weakened by the journey. Seventy kilometers east of
Taxila, and 170 kilometers west of Srinagar on the border of Kashmir, is a
small town called Mari, or Murree in English, near Rawalpindi. In that town
is a very old grave called Mai Mari da Asthan, meaning “the final resting
place of Mother Mary.” This is a tomb in Jewish style, aligned on the east-
west line, while the Muslim tombs are always aligned on the north-south
axis. Here is where she must have died before Jesus reached Kashmir,
which was considered paradise, or heaven on earth. Even to this day this
grave is maintained by Muslims as the resting place of Jesus’ mother
because he (Isa) is considered one of the main prophets of Islam. However,
the British knocked down the original hill shrine to Mother Mary to build a
fort at that place because of the view over the surrounding area, and
because they did not believe in Mary being buried there. Out of respect, the
local people gathered the rocks of the grave and put them back near the
original site. So, it is not in the same place as where the body was located.
Also near the villages of Naugam and Nilmag, about 40 kilometers
south of Srinagar is a large plain called the Yuz Marg, the meadow of Jesus.
It is said that from Murree, Jesus proceeded to Srinagar entering Kashmir
from the pass now called Yuz Marg, and he rested at Aish Muqam, about 50
miles south of Srinagar, where a sanctuary was erected containing the horns
of “God’s ram” and a walking stick that is considered Moses’ stick, later
used by Jesus. It is also here that some of the tribes of Israel are supposed to
have settled after 722 BCE to live as shepherds, which is still a major
occupation in the area today.
More evidence of Jesus in Kashmir is found in an inscription that was
carved on the sides of the steps at the threshold on the Throne of Solomon
in Srinagar. Behind the Boulevard near Dal Lake is Shankaracharya Hill
which rises 1100 feet above the city. At the summit is a Hindu temple for
Shiva, but an earlier temple was built here around 200 BCE by Ashoka’s
son. One temple that had been built was by King Laltaditya in the 6
th
century CE known as Gopadri. The road at the base of the hill where the
State Government officials are located is still known as Gupkar road in
connection with that temple. This is the oldest known site in Srinagar,
believed to date back to 2500 BCE when the original sandstone structure
had been built by King Sandiman. It is also said that the philosopher
Shankaracharya visited Kashmir many centuries ago and had stayed on the
hilltop to meditate. The top of the hill also provides a great view over the
lake. But due to security reasons cameras are not allowed through the final
checkpoint when going to the hilltop Shiva temple. The temple as we find it
today is built on a high octagonal plinth, reached by a flight of 270 steps,
the side walls of which used to have inscriptions on them. The main interior
shrine is a small circular room with a lingam about three feet tall. A new
ceiling has inscriptions in Persian which connects its origin to the reign of
Shah Jahan.
The hill used to be called Takht-i-Sulaiman, the Throne of Solomon,
which definitely represents some of the history of this region, and why
some people think that King Solomon had been here. Other factors to
consider is that there was an inscription on the remnants of the old building
which states that the new temple was restored in 78 CE by King Gopadatta
(or Gopananda), who ruled Kashmir from 49-109 CE. According to
tradition, Solomon had visited the land of Kashmir. In fact, the local
Muslims know Kashmir as “Bagh Suleiman,” the Garden of Solomon. This
would go in accord with the theory that some scholars believe that Kashmir
was the “Promised Land,” or the “Land of the Fathers” that the “ten lost
tribes of Israel” wandered to in northern India where they found peace and
tranquility. This was after they had moved eastwards when they had been
driven out of Israel by the Assyrians, never to be heard from again.
Therefore, it may have indeed been Solomon, as tradition declares, who
divided the Barehmooleh Mountain and created an outlet for the water that
later formed Dal Lake. He also may have constructed the original building
of the Takht-i-Suleiman on top of what is now Shankaracharya Hill.
The meaning of the inscriptions on the Throne of Solomon is described
in detail by Mullah Nadiri, a historian during the rule of Sultan Zainul
Aabidin, in 1413 in his book on the history of Kashmir, Tarikh-i-Kashmir.
He relates that Gopananda, or Gopadatta, ruled Kashmir and had the
Temple of Solomon refurbished by a Persian architect. During the
renovation four sayings in ancient Persian were set in stone that said, in
essence, that Bihishti Zagar is the constructor of these columns in the year
of 54. Khwaja Rukun, son of Murjan, had these columns built. In the year
54, Jesus, as Yuz Asaf proclaimed his prophetic calling. He is Jesus,
prophet of the sons of Israel.
Unfortunately, these inscriptions are another artifact that has been
removed from the premises, so you can no longer find these carvings in the
building if you try to look for them. Nonetheless, Mullah Nadiri goes on to
relate that during the rule of Gopadatta, Yuz Asaf came from the Holy Land
to the Kashmir valley and proclaimed to be a prophet and preached to the
people. Gopadatta ruled sixty years and two months before he died. It is
calculated that Jesus came to Kashmir nearly 16 years after the crucifixion
and lived to be around 80 years old. Even the Koran (4.157) explains that
Jesus did not die on the cross: “That they said (in boast), ‘We killed Christ
Jesus, The son of Mary, The Messenger of Allah’—But they killed him not,
Nor crucified him, But so it was made to appear to them, And those who
differ therein are full of doubts, With no (certain) knowledge, But only
conjecture to follow, For a surety they killed him not.” Other scholars feel
that another verse in the Koran (23.50) relates that Jesus did not die on the
cross but ascended to live on a peaceful hill-side watered by a fresh spring.
All this seems to indicate that not only did Jesus come to India to learn
the spiritual knowledge of the Vedic Brahmanas and Buddhists as other
records have described, but after returning to his land of Israel to preach
and was later crucified, he did not die on the cross but suffered and
recovered. After that he ascended to heaven, known as Kashmir, where,
after some years, he died and was buried in Srinagar.
According to various records, during his missing years Jesus was
supposed to have studied for four years at the temple of Jagannatha Puri. In
this regard, the 145
th
Shankaracharya at Jagannatha Puri was asked if Jesus
had come there, and he agreed that Jesus came to Puri. He explained that
the truth of Jesus’ visit to India was hidden in order to propagate lies, rather
than let it be known that he came to India to study amongst the Brahmanas
to acquire his deeper spiritual knowledge. The Shankaracharya mentions
that Jesus studied the Vedic code of conduct on being compassionate,
merciful, forgiving, etc. But most Christians deny this.
However, the book “The Life of Saint Issa” from the Hemis Monastery
in Ladakh explains that he later criticized the Brahmanas and the caste
system and later was forced to leave. Then he traveled north to Kapilavastu
(present-day Lumbini), the birthplace of Buddha in Nepal, and studied with
the Buddhists. This is said to be where he got more of his wisdom. Then he
went to Lhasa in Tibet for five years. After that he went homeward and then
to Greece for sometime before going on to Egypt. Then at the age of 25 he
went to Heliopolis and studied for five more years before returning to his
homeland at the age of 30.
The Hemis Monastery in Ladakh, near Leh, is another place that I have
been fortunate enough to visit. The Hemis Gompa, as it stands today, is
over 400 years old. However, the previous monastery, the Go San Gompa,
existed here for well over 1000 years. Many inner rooms are filled with
ancient writings, much of it uncataloged. They have a big festival every
year with masked dancers, and people from all over attend. It was here that
one of the books that stirred great interest in the idea of Jesus going to India
was discovered.
The Hemis Monastery is where, in 1886, Nicolas Notovitch is said to
have discovered the ancient manuscript that describes the life and travels of
Saint Issa, said to be Jesus. This was, as Notovitch explained, a compilation
of scrolls from the library in Lhasa that were brought from India, Nepal,
and Magadha about 200 years after the time of Christ. Written in Tibetan,
the manuscript also describes how Issa traveled to India and to the north to
Nepal and the Himalayan region.
“The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ” by Nicolas Notovitch describes his
finding a document on Issa at the Hemis Buddhist Monastery, which took
place in 1886. He describes how he was there for several weeks after
breaking his leg from a fall from his horse. After becoming acquainted with
the monks, one showed him the document on the life of Issa. He had the
text translated, first into Russian, and then published his book in France in
1894. Though critics such as Max Muller and others attacked Notovitch to
debunk his claims, Notovitch in turn said he talked in private to a Catholic
priest at the Vatican who told him that the Vatican library had 63 documents
of various oriental languages that referred to Jesus traveling in India. These
had been brought to the Vatican by missionaries from India, China and
Arabia.
Later, there were others who also claimed to have seen that same
document or scroll at the Hemis Monastery on “The Life of Saint Issa.”
This then helped confirm that Jesus studied amongst the Hindus and
Buddhists and valued their teachings and learned from them, setting the
example that his followers should also exhibit such respect and value for
other religions.
This document at Hemis was later seen by Swami Abhedananda who
was able to read and translate it, which he discussed in his book, “Journey
into Kashmir and Tibet.” He visited Hemis in 1922 and relates in his book
how a monk showed him the manuscript while he was there. The monk told
him it was an exact translation of the original that could be found in the
Marbour Monastery near Lhasa, which was in the Pali language, while the
Hemis one was in Tibetan. Swami Abhedananda lived at an ashrama called
the RamaKrishna Vedanta Society in Kolkata, which you can still visit
today. His book is also still available today and provides for very interesting
reading.
Nicolas Roerich, a Russian born Jew who converted to Christianity,
claims to have visited Hemis in 1925 and also seen the Hemis Monastery
document. He published his own account of the manuscripts in his book,
The Heart of Asia. Therein, the descriptions provide some interesting
evidence that Isha or Issa, possibly Jesus, may very well have come to India
to live, learn, and then return to his homeland of Jerusalem to preach, but
then die in Kashmir after returning again from Jerusalem.
Unfortunately, as is so often the case, the document at the Hemis
Monastery seems to have since disappeared with present day monks
knowing nothing about such a document. Some feel that certain Christian
missionaries or agents had gone there to deliberately confiscate it to prevent
any such evidence from being available any longer.
The story of Jesus’ crucifixion is also interesting because, generally,
most people die on the cross by starvation or suffocation when the ribs
press down on the lungs so that the person can no longer breathe. This often
takes several days. According to tradition, Jesus was nailed on the cross in
the early afternoon of a Friday and taken down as dusk was approaching,
after being nailed on the cross for only four or five hours. So it is most
unusual that a young and healthy person like Jesus died after only four
hours on the cross. Thus, it is more likely that as a yogi he was able to enter
an altered state and appear as if dead, only to be revived later. This is not
uncommon with some yogis in India. Furthermore, there are modern
commemorations of Jesus’ crucifixion wherein people are crucified every
year in the Philippines and Mexico and survive quite easily. A person does
not die of crucifixion after only four hours. Thus, it is quite likely that he
survived the crucifixion and died elsewhere.
Nonetheless, there were no witnesses to any resurrection, and it
certainly cannot be investigated historically. So there is plenty of room for
speculation about this from all sides, and that is mostly what we have.
However, if he had survived the crucifixion, it would make sense that he
would want to leave Jerusalem and the area to be free from any threat from
the Roman soldiers. Thus, there is the idea he went to Kashmir where some
of the lost tribes of Israel are said to have relocated. Thus, even today, one
can recognize similarities with the Jewish culture in Kashmir, such as with
some of the foods, clothes, butcher knives, heart-shaped boat paddles, etc.
Of course, when talking to most Christians, they are often convinced
that Jesus never went to India. They feel that there would be no need for
him to learn from any Hindus or Buddhists. Plus, the Bible gives no
information about the 18 missing years of his life (between the ages of 12
and 30). It only says that he grew in wisdom. But that is the question, what
happened during those 18 years?
Except within certain esoteric circles the shrine itself had not been
discussed for some time after Notovitch, Swami Abhedananda, and Nicolas
Roerich had brought attention to it. Then it again came into the limelight
when a local journalist, Aziz Kashmiri, argued in his 1973 book, Christ in
Kashmir, that Jesus survived the crucifixion some 2,000 years ago, migrated
to Kashmir and was buried in Srinagar. The modest stone building with
traditional multi-tiered roof again slipped into oblivion but came into focus
again in 2002 when Suzanne Olsson arrived in Srinagar, claiming to be
Christ’s ‘59
th
descendant’ and seeking DNA testing of the shrine’s remains.
Olsson, though, doesn’t seem to be alone in her conviction. There are
some who support her view. Renowned Kashmiri academic Fida Hassnain’s
1994 book, A Search for the Historical Jesus, was about this legend. Later,
he co-authored a book on the subject with Olsson, Roza Bal the Tomb of
Jesus. The stories of Jesus in India date back to the 19
th
century and now
find mention in a plethora of texts by scholars of varied persuasions—
Islamic, Buddhist and Christian.
WAS JESUS REALLY PREDICTED IN THE BHAVISHYA
PURANA?
Though some people have become convinced that Jesus went to India,
or is predicted in the Bhavishya Purana, there is also another view to this.
With the help of the research done by B. V. Giri Swami, based near Mysore,
India, he relates that a closer look at the prediction of Jesus found in the
Bhavishya Purana strongly suggests foul play or interpolation on the part of
Christian missionaries in India during the late 18
th
century.
There are presently four known editions of the Bhavishya Purana, each
having different predictions from the other, but suspiciously having one
consistent prediction—that of Isa or Jesus. All four editions do mention
someone that could be Jesus.
The Venkateswar Steam Press edition of the Bhavishya Purana printed
in Bombay in 1829 (and reprinted by Nag Publishers in 2003) is probably
the most complete version available, containing all the main features of the
four manuscripts. Since none of the four editions of the Bhavishya Purana
predate British Rule in India, this further suggests a discrepancy. The fact is
that the British tried to monopolize the publishing of all Sanskrit literature
during the British Raj. They bought or confiscated any Sanskrit literature
they could locate. And that is why you practically cannot find any Sanskrit
literature that is published before 200 years ago. It is further known that
they liked to publish their own translations, as if India could not produce its
own Sanskrit scholars to translate the Sanskrit themselves. Plus, they would
also try to interpolate various verses here and there to have the reader draw
a different conclusion of the personality or traits of the characters described
in the texts. Most were quite noble, but by slipping in verses that said
certain persons had less than admirable qualities, or that questionable
practices were used, it would change the reader’s disposition and attitude
toward the Vedic culture, even if they were Indian-born followers of it.
Therefore, the consistent prophecy of Jesus in all four editions of the
Bhavishya Purana, in spite of the differences in the editions found, seems to
indicate, according to B. V. Giri Swami, an interpolation regarding the so-
called meeting of Maharaja Shalivahana and Isha Putra. This is found in the
19
th
chapter of the Pratisarga-parva. However, as B. V. Giri Swami relates,
in examining this section, certain flaws can be found which betray its
dubious origins.
For example, at the very outset of this description of Isha meeting
Shalivahana, this section is fraught with historical inaccuracies.
Shalivahana was the king of Ujjain (in modern day Madhya Pradesh), and
while it is not surprising that Shalivahana traveled to the Himalayas, the
enemies that he supposedly vanquished in battle before he went should be
looked into more thoroughly. Historical research tells us that the only
invading force that Shalivahana actually subdued were the Shakas, who
entered India from the north-west regions. But as for his defeating the Cinas
(Chinese), Bahlikas (Bactrians), Kamarupas (Assamese), Romas (Romans)
and the Khurus (Khorasans, or Persians), there is no historical evidence that
validates Shalivahana doing this, nor is their any historical proof of the
Romans and the Chinese ever invading India at that time. The Bactrians
(Greeks) came earlier during the Gupta Period and the Persians (Moguls)
came later. The people of Assam were simply a small hill-tribe during this
period of Indian history [conquering of which would not have warranted a
mention in Vedic verse].
Later, the king asks Isha or Jesus “Who are you?” and Isha answers that
he was born of a virgin. However, the Christian idea that Jesus was born of
a virgin is based on the following verse found in the Christian version of the
Old Testament in the Book of Isaiah: “Behold, a virgin has conceived and
bears a son and she will call his name Immanuel.” But the original Hebrew
text of the Book of Isaiah does not mention anything about a virgin. The
original text being: hinneh ha-almah harah ve-yeldeth ben ve-karath shem-
o immanuel, “Behold, the young woman has conceived - and bears a son
and calls his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7.14)
The Hebrew word for virgin is betulah yet it appears nowhere in this
verse of Isaiah. The word used is almah which simply means “a young
woman.” Isaiah only uses almah once. However, the word betulah is used
five times throughout the Book of Isaiah, so Isaiah obviously made a
distinction between these two words.
After Jesus has introduced himself to Shalivahana, he explains that he is
teaching religion in the distant land of the mlecchas and tells the king what
those teachings are, in which he says: “Please hear from me, O King, about
the religion that I have established amongst the mlecchas. The mind should
be purified by taking recourse of proper conduct, since we are subject to
auspicious and inauspicious contaminations; by following the scriptures and
concentrating on japa (meditation on the repetition of God’s names) one
will attain the highest level of purity; by speaking true words and by mental
harmony, and by meditation and worship, O descendant of Manu. Just as
the immovable Sun attracts from all directions the elements of all living
beings, the Lord of the Surya-mandala (Sun globe) is fixed and all-
attractive, and attracts the hearts of all living creatures.” (19:27-29)
However, nowhere in the Christian Gospels do we find in the ministry
of Jesus the above teachings to his followers, unless they had been removed
from the Gospels and somehow preserved in the Bhavishya Purana.
Furthermore, in this passage, Jesus is advocating the worship of the Sun-
god (again, something that is absent in his instructions to the apostles).
Japa, meditation, the negation of both good and bad karma, are all concepts
that are familiar to Eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism, but
not to the Abrahamic religions of the west, unless Jesus had already been
trained by Vedic Brahmanas and Buddhist priests at that time. In such a
case, the Bhavishya Purana may have preserved some of the concepts of
the teachings of Jesus that were never included in the Gospels, or that were
later deleted from them because of manipulating politics. This would mean
that in order to get the true and deeper teachings of Jesus a person would
have to study the Vedic texts and its philosophy.
Considering the above anomalies and the fact that no edition of the
Bhavishya Purana can be found prior to the British period in India, we can
deduce that the Bhavishya Purana may have been tampered with by the
Christian missionaries who added the chapter on Jesus. Their motive would
be obvious—to make the personality of Jesus acceptable to the Hindus in
order to convert them to Christianity.
In 1784, the famous Indologist Sir William Jones wrote the following
letter to Sir Warren Hastings, Governor General of India, confirming our
suspicions that this was indeed part of their program:
“As to the general extension [spreading] of our pure faith [Christianity]
in Hindoostan [India] there are at present many sad obstacles to it... We may
assure ourselves, that Hindoos will never be converted by any mission from
the church of Rome, or from any other church; and the only human mode,
perhaps, of causing so great a revolution, will be to translate into Sanscrit...
such chapters of the Prophets, particularly of Isaiah, as are indisputably
evangelical, together with one of the gospels, and a plain prefatory
discourse, containing full evidence of the very distant ages, in which the
predictions themselves, and the history of the Divine Person (Jesus) is
predicted, were severally made public and then quietly to disperse the work
among the well-educated natives.” (Asiatic Researches Vol. 1. Published
1979, pages 234-235. First published 1788).
What better way to translate into Sanskrit whatever they could of
predictions of the Christian prophets and then disperse them among the
well-educated natives than to slip such translations into some of the Vedic
texts themselves? Plus, we often see that Christians, especially in India, tell
Hindus that since Jesus is supposed to be predicted in the Vedic texts, then
they should accept Jesus as their ultimate savior. But the Vedic texts are
much more open and inclusive than that and also describe so many more
avataras and incarnations of Lord Vishnu. So why shouldn’t the Christians
also accept Lord Vishnu or Krishna as the Supreme Person, or at least
aspects of the Supreme Being? After all, it was proclaimed that Jesus was
the son of God. But who is the Father? So Vishnu or Krishna must have
been the Supreme Father as the Bhagavad-gita and other Vedic texts clearly
state. And if Jesus did go to India, then he was familiar with this concept,
which he thus expressed in his own teachings in his homeland. This is not
going against the Biblical tenants. After all, the Bible does not exactly
describe who is the Supreme Person, but only gives Him a name, such as
Yahweh, etc. The Vedic texts, however, give God innumerable names and
describes much more about Him, such as His appearance, character,
personality, pastimes, and so on.
Swami B.V. Giri concludes that it may also be noted that throughout the
Pratisarga-parva of the Bhavishya Purana we find the stories of Adam and
Eve (Adhama and Havyavati), Noah (Nyuha), Moses (Musa), and other
Biblical characters. These he also considers to be likely additions by
zealous Christians. The Bhavishya Purana may well be a genuine Vedic
scripture prophesying future events, but from the above analysis we may
want to reconsider how likely it is that the Jesus episode of the Bhavishya
Purana is an authentic Vedic revelation.
In spite of whatever issues there may be in what we presently find with
today’s editions of the Bhavishya Purana, there are numerous predictions of
all kinds in the other Puranas and Vedic texts. Many of these also verify,
repeat or overlap each other in a way that allows us to see how they forecast
the events of the future with reliability. Furthermore, even though much of
what they say deals with the distant future, we can already observe the
beginning patterns of events that they describe unfolding right before us.
Aside from all of this, the Bhavishya Purana also contains quotes that
some feel relate to various personalities, such as Adam, Noah, Allah,
Shankaracharya, Nanak, Aurangzeb, Shivaji, and on up to the rule of Queen
Victavati, meaning Queen Victoria. It even seems to describe how the
British will build factories in Kolkata [Calcutta]. Most of these quotations
are rather short with little elaboration, which gives little possibility to verify
its meaning. An example of one such quote is that which describes the
appearance of Mahamada, which some people claim to be Prophet
Mohammed, which also may or may not be an accurate understanding.
IS PROPHET MOHAMMED REALLY PROPHESIED IN
THE BHAVISHYA PURANA?
The debate regarding whether Jesus was actually predicted in the
Bhavishya Purana can also be applied to whether it predicts Prophet
Mohammed. The Bhavishya Purana has a reference regarding someone
named Mahamada, which some people are very eager to make the claim
that it means Prophet Mohammed, thus saying that the Prophet is predicted
in the Vedic literature. But before we come to that conclusion, with
additional research, let us take a closer look to see what the full reference to
Mahamada really says.
It is explained in the Bhavishya Purana (Parva 3, Khand 3, Adhya 3,
verses 5-6) that “An illiterate mleccha [foreigner] teacher will appear,
Mahamada is his name, and he will give religion to his fifth-class
companions.” This does not describe much in regard to his life, but it does
mention someone by the name of Mahamada, and what he was expected to
do, which was to give his own form of religion to the lower classes of
people in his area. Some people suggest this person to be Prophet
Mohammed, and are, thus, most willing to accept that Prophet Mohammed
was predicted in the Bhavishya Purana. But if we look at the full translation
of this story, they may not want to jump to such a conclusion.
So here is the Roman transliteration of the Sanskrit in the Bhavishya
Purana, however accurate it may be (Prati Sarga: Part III, 3.3.5-27).
mahamadh ithi khayat, shishya-sakha-samniviyath 5
……. mahadev marusthal nivasinam. mahadevthe snanya-pya punch-gavua
samnivithya tripurarsur-nashav bahu-maya pravathiney 7
malech-dharma shav shudhaya sat-chit-anandaya swarupye, thva ma hei
kinkare vidhii sharanaghatham 8
suta uvacha: ithi shurthiya sthav deva shabadh-mah nupaya tam, gath-vaya
bhojraj-ney mahakhaleshwar-sthale 9
malech-shu dhushita bhumi-vahika nam-vishritha arya dharma hi nav-
vathra vahike desh-darunya 10
vamu-vatra maha-mayi yo-sav dagdho myaa pura tripuro bali-daithyane
proshith punaragath 11
ayoni sa varo math prasava daithyo-vrudhan mahamadh ithi khayath ,
paishacha-kruthi thathpar 12
nagathvaya thvya bhup paisachae desh-vartake math prasadhayane bhupal
tav shudhii prajayathe 13
thi shruthva nupshav svadesha-napu maragmath mahamadh toi sdhav
sindhu-thir mupaye-yav 14
uchav bhupati premane mahamadh-virshad tva deva maharaja das-tva
magath 15
mamo-chit sabhu jiya-dhatha tatpashya bho nup ithi shruthya ththa hata
para vismaya-magath 16
malechdhano mathi-shasi-tatsaya bhupasaya darutho 17
tucha tva kalidas-sthu rusha praah mahamadham maya-thei nirmithi
dhutharya nush-mohan-hethvei 18
hanishyami-duravara vahik purusha-dhamum ityak va sa jidh shrimanava-
raja-tathpar 19
japthya dush-sah-trayach tah-sahansh juhav sa bhasm mutva sa mayavi
malech-dev-tva-magath 20
maybhithashtu tachya-shyaa desh vahii-kamayuuah guhitva svaguro-bhasm
madaheen tva-magatham 21
swapiit tav bhu-ghyot-thro-shrumadh-tathpara madaheen puro jath thosha
trith sayam smurthaum 22
rathri sa dev-roop-shav bahu-maya-virshad paisacha deha-marathaya
bhojraj hi so trivith 23
arya-dharmo hei to raja-sarvoutham smurth ishapraya karinayami paishacha
dharma darunbhu 24
linga-chedri shikhaheen shamshu dhaari sa dhushak yukhalapi sarva
bhakshi bhavishyat jano maum 25
vina kaul cha pashav-thosha bhakshava matha maum muslanav sanskar
kushariv bhavishyat 26
tasman-musal-vanto hi jathiyo dharma dhushika ithi pishacha-dharma mya
kruth 27
To set the scene, in this section of the Bhavishya Purana, Shri Suta
Gosvami first explained that previously, in the dynasty of King
Shalivahana, there were ten kings who went to the heavenly planets after
ruling for over 500 years. [This gives these kings roughly 50 years of rule
for each one.] Then gradually the morality declined on the planet. At that
time, Bhojaraja was the tenth of the kings on the earth [who would have
ruled about 450 years after King Shalivahana]. When he saw that the moral
law of conduct was declining, he went to conquer all the directions of his
country with ten-thousand soldiers commanded by Kalidasa. He crossed the
river Sindhu [modern Indus River] going northward and conquered over the
gandharas [the area of Afghanistan], mlecchas [present-day region of
Turkey], shakas, Kashmiris [Kashmir and present-day Pakistan], naravas,
and sathas. Crossing the Sindhu, he conquered the mlecchas in Gandhar
and the shaths in Kashmir. King Bhoj grabbed their treasure and then
punished them.
Then, as verses 7-8 relate, the Aryan King Bhojaraja, who had already
left India for the lands across the Sindhu River and to the west, meets
Mahamada [some say this is Mohammed], the preceptor of the mleccha-
dharma [religion of the mlecchas], who had arrived with his followers.
Thereafter, however, the King went to worship the image of Lord Mahadev,
the great god Shiva, situated in the marusthal, desert. King Bhoj bathed the
image of Shiva with Ganges water and worshiped him in his mind with
panchagavya (the five purificatory elements from the cow, consisting of
milk, ghee, yogurt, cow dung, and cow urine), along with sandalwood
paste, etc., and offered him, the image of Shiva, sincere prayers and
devotion. King Bhoj prayed to Lord Mahadev, “O Girijanath who stays in
the marusthal (land of deserts), I offer my prayers to you. You have forced
maya [the illusory energy] to destroy Tripurasur [the demon Tripura]; but
the mlecchas are now worshiping you. You are pure and sat-chit-anand
swaroop [eternal knowledge and bliss]. I am your sevak [servant]. I have
come under your protection.”
Verses 10-27 relates next that Suta Goswami explained: After hearing
the king’s prayers and being pleased with him, Lord Shiva said: “Let the
King go to Mahakaleshwar (Ujjain) in the land of Vahika, which is now
contaminated by mlecchas. O King, the land where you are standing, that is
popular by the name of Bahik, has been polluted by the mlecchas. In that
terrible country there no longer exists Dharma. There was a mystic demon
named Tripura (Tripurasura), whom I have already burnt to ashes once
before, he has come again by the order of Bali. He has no origin but he
achieved a benediction from me. His name is Mahamada and his deeds are
like that of a ghost. Therefore, O king, you should not go to this land of the
evil ghost. By my mercy your intelligence will be purified.” [This would
seem to indicate that this Mahamada was an incarnation of the demon
Tripura.] So hearing this, the king came back to his country and Mahamada
came with them, but only to the bank of the river Sindhu. He was expert in
expanding illusion, so he said to the king very pleasingly, “O great king,
your god has become my servant. Just see, as he eats my remnants, so I will
show you.”
The king became surprised when he saw this happening before them.
Then in anger Kalidasa, the king’s commander, rebuked Mahamada, “O
rascal, you have created an illusion to bewilder the king, I will kill you, you
are the lowest...” Then the king left that area.
Later, in the form of a ghostly presence, the expert illusionist
Mahamada appeared at night in front of King Bhojaraja and said: “O King,
your religion is of course known as the best religion among all. Still, by the
order of the Lord, I am going to establish a terrible and demoniac religion
and enforce a strong creed over the meat-eaters [mlecchas]. My followers
will be known by their cut [circumcised] genitals, they will have no shikha
[tuft of hair on their head, like Brahmanas], but will have a beard, make
noise loudly, and eat all kinds of animals except swine without observing
any rituals. They will perform purificatory acts with the musala, and thus be
called musalman, and not purify their things with kusha grass [one of the
Vedic customs]. Thus, I will be the originator of this adharmic [opposed to
Vedic or Aryan Dharma] and demoniac religion of the meat-eating nations.”
After having heard all this, the Bhavishya Purana goes on to relate that
King Bhojaraja returned to his land and palace, and that ghost of the man
also went back to his own place.
It is lastly described how the intelligent king, Bhojaraja, established the
language of Sanskrit amongst the three varnas—the Brahmanas, Kshatriyas
and Vaisyas—and for the Shudras he established prakrita-bhasha, the
ordinary language spoken by common men. After ruling his kingdom for
another 50 years, he went to the heavenly planets. The moral laws
established by him were honored even by the demigods. The arya-varta, the
pious land is situated between Vindhyachala and Himachala, or the
mountains known as Vindhya and Himalaya. The Aryans reside there, but
the varna-sankaras reside on the lower part of Vindhya. The musalman
people were kept on the other [northwestern] side of the river Sindhu.
Thus, from the interpretations of the present editions of the Bhavishya
Purana that are available, it seems to say there was someone named
Mahamada that King Bhojaraja met in the desert, who was supposedly a
reappearance of the Tripura demon, who would start his own religion for
those mlecchas who are unable to follow the spiritual codes of the deeper
aspects of spiritual culture, or Vedic Dharma, and who would also spread
adharma, or that religion that would be opposed to Vedic Dharma. Plus,
according to the description, Mahamada knew and accepted the depth of the
Vedic spiritual path and admitted to its superiority. But is Mahamada really
Prophet Mohammed?
Let me assure everyone that this section is not a commentary on Prophet
Mohammed, and is only an explanation of what is said in the Bhavishya
Purana. But since some people accept this to be a prediction, we need to
take a closer look at it.
So, the first few lines of this translation does seem to hold a possibility
of referring to the Prophet. But after that, it could be questionable whether a
person would really want to accept this story to be about Prophet
Mohammed or not.
Historically, however, we know that Prophet Mohammed was born
between 570-580 CE, became interested in religion at age 40, preached in
Mecca for 10 years, and then went to Medina in 621 CE at age 51 when he
finally established a following. He started engaging in armed conflict in 624
CE, gained possession of Mecca in 630, and died in 632 CE at age 62. So,
he would have had to have met King Bhojaraja only after he had a
following, between the years of 621 and 632. That is an extremely narrow
eleven-year window of time. However, herein it also says that Mahamada
went with King Bhojaraja to the Sindhu River, but there is never any
historical record that Prophet Mohammed personally went to that area,
which establishes another doubt of whether this could have been the
Prophet.
Furthermore, even though it is described how King Bhojaraja conquered
over the gandharas [the area of Afghanistan], mlecchas [present-day region
of Turkey], shakas, Kashmiris [Kashmir and present-day Pakistan],
naravas, and sathas, it never mentions that he went into the area of central
Saudi Arabia where he would have had to go in order to meet the Prophet at
the particular time when the Prophet had a following.
Plus, if King Bhojaraja was the tenth king after Shalivahana, who was
supposed to have existed about the time of Jesus Christ, according to the
evidence provided in the previous section, that would mean that this king
lived about 450 to 500 CE. This is too early to allow for a possibility to
have met the Prophet. However, there are a few King Bhojaraja’s that are
recorded in history. The one in the Bhavishya Purana is noted as intelligent,
and who “established the language of Sanskrit amongst the three varnas—
the Brahmanas, Kshatriyas and Vaisyas—and for the Shudras he established
prakrita-bhasha, the ordinary language spoken by common men.” The King
Bhojaraja who was known for being a Sanskrit scholar is credited with
being the author of two books, the Saraswatikanthabharana, and the
Shringaraprakasha. Of these, the first is a compendious volume in five
chapters, dealing with the merits and defects of poetry, figures of speech,
language, etc. However, this scholar King Bhojaraja is said to have lived
from 1018 to 1054 CE. This is way too late to have enabled him to
personally have met the Prophet.
Therefore, at least with the present information that is available, we are
left to conclude that, though King Bhojaraja may have indeed met a person
named Mahamada, the meeting between the king and Prophet Mohammed
as an accurate historical event is extremely unlikely. Thus, in this
description from the Bhavishya Purana, Mahamada is not the Prophet.
Beyond this point of view, is this a later interpolation? Who can say? And if
so, by who and for what reason? Or is this is a prophecy in an allegorical
form? That would have to be left to one’s own opinions or sentiments.
APPENDIX FOUR
More About the Retreating Glaciers of the
Himalayas
As reported in an article by Charles Arthur in the June 8, 1999 edition
of The Independent in England, new information has been gathered by
scientists at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi, India, regarding how
the glaciers in the Himalayas are retreating. The glacier above Gangotri,
from which the Ganges River starts, has retreated about one kilometer in the
past 20 years or so. In fact, it has been determined that these glaciers are
retreating faster than anywhere else on the planet. Professor Syed Hasnain,
the main author of the report, relates that all of the glaciers in the middle
Himalayas are retreating. He warns that many of the glaciers in this region
could disappear, or greatly diminish, by 2035. New fears are that the
meltwater could produce catastrophic floods as mountain lakes overflow.
As I explained earlier in this book, the Vedic texts reveal that such holy
rivers as the Ganges will dry up and become only a series of small lakes, at
best. In this way, it may practically disappear, as did the Sarasvati River.
This latest report surely seems to show the possibility of this happening
sooner than expected. This also shows the reason that the origination of the
Ganges, at the ice cave called Gaumukh above Gangotri, is retreating
farther away as the years go by. So those travelers who wish to journey to
this mouth of the holy Ganga will have to travel farther up into the
mountains to reach it. This also indicates why this mouth of the Ganges is
always changing in its appearance.
Getting back to the way the glaciers are retreating, at the University of
Colorado in Boulder, a research team has found that the mountain glaciers
are diminishing in the West as well. The Alps have lost nearly 50% of their
ice in the last 100 years. The Major glacier at Mt. Kenya has lost 8% of its
size, and 14 of the 27 glaciers in Spain are gone.
The disappearing of the mountain glaciers is also reported in an article
by Lily Whiteman in the January/February, 1999 issue of National Parks. It
stated that there were more than 150 glaciers in Glacier National Park in
Montana back in 1850. Now there are only 50, and it is expected that these
will also disappear within the next four decades. This is primarily blamed
on the increase in global temperatures by only one degree since the 1800’s.
They say glaciers, because of being too solid and stable to show short-term
variations in climate, are particularly good barometers of global warming.
In regard to the Vedic tradition, it explains that the Ganges fell from
heaven to earth and was caught on the head of Lord Shiva. This was to
prevent the intense damage that the force of it would cause to the earth if it
fell directly on to the planet. This took place at Gangotri, where the water
backed up into the mountains where much of it froze. The course of the
Ganges is said to still flow through the universe and come down to the earth
planet. However, much of the river water comes from underneath the
glacier. If the glacier at Gaumukh does continue to recede or melt away, and
if the Ganges would ever cease its flow or begin to dry up, it would
certainly mean the end of an era and a drastic affect on the Vedic spiritual
culture as we have known it in India. Indeed, it would never be the same.
2007 UPDATE
I visited Gangotri again in June of 2007, and it was easy to see that the
Gaumukh glacier is melting faster than ever. The water that flowed
downstream and over the falls at Gangotri was really fierce. This does not
mean that there was merely more water in the river, but that the glacier was
melting faster than previously. There are a few reasons for this.
One of the issues is that India is building dams on all of its rivers. Along
the Ganga there is a dam at Tehri, which has created a green lake that backs
up for miles along the river. As was explained to me, this lake now
somehow attracts more rain to that area, leaving the clouds drained by the
time they get up toward Gangotri. This also leaves the region of Gangotri
and Gaumukh drier than before. This also prevents the Gaumukh glacier
from being replenished with the rain or snow that it normally would
receive. Thus, the rate of it receding away from Bhojbasa or Gangotri is
increasing. This is not only from the general affects of global warming, but
now also due to not being replenished by rains and snowfall that add water
to the glacier. So some people are thinking that the Ganga may reduce its
flow, or even stop flowing if this effect increases, in as little as 10-15, or up
to 35 years.
When I was in Gangotri ten years earlier, the Ganga had a steady but
kind of meandering flow over the falls. But now there is lots of water that
descends rapidly and powerfully. The village people in the area are simple
and feel that it’s just more water in the flow. They don’t see how this may
indeed affect the future of the glacier. However, some people do understand
that this is a bad sign over the long term, and that it may only deplete the
glacier that much sooner.
India is making electricity from its hydro-electric dams along its rivers,
so much so that it is selling electricity to other countries, even China. Yet, it
is odd that they cannot even supply steady electricity to places like
Gangotri, which is in a blackout about half the time. Other cities in Uttar
Pradesh have a similar fate with regular blackouts. But the building of dams
is causing environmental changes, the future effects of which are unsure.
Thus, as the glaciers recede and dry, the source of the river water will begin
to disappear.
This was further explained in a New York Times article on July 17, 2007,
by Somini Sengupta. D.P. Dobhal, 44, a glaciologist with the Wadia
Institute for Himalayan Geology, has spent the last three years investigating
the Chorabari glacier, the waters of which form the Mandakini River. He
reports that the glacier itself has receded 90 feet in three years. On a map
drawn in 1962, it was plotted 860 feet from where the glacier starts today.
The article goes on to say that a recent study by the Indian Space
Research Organization, using satellite imaging to gauge the changes to 466
glaciers, has found more than a 20 percent reduction in size from 1962 to
2001, with bigger glaciers breaking into smaller pieces, each one retreating
faster than its parent. A separate study found the Parbati glacier, one of the
largest in the area, to be retreating by 170 feet a year during the 1990s.
Another glacier that Mr. Dobhal has tracked, known as Dokriani, lost 20
percent of its size in three decades. Between 1991 and 1995, its beginning
or snout inched back 55 feet each year.
Similar losses are being seen around the world. Lonnie G. Thompson, a
glaciologist at Ohio State University, found a 22 percent loss of ice on the
Qori Kalis glacier in Peru between 1963 and 2002. He called it “a repeating
theme whether you are in tropical Andes, the Himalayas, or Kilimanjaro in
Africa.”
A vast and ancient sheet of ice, a glacier is in effect the planet’s most
sensitive organ, like an aging knee that feels the onset of winter. Its upper
reaches accumulate snow and ice when it is cold; its lower reaches melt
when it is warm. Its long-term survival depends on the balance between the
buildup and the melting. Glaciers worldwide serve as a barometer for global
warming, which has, according to a report in 2007 by the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change, been spurred in recent decades by rising levels of
greenhouse gas emissions.
Even the Himalayas have grown measurably warmer. A recent study
found that mean air temperature in the northwestern Himalayan range had
risen by 2.2 degrees Celsius in the last two decades, a rate considerably
higher than the rate of increase over the last 100 years.
India’s public response so far has been to blame the industrialized world
for rising emissions and resist any mandatory caps of its own. India’s per
capita share of emissions is one-twentieth that of industrialized countries,
the government points out, going on to argue that any restrictions on
emissions would stunt its economic growth. And yet, as critics say, India’s
rapid economic advance, combined with a population of more than a billion
people and growing, will soon make it a far bigger contributor to
greenhouse gases. More to the point, India stands to bear some of the most
devastating consequences of human-induced climate change.
In an October, 2007 edition of the Hindustan Times, there was an article
called, “Gangotri Glacier Melting Rapidly,” which explained how much the
Gangotri glacier melted since 2004. Of course, we know that glaciers all
over the world are melting away, but the Gangotri glacier is the main source
of the Ganga River, which directly affects all of Vedic culture in various
ways. Plus, the Vedic Puranas have also predicted that the Ganga will one
day cease to flow and dry up, similar to what happened to the Sarasvati,
which is said to now flow underground.
A few points mentioned in the article included:
In what is being termed a result of the first ever authentic study of the
famous Gangotri glacier in the Garhwal Himalaya, the glacial landscape
receded by 12.10 metres [or around 40 feet or more] in just one year since
2004.
It was the first of its kind study of the Gangotri glacier carried out using
the highly sophisticated Global Positioning System, revealed Dr. M. S.
Miral, a scientist at the Glacier Study Centre of the G. B. Pant Institute of
Himalayan Environment and Development, Almora. “Before that, studies
conducted on the Gangotri glacier were based on observations only.”
A six-member team of scientists from GBPIHED carried out the study.
Dr. Kireet Kumar, head of GBPIHED’s Glacier Study Centre, led the team.
Dr. Miral attributed the Gangotri glacier retreating at an unusually fast
pace to global warming. “Global warming has increased the atmospheric
temperature by 0.6 degree centigrade worldwide,” he said, adding even the
Himalayan arc “is not untouched by the rising temperature.”
The rising temperature in the Himalaya did not just manifest itself in the
retreating glaciers but also sent [increased] the snowmelt run-off of the
region by several times. “The snowmelt run-off of the Gangotri glacier, for
instance, had been recorded at a huge 57.45 cubic metres annually within
just five years since 1999,” said the expert.
Similarly, the rate at which the suspended sedimentation that the
snowmelt run-off of the Gangotri glacier carries with it, comes to around
17.78 lakh tons a year, which is dangerous for reservoirs like the Tehri dam,
as it leads to a very fast sedimentation in these artificial water bodies.
Dr. Miral said the Gangotri glacier “is receding so fast that even
Gaumukh, the snout of the Bhagirathi river, which is a popular religious
destination for the Hindus, has ceased to resemble the mouth of a cow, for
which its revered.”
This, of course, could lead into a much deeper conversation on the
matter. But the point is that we are already seeing the affects on the
Gangotri glacier, which will have serious and irreversible reactions on the
Ganga River itself and the religious nature of life in India.
It is further reported in the India Tribune (December 26, 2009) that in
the village of Stackmo, Ladakh, 92 year old Phuntchok Namgyal
remembers when they used to get water from the glaciers from April
onwards, but now there is a water shortage even in early summer. The
glaciers that did not melt during summer and would reach Stackmo are now
receding further and further away.
Professor Syed Iqbal Hasnain of the Energy Research Institute, and who
has been studying the glaciers for several years, says that the future
prospects on the Hindukush-Himalayan-Tibetan glaciers seem to be getting
worse. He says that scientists project an average of a 43 percent decrease in
the glacial area by 2070 and a 75 percent decrease by the end of the 21st
century at the current rate.
Tundup Angmo, climate change co-ordinator at Geres, an NGO active
in the area, explains that glaciers in the Himalayas are receding faster than
anywhere else in the world, at 70 meters per year. Pest attacks on crops are
being reported in newer areas across Ladakh. Violent monsoons that cause
damage to crops and the human habitat are also being reported in the
Himalayas. Snowfall has also become less abundant, thus providing less
water for the Indus River. This will also decrease the effectiveness of the
hydro-electric power generators over the long term.
However, Angmo explains that what is undeniable is the steady rise of
the recorded temperatures over the past three decades. So winters are
slightly less severe while summers are getting longer and warmer. “Apple
orchards are also coming up at higher areas,” she explains, all of which are
not the norm for this area.
So, though the Vedic prophecies explain that the Ganga and Yamuna
Rivers will disappear in another 5,000 years, the changes seem to be taking
place at an increasingly faster pace.
APPENDIX FIVE
If There is a God, Why is the World Like
This?
How many times have I or you heard this question? Many people
cannot seem to figure out why so many problems exist, as if God should
take them all away, regardless of how humanity acts.
I hope this book has made at least one thing clear, that though God
gives us the instructions by which to align our lives, thoughts and deeds, if
we decide to do something else, or act directly contrary to the good
instructions and spiritual knowledge that has been provided, then God will
not interfere, but it is up to our own faults in the way this world reflects our
own consciousness to allow evil, confusion, selfishness, or insensitivity to
increase. In other words, as the pollution of materialistic consciousness
increases, the stronger will be the socially deteriorating effects of it in this
age. We have no one else to blame but ourselves.
Blaming God for the situation or the difficulties and confusion in life is
like blaming the sun for the darkness that takes place at night. It is not the
sun which is the cause of darkness, it is the absence of the sun which is the
cause. In the same way, it is not the fault of God for the evil in the world,
but it is the absence of God and lack of godliness which is the problem, and
that is no one’s fault but our own. Therefore, this is the age when we can
experience the bitter results of irreligiosity and godlessness. That is the
purpose of this age. Nonetheless, it can still be changed. We can hold off the
bad aspects of this age by being more spiritual.
The fact is that suffering makes us begin to question our existence, such
as why am I here? Why are things like this? What am I supposed to do?
Why am I suffering? It helps you begin the quest of life, which is to
discover who you are as a spiritual being, above and beyond merely being a
physical shell in which you exist. If life was always lovely and easy, why
would we question our existence? Yet, merely being in a material body
means to suffer the aches and pains of the body, the problems we have with
other living being, or the difficulties we get from nature itself. You cannot
get away from these problems. So what do we do about them? How do we
get free? That is the beginning of the real purpose of human existence,
which is to question why we are here and who am I, which can lead to the
discovery of your spiritual identity. That is the real way of resolving to find
the answers to life, which is the purpose of human existence.
So when something terrible happens, why should we ask how God can
allow this, when we should be asking how can WE allow this. How can we
tolerate whatever injustice we may see? We are the ones who can make a
difference, and that difference starts by changing ourselves, changing our
consciousness, uplifting our attitude and the way we see each other. That is
up to you, and me, which leads to the obvious question: What are you
waiting for? What is it that has to happen before you make a difference,
before you make a stand to improve things in this world by first improving
yourself?
You can change yourself, and to some degree change your sphere of
influence, your circle of friends, your area of work or existence by what you
do. Become spiritual enough to let God work through you, and be ready for
miracles to happen. Be open to change and possibilities. And don’t expect
to merely sit back and have God do everything for you. You first have to
show the initiative, the proper intention, the right direction in your thoughts
and actions. Then the more people who adapt to that mindset, the more
momentum will gather to make the uplifting changes possible, which can
gradually grow around the world. Keep that in mind, always. If you want to
change the world, then start with yourself. As it is said, to move but one
grain of sand on the beach is to change the face of the world. The more we
work together, the more it becomes possible, the more it becomes probable.
REFERENCES
The following is a list of all the authentic Vedic and religious texts that
were referred to or directly quoted to explain or verify all the knowledge
and information presented in this book.
Agni Purana, translated by N. Gangadharan, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi,
1984
Atharva-veda, translated by Devi Chand, Munshiram Manoharlal, Delhi,
1980
Bhagavad-gita As It Is, translated by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami,
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, New York/Los Angeles, 1972
Bhagavad-gita, translated by Swami Chidbhavananda, Sri Ramakrishna
Tapovanam, Tiruchirappalli, India, 1991
The Song of God: Bhagavad-gita, translated by Swami Prabhavananda and
Christopher Isherwood, New American Library, New York, 1972
Bhagavad-gita, translated by Winthrop Sargeant, State University of New
York Press, Albany, NY, 1984
Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu, (Nectar of Devotion), translated by A. C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, New York/Los
Angeles, 1970
Bhakti-sandarbha sankhya
Bhavisya Purana, by Srila Vyasadeva, translated by Bhumipati Dasa,
published by Rasbikarilal & Sons, Vrindavana, India, 2007.
Bhavartha-dipika
Bible, New York International Bible Society, 1981
Book of Morman, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt
Lake City, Utah, 1976
Brahma Purana, edited by J.L.Shastri, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi 1985
Brahmanda Purana, edited by J.L.Shastri, Motilal Banarsidass, 1983
Brahma-samhita, translated by Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Thakur,
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, New York/Los Angeles,
Brahma-Sutras, translated by Swami Vireswarananda and Adidevananda,
Advaita Ashram, Calcutta, 1978
Brahma-Vaivarta Purana, translated by Shanti Lal Nagar, edited by
Acharya Ramesh Chaturvedi, Parimal Publications, Delhi, 2005.
Brihad-vishnu Purana
Brihan-naradiya Purana
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
Caitanya-caritamrta, translated by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami,
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, Los Angeles, 1974
Caitanya Upanisad, translated by Kusakratha dasa, Bala Books, New York,
1970
Chandogya Upanishad
Garbha Upanishad
Garuda Purana, edited by J. L. Shastri, Motilal Barnasidass, Delhi, 1985
Gautamiya Tantra
Gheranda Samhita, translated by Rai Bahadur Srisa Chandra Vasu,
Munshiram Manoharlal, New Delhi, 1980
Gitabhasya of Ramanuja, translated by M. R. Sampatkumaran, M.A.,
Ananthacharya Indological Research Institute, Bombay, 1985
Hari-bhakti-vilasa by Srila Sanatana Gosvami, a portion of which was
translated by Kusakratha dasa into Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s
Incarnation Predicted In Scripture, published by: The Krsna Institue,
P.O.Box 281, Culver City, CA 90232, 1992.
Hidden Treasure of the Holy Dhama—Nabadwipa, by Srila Bhaktivinode
Thakura, translated by His Holiness Banu Swami, Published by
Ananta Printing & Publishing and Mandala Media Group, 2827 S.
Rodeo Gulch Rd. #10, Soquel, CA, 1993
How to Know God, The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali, translated by Swami
Prabhavananda and C. Isherwood, New American Library, 1969
Hymns of the Rig-veda, tr. by Griffith, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1973
Jesus in Kashmir The Lost Tomb, by Suzanne Olson, Olson Books, 2007
Jesus Lived in India, Kersten, Element Book Ltd., Dorset England, 1986
The Jesus Mystery, Bock, Aura Books, Los Angeles, 1980
Jesus the Magician, Smith, Harper & Row, San Francisco, 1978
Jiva Gosvami’s Tattvasandarbha, Stuart Mark Elkman, Motilal Banarsidass,
Delhi, 1986
Kali-santarana Upanishad
Kalki Purana, by Sri Vyasadeva, translated by Bhumipati das, published by
Jai Nitai Press, Mathura, India, 2006
Katha Upanishad
Kaushitaki Upanishad
Koran, translated by N. J. Dawood, Penguin Books, Middlesex, England,
1956
The Holy Quran, ’Abdullah Yusaf ’Ali, Amana Corporation, Brentwood,
Maryland, 1989
Kurma Purana, edited by J. L. Shastri, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1981
Linga Purana, edited by J. L. Shastri, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1973
Mahabharata, translated by C. Rajagopalachari, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan,
New Delhi, 1972
Mahabharata, Kamala Subramaniam, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay,
1982
Mahabharata, Sanskrit Text With English Translations, by M. N. Dutt,
Parimal Publications, Delhi, 2001
Matsya Purana
The Law of Manu, [Manu-samhita], translated by Georg Buhlerg, Motilal
Banarsidass, Delhi, 1970
Minor Upanishads, translated by Swami Madhavananda, Advaita Ashram,
Calcutta, 1980; contains Paramahamsopanishad, Atmopanishad,
Amritabindupanishad, Tejabindupanishad, Sarvopanishad,
Brahmopanisad, Aruneyi Upanishad, Kaivalyopanishad.
Mukunda-mala-stotra
Mundaka Upanishad
Narada-pancaratra
Narada Purana, tr. by Ganesh Vasudeo Tagare, Banarsidass, Delhi, 1980
Narada Sutras, translated by Hari Prasad Shastri, Shanti Sadan, London,
1963 Narada-Bhakti-Sutra, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami,
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, Los Angeles, 1991
Narasimha Purana,
Narottam-Vilas, by Sri Narahari Cakravarti Thakur, translator unknown.
Padma Purana, tr. by S. Venkitasubramonia Iyer, Banarsidass, Delhi, 1988
Padmottara-khanda
Padyavali, Anthology of Devotional Poetry, Srila Rupa Gosvami, translated
by Kusakratha dasa, Ras Bihari Lal & Sons, Loi Bazaar, Vrindaban,
UP, 281121, India, 2007
Prema-Vilas, by Nityananda Das
Purana-vakya
Ramayana of Valmiki, tr. by Makhan Lal Sen, Oriental Publishing Co.,
Calcutta
Hymns of the Rig-veda, tr. by Griffith, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1973
Rig-veda Brahmanas: The Aitareya and Kausitaki Brahmanas of the
Rigveda, translated by Arthur Keith, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1971
Samnyasa Upanisads, translated by Prof. A. A. Ramanathan, Adyar
Library, Madras, India, 1978; contains Avadhutopanisad,
Arunyupanisad, Ka t h a r u d r o p a n i s a d , Kundikopanisad,
Jabalopanisad, Turiyatitopanisad, Narada-parivrajakopanisad, N i r v
a n o p a n i s a d , P a r a b r a h m o p a n i s a d , Paramahamsa-
parivrajakopanisad, Paramahamsopanisad, Brahmopanisad,
Bhiksukopanisad, Maitreyopanisad, Yajnavalkyopanisad,
Satyayaniyopanisad, and Samnyasopanisad.
Shiva Purana, edited by Professor J. L. Shastri, Banarsidass, Delhi, 1970
Siksastaka, of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Sixty Upanisads of the Vedas, by Paul Deussen, translated from German by
V. M. Bedekar and G. B. Palsule, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1980;
contains Upanisads of the Rigveda: Aitareya and Kausitaki.
Upanisads of the Samaveda: Chandogya and Kena. Upanisads of the
Black Yajurveda: Taittiriya, Mahanarayan, Kathaka, Svetasvatara, and
Maitrayana. Upanisads of the White Yajurveda: Brihadaranyaka and
Isa. Upanisads of the Atharvaveda: Mundaka, Prasna, Mandukya,
Garbha, Pranagnihotra, Pinda, Atma, Sarva, Garuda; (Yoga
Upanisads): Brahmavidya, Ksurika, Culik, Nadabindu, Brahma-
bindu, Amrtabindu, Dhyanabindu, Tejobindu, Yoga-sikha, Yogatattva,
Hamsa; (Samnyasa Upanisads): Brahma, Samnyasa, Aruneya,
Kantha-sruti, Paramahamsa, Jabala, Asrama; (Shiva Upanisads):
Atharvasira, Atharva-sikha, Nilarudra, Kalagnirudra, Kaivalya;
(Vishnu Upanisads): Maha, Narayana, Atmabodha,
Nrisimhapurvatapaniya, Nrisimhottara-tapaniya, Ramapurvatapaniya,
Ramottaratapaniya. (Supplemental Upanisads): Purusasuktam,
Tadeva, Shiva-samkalpa, Baskala, Chagaleya, Paingala, Mrtyu-
langala, Arseya, Pranava, and Saunaka Upanisad.
Skanda Purana, by Srila Vyasadeva, Purnaprajna Dasa, Rasbihari Lal
&Sons, Vrindavana, India, 2005.
Sri Bhakti-ratnakara, by Sri Narahari Cakravarti Thakura
Sri Brihat Bhagavatamritam, by Sri Srila Sanatana Gosvami, Sree Gaudiya
Math, Madras, India, 1987
Sri Caitanya Bhagavat, by Sri Vrindavan dasa Thakura
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s Incarnation Predicted in Scripture, translated
by Kusakratha dasa, The Krsna Institute, Box 281, Culver City, CA,
1992
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu: His Life and Precepts by Srila Bhakti Vinode
Thakur. Published by Sree Gaudiya Math, Madras, India, 9
th
edition,
September, 1991
Sri Caitanya Mangala, Locana Dasa Thakura, by Mahanidhi Swami, 1994
Sri Caitanya Shikshamritam, Thakura Bhakti Vinode, Sree Gaudiya Math,
Madras, 1983
Sri Caitanya Upanishad, from the Atharva-veda
Sri Isopanisad, translated by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, Bhaktivedanta
Book Trust, New York/Los Angeles, 1969
Srimad-Bhagavatam, translated by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami,
Bhaktivedanta Book trust, New York/Los Angeles, 1972
Srimad-Bhagavatam, translated by N. Raghunathan, Vighneswar Publishing
House, Madras, 1976
Srimad-Bhagavatam MahaPurana, translated by C. L. Goswami, M. A.,
Sastri, Motilal Jalan at Gita Press, Gorkhapur, India, 1982
Srimad Valmiki-Ramayana, Gita Press, Gorakhpur, India, 1969
Sri Sri Krishna Bhavanamrta Mahakavya, Srila Visvanatha Chakravarti
Thakura, completed in 1686
Sri Srimad Bhagavata-Arka Marichimala, Thakura Bhakti Vinode, Sree
Gaudiya Math, Madras, 1978
Svetasvatara Upanishad
Taittiriya Upanishad
Tantra of the Great Liberation (Mahanirvana Tantra), translated by
Woodroffe, Dover Publications, New York, 1972
Tattva-Viveka, Tattva-Sutra, Amnaya Sutra, Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, Sree
Gaudiya Math, Madras, 1979
Twelve Essential Upanishads, Tridandi Sri Bhakti Prajnan Yati, Sree
Gaudiya Math, Madras, 1982. Includes the Isha, Kena, Katha,
Prashna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Taittiriya, Aitareya, Chandogya,
Brihadaranyaka, Svetasvatara, and Gopalatapani Upanishad of the
Pippalada section of the Atharva-veda.
Upadesamrta (Nectar of Instruction), translated by A. C. Bhaktivedanta
Swami, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, New York/Los Angeles, 1975
The Upanishads, translated by Swami Prabhavananda and Frederick
Manchester, New American Library, New York, 1957; contains
Katha, Isha, Kena, Prasna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Taittiriya, Aitareya,
Chandogya, Brihadaranyaka, Kaivalya, and Svetasvatara Upanishads.
The Upanisads, translated by F. Max Muller, Dover Publications; contains
Chandogya, Kena, Aitareya, Kausitaki, Vajasaneyi (Isa), Katha,
Mundaka, Taittiriya, Brihadaranyaka, Svetasvatara, Prasna, and
Maitrayani Upanisads.
Varaha Purana, tr. by S.Venkitasubramonia Iyer, Banarsidass, Delhi, 1985
Vayu Purana, translated by G. V. Tagare, Banarsidass, Delhi, India, 1987
Veda of the Black Yajus School: Taitiriya Sanhita, translated by Arthur
Keith, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1914
Vishnu Purana, translated by H. H. Wilson, Nag Publishers, Delhi Vishnu-
smriti
Vedanta-Sutras of Badarayana with Commentary of Baladeva
Vidyabhusana, translated by Rai Bahadur Srisa Chandra Vasu,
Munshiram Manoharlal, New Delhi, 1979
White Yajurveda, translated by Griffith, The Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series
Office, Varanasi, 1976
Yajurveda, translated by Devi Chand, Munshiram Manoharlal, Delhi, 1980
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Other references that were helpful are listed as follows:
A History of India, Hermann Kulke and Dietmar Rothermund, Dorset Press,
New York, 1986
Bible Myths and Their Parallels in Other Religions, T. W. Doane, Health
Research, Mokelumne Hill, California, 1910
The Daily Practice of the Hindus, Rai Bahadur Srira Chandra Vidyarnava,
Oriental Books Reprint Corporation, Allahabad, 1979
Elements of Hindu Iconography, by T. A. Gopinatha Rao, Motilal
Banarsidass, Delhi, 1985
Harper’s Dictionary of Hinduism, by Margaret and James Stutley, Harper &
Row, San Francisco, 1917
Jesus Lived in India, Holger Kerston, Element Book Ltd., Longmead,
Shaftesbury, Dorset, England, 1986.
Navadvipa Mahatmya, [The Glories of Navadvipa], by Bhaktivinoda
Thakur, translated by Banu das
Puranic Encyclopaedia, Vettam Mani, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1964
Sai Baba, by Samuel H. Sandweiss, M.D., Birth Day Publishing Company,
San Diego, CA, 1975.
Some Blunders of Indian Historical Research, by P. N. Oak.
Some Missing Chapters of World History, by P. N. Oak.
The Philosophy and Religion of Sri Caitanya, O. B. L. Kapoor, Munshiram
Manoharla, New Delhi, 1977
The Surya Siddhanta, A Textbook of Hindu Astronomy, edited by
Phanindralal Gangooly, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1860
Yantra: The Tantric Symbol of Cosmic Unity, Madhu Khanna, Thames and
Hudson, London, 1979
ABBREVIATIONS
Bhagavad-gita is abbreviated in this book as Bg.
Caitanya-caritamrita is Cc.
Srimad-Bhagavatam or Bhagavat Purana is Bhag.
GLOSSARY
Acarya or Acharya—the spiritual master who sets the proper standard by
his own example.
Advaita—nondual, meaning that the Absolute is one with the infinitesimal
souls with no individuality between them. The philosophy of
Sankaracharya.
Agni—fire, or Agni the demigod of fire.
Agnihotra—the Vedic sacrifice in which offerings were made to the fire,
such as ghee, milk, sesame seeds, grains, etc. The demigod Agni
would deliver the offerings to the demigods that were referred to in
the ritual.
Ahankara—false ego, identification with matter.
Ahimsa—nonviolence.
Akarma—actions which cause no karmic reactions.
Ananda—spiritual bliss.
Ananta—unlimited.
Ananta-Sesha—the Lord’s incarnation as the thousand-headed serpent
whose coiled body serves as the bed of Vishnu. He also sustains the
planets of the universe on His heads. He is also known as the
"Endless or Infinite One." The many coils of His body symbolize
endless time. From His mouth comes the fire of universal
annihilation and from between His eyebrows comes Lord Rudra
who does his dance of dissolution which creates the clouds which
create the universal flood.
Apsaras—the dancing girls of heaven.
Aranyaka—sacred writings that are supposed to frame the essence of the
Upanishads.
Arati—the ceremony of worship when incense and ghee lamps are offered
to the Deities.
Arca-vigraha—the worshipable deity form of the Lord made of stone,
wood, etc.
Atharva Veda—one of the four Vedas, the original revealed scriptures
spoken by the Lord Himself.
Aryan—a noble person, one who is on the path of spiritual advancement.
Asana—postures for meditation, or exercises for developing the body into a
fit instrument for spiritual advancement.
Asat—that which is temporary.
Ashrama—one of the four orders of spiritual life, such as brahmacari
(celibate student), grihastha (married householder), vanaprastha
(retired stage), and sannyasa (renunciate); or the abode of a spiritual
teacher or sadhu.
Astanga-yoga—the eightfold path of mystic yoga.
Asura—one who is ungodly or a demon.
Atma—the self or soul. Sometimes means the body, mind, and senses.
Atman—usually referred to as the Supreme Self.
Avatara—an incarnation of the Lord who descends from the spiritual world.
Avidya—ignorance or nescience.
Aum—om or pranava
Ayurveda—the original wholistic form of medicine as described in the
Vedic literature.
Babaji—wandering mendicant holy man.
Badrinatha—one of the holy places of pilgrimage in the Himalayas, and
home of the Deity Sri Badrinatha along with many sages and
hermits.
Balarama or Baladeva—the first plenary expansion of Lord Krishna, and
His brother who appeared as the son of Rohini.
Bhagavad-gita—the Song of God, the conversation between Lord Krishna
and His devotee Arjuna, which was one of the chapters in the
Mahabharata.
Bhagavan—one who possesses all opulences, God.
Bhajan—song of worship.
Bhajan kutir—a small dwelling used for one’s worship and meditation.
Bhakta—a devotee of the Lord who is engaged in bhakti-yoga.
Bhakti—love and devotion for God.
Bhakti-yoga—the path of offering pure devotional service to the Supreme.
Bhang—pronounced bong, a sweet mixed with hashish.
Brahma—the demigod of creation who was born from Lord Vishnu, the
first created living being and the engineer of the secondary stage of
creation of the universe when all the living entities were manifested.
Brahmacari—a celebate student who is trained by the spiritual master. One
of the four divisions or ashramas of spiritual life.
Brahmajyoti—the great white light or effulgence which emanates from the
body of the Lord.
Brahmaloka—the highest planet or plane of existence in the universe; the
planet where Lord Brahma lives.
Brahman—the spiritual energy; the all-pervading impersonal aspect of the
Lord; or the Supreme Lord Himself.
Brahmana or brahmin—one of the four orders of society; the intellectual
class of men who have been trained in the knowledge of the Vedas
and initiated by a spiritual master.
Brahmana—the supplemental books of the four primary Vedas. They
usually contained instructions for performing Vedic agnihotras,
chanting the mantras, the purpose of the rituals, etc. The Aitareya
and Kaushitaki Brahmanas belong to the Rig-veda, the Satapatha
Brahmana belongs to the White Yajur-veda, and the Taittiriya
Brahmana belongs to the Black Yajur-veda. The Praudha and
Shadvinsa Brahmanas are two of the eight Brahmanas belonging to
the Atharva-veda.
Brahmastra—a nuclear weapon that is produced and controlled by mantra.
Brahminical—to be clean and upstanding, both outwardly and inwardly,
like a brahmana should be.
Buddha—Lord Buddha or a learned man.
Caitanya-caritamrta—the scripture by Krishnadasa Kaviraja which
explains the teachings and pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Caitanya Mahaprabhu—the most recent incarnation of the Lord who
appeared in the 15th century in Bengal and who originally started
the sankirtana movement, based on congregational chanting of the
holy names.
Canakya Pandit—the prime minister of King Candragupta whose aphorisms
are noted for their logic and which is still famous throughout India.
Chakra—a wheel, disk, or psychic energy center situated along the spinal
column in the subtle body of the physical shell.
Causal Ocean or Karana Ocean—is the corner of the spiritual sky where
Maha-Vishnu lies down to create the material manifestation.
Cit—eternal knowledge.
Chhandas—sacred hymns of the Atharva-veda.
Darshan—the devotional act of seeing and being seen by the Deity in the
temple.
Deity—the arca-vigraha, or worshipful form of the Supreme in the temple,
or deity as the worshipful image of the demigod.
Devas—demigods or heavenly beings from higher levels of material
existence, or a godly person.
Devaloka—the higher planets or planes of existence of the devas.
Devaki—the devotee who acted as Lord Krishna’s mother.
Dham—a holy place.
Dharma—the essential, spiritual nature or duty of the living being.
Diksha—spiritual initiation.
Dualism—as related in this book refers to the Supreme as both an
impersonal force as well as a person.
Durga—the form of Parvati, Shiva’s wife, as a warrior goddess known by
many names according to her deeds, such as Simhavahini when
riding her lion, Mahishasuramardini for killing the demon
Mahishasura, Jagaddhatri as the mother of the universe, Kali when
she killed the demon Raktavija, Tara when killing Shumba, etc.
Dvapara-yuga—the third age which lasts 864,000 years.
Dvaraka—the island kingdom of Lord Krishna that was off the coast of
Gujarat 5,000 years ago.
Dwaita—dualism, the principle that the Absolute Truth consists of the
infinite Supreme Being and the infinitesimal individual souls.
Gandharvas—the celestial angel-like beings who have beautiful forms and
voices, and are expert in dance and music, capable of becoming
invisible and can help souls on the earthly plane.
Ganesh—a son of Shiva, said to destroy obstacles (as Vinayaka) and offer
good luck to those who petition him.
Ganga—another name for the Ganges River.
Ganga Devi—the personified form of the Ganges River.
Ganges—the sacred and spiritual river which, according to the Vedas, runs
throughout the universe, a portion of which is seen in India. The
reason the river is considered holy is that it is said to be a drop of
the Karana Ocean that leaked in when Lord Vishnu, in His
incarnation as Vamanadeva, kicked a small hole in the universal
shell with His toe. Thus, the water is spiritual as well as being
purified by the touch of Lord Vishnu.
Gangapuja—the arati ceremony for worshiping the Ganges.
Gangotri—the source of the Ganges River in the Himalayas.
Garbhodakasayi Vishnu—the expansion of Lord Vishnu who enters into
each universe.
Gaudiya—a part of India sometimes called Aryavarta or land of the Aryans,
located south of the Himalayas and north of the Vindhya Hills.
Gaudiya sampradaya—the school of Vaishnavism founded by Sri Caitanya.
Gayatri—the spiritual vibration or mantra from which the other Vedas were
expanded and which is chanted by those who are initiated as
brahmanas and given the spiritual understanding of Vedic
philosophy.
Goloka Vrindavana—the name of Lord Krishna’s spiritual planet.
Gosvami—one who is master of the senses.
Govinda—a name of Krishna which means one who gives pleasure to the
cows and senses.
Grihastha—the householder order of life. One of the four ashramas in
spiritual life.
Gunas—the modes of material nature of which there is sattva (goodness),
rajas (passion), and tamas (ignorance).
Guru—a spiritual master.
Hare—the Lord’s pleasure potency, Radharani, who is approached for
accessibility to the Lord.
Hare Krishna mantra—Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare
Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
Hari—a name of Krishna as the one who takes away one’s obstacles on the
spiritual path.
Haribol—a word that means to chant the name of the Lord, Hari.
Hari-kirtana—the chanting of the names of Lord Krishna.
Harinam—refers to the name of the Lord, Hari.
Hiranyagarbha—another name of Brahma who was born of Vishnu in the
primordial waters within the egg of the universe.
Hrishikesa—a name for Krishna which means the master of the senses.
Ikshvaku—the son of Manu who was king of the earth in ancient times and
to whom Manu spoke Bhagavad-gita.
Impersonalism—the view that God has no personality or form, but is only
an impersonal force.
Impersonalist—those who believe God has no personality or form.
Incarnation—the taking on of a body or form.
Indra—the King of heaven and controller of rain, who by his great power
conquers the forces of darkness.
Jai or Jaya—a term meaning victory, all glories.
Japa—the chanting one performs, usually softly, for one’s own meditation.
Japa-mala—the string of beads one uses for chanting.
Jiva—the individual soul or living being.
Jivanmukta—a liberated soul, though still in the material body and
universe.
Jiva-shakti—the living force.
Jnana—knowledge which may be material or spiritual.
Jnana-kanda—the portion of the Vedas which stresses empirical
speculation for understanding truth.
Jnana-yoga—the process of linking with the Supreme through empirical
knowledge and mental speculation.
Jnani—one engaged in jnana-yoga, or the process of cultivating knowledge
to understand the Absolute.
Kala—eternal time.
Kali—the demigoddess who is the fierce form of the wife of Lord Shiva.
The word kali comes from kala, the Sanskrit word for time: the power that
dissolves or destroys everything.
Kali–also the male personality of Kali-yuga personified.
Kali-yuga—the fourth and present age, the age of quarrel and confusion,
which lasts 432,000 years and began 5,000 years ago.
Kalki—the incarnation of the Supreme who annihilates all of the miscreants
and establishes the next age of Satya-yuga.
Kalpa—a day in the life of Lord Brahma which lasts a thousand cycles of
the four yugas.
Kama—lust or inordinate desire.
Kapila—an incarnation of Lord Krishna who propagated the Sankhya
philosophy.
Karanodakasayi Vishnu (Maha-Vishnu)—the expansion of Lord Krishna
who created all the material universes.
Karma—material actions performed in regard to developing one’s position
or for future results which produce karmic reactions. It is also the
reactions one endures from such fruitive activities.
Karma-kanda—the portion of the Vedas which primarily deals with
recommended fruitive activities for various results.
Karma-yoga—the system of yoga for dovetailing one’s activities for
spiritual advancement.
Kirtana—chanting or singing the glories of the Lord.
Krishna—the name of the original Supreme Personality of Godhead which
means the most attractive and greatest pleasure. He is the source of
all other incarnations, such as Vishnu, Rama, Narasimha, Narayana,
Buddha, Parashurama, Vamanadeva, Kalki at the end of Kali-yuga,
etc.
Krishnaloka—the spiritual planet where Lord Krishna resides.
Kshatriya—the second class of varna of society, or occupation of
administrative or protective service, such as warrior or military
personel.
Ksirodakasayi Vishnu—the Supersoul expansion of the Lord who enters
into each atom and the heart of each individual.
Kumbha Mela—the holy festival in which millions of pilgrims and sages
gather to bathe in the holy and purifying rivers for liberation at
particular auspicious times that are calculated astrologically. The
Kumbha Mela festivals take place every three years alternating
between Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain, and Hardwar.
Kuruksetra—the place of battle 5,000 years ago between the Pandavas and
the Kauravas ninety miles north of New Delhi, where Krishna spoke
the Bhagavad-gita.
Kurus—the family of Dhritarashtra who were the enemies of the Pandavas.
Lakshmi—the goddess of fortune and wife of Lord Vishnu.
Lila—pastimes.
Lilavataras—the many incarnations of God who appear to display various
spiritual pastimes to attract the conditioned souls in the material
world.
Linga—the phallic symbol of Lord Shiva.Mahabhagavata—a great devotee
of the Lord.
Mahabharata—the great epic of the Pandavas, which includes the
Bhagavad-gita, by Vyasadeva.
Maha-mantra—the best mantra for self-realization in this age, called the
Hare Krishna mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna,
Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
Mahatma—a great soul or devotee.
Mahat-tattva—the total material energy.
Maha-Vishnu or Karanodakasayi Vishnu—the Vishnu expansion of Lord
Krishna from whom all the material universes emanate, and who lies
in the Karana Ocean, called the Causal Ocean.
Mandir—a temple.
Mantra—a sound vibration which prepares the mind for spiritual realization
and delivers the mind from material inclinations. In some cases a
mantra is chanted for specific material benefits.
Manu—a demigod son of Brahma who is the forefather and lawgiver of the
human race. A succession of 14 Manus exist during each day of
Brahma.
Martya-loka—the earth planet, the place of death.
Maya—illusion, or anything that appears to not be connected with the
eternal Absolute Truth.
Mayavadi—the impersonalist or voidist who believes that the Supreme has
no form.
Mitra—the deity controlling the sun, and who gives life to earth.
Mleccha—a derogatory name for a low-born, uncivilized person, a meat
eater, or those outside of Vedic society.
Moksha—liberation from material existence.
Murti—a Deity of the Lord or spiritual master that is worshiped.
Narada Muni—the universal sage and devotee of the Lord who travels
throughout the universe in his eternal body. He is the spiritual
master of Vyasadeva and many other devotees.
Narasimha—the incarnation of the Lord who appears as half-man, half-lion
to display His anger toward the demons and provide protection to
His devotees.
Narayana—the four-handed form of the Supreme Lord.
Nirguna—without material qualities.
Nirvana—the state of no material miseries, usually the goal of the
Buddhists or voidists.
Om or Omkara—pranava, the transcendental om mantra, generally
referring to the attributeless or impersonal aspects of the Absolute.
Paramahamsa—the highest level of self-realized devotees of the Lord.
Paramatma—the Supersoul, or localized expansion of the Lord.
Parampara—the system of disciplic succession through which
transcendental knowledge descends.
Parvati—Lord Shiva’s spouse, daughter of Parvata. Parvata is the
personification of the Himalayas. She is also called Gauri for her
golden complexion, Candi, Bhairavi (as the wife of Bhairava,
Shiva), Durga, Ambika, and Shakti.
Patanjali—the authority on the astanga-yoga system.
Pradhana—the total material energy in its unmanifest state.
Prajapati—deity presiding over procreation.
Prakriti—matter in its primordial state, the material nature.
Prana—the life air or cosmic energy.
Pranayama—control of the breathing process as in astanga or raja-yoga.
Pranava—same as omkara.
Prasada—food or other articles that have been offered to the Deity in the
temple and then distributed amongst people as the blessings or
mercy of the Deity.
Prema—matured love for Krishna.
Puja—the worship offered to the Deity.
Pujari—the priest who performs worship, puja, to the Deity.
Purusha or Purusham—the supreme enjoyer.
Raja-yoga—the eightfold yoga system.
Rajo-guna—the material mode of passion.
Ramachandra—an incarnation of Krishna as He appeared as the greatest of
kings.
Ramayana—the great epic of the incarnation of Lord Ramachandra.
Rasa—an enjoyable taste or feeling, a relationship with God.
Rig Veda—one of the four Vedas, original scriptures spoken by the lord.
Rishi—saintly person who knows the Vedic knowledge.
Sacrifice—in this book it in no way pertains to human sacrifice, as many
people tend to think when this word is used. But it means to engage
in an austerity of some kind for a higher, spiritual purpose.
Sama Veda—one of the four original samhitas, consisting of Vedic hymns
that were set to music.
Shabda-brahma—the original spiritual vibration or energy of which the
Vedas are composed.
Sac-cid-ananda-vigraha—the transcendental form of the Lord or of the
living entity which is eternal, full of knowledge and bliss.
Sadhana—a specific practice or discipline for attaining God realization.
Sadhu—Indian holy man or devotee.
Saguna Brahman—the aspect of the Absolute with form and qualities.
Samadhi—trance, the perfection of being absorbed in the Absolute.
Samsara—rounds of life; cycles of birth and death; reincarnation.
Sanatana-dharma—the eternal nature of the living being, to love and render
service to the supreme lovable object, the Lord.
Sangam—the confluence of two or more rivers.
Sankarshana—one of the four original expansions of Lord Krishna in the
spiritual world, and another name of Balarama who is also Krishna’s
brother.
Sankhya—analytical understanding of material nature, the body, and the
soul.
Sankirtana-yajna—the prescribed sacrifice for this age: congregational
chanting of the holy names of God.
Sannyasa—the renounced order of life, the highest of the four ashramas on
the spiritual path.
Sarasvati—the goddess of knowledge and intelligence.
Sattva-guna—the material mode of goodness.
Satya-yuga—the first of the four ages which lasts 1,728,000 years.
Shaivites—worshipers of Lord Shiva.
Shakti—energy, potency or power, the active principle in creation. Also the
active power or wife of a deity, such as Shiva/Shakti.
Shastra—the authentic revealed scripture.
Shiva—the benevolent one, the demigod who is in charge of the material
mode of ignorance and the destruction of the universe. Part of the
triad of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva who continually create,
maintain, and destroy the universe. He is known as Rudra when
displaying his destructive aspect.
Shudra—the working class of society, the fourth of the varnas.
Sikha—a tuft of hair on the back of the head signifying that one is a
Vaishnava.
Smaranam—remembering the Lord.
Smriti—the traditional Vedic knowledge "that is remembered" from what
was directly heard by or revealed to the rishis.
Sravanam—hearing about the Lord.
Srimad-Bhagavatam—the most ripened fruit of the tree of Vedic knowledge
compiled by Vyasadeva.
Sruti—scriptures that were received directly from God and transmitted
orally by brahmanas or rishis down through succeeding generations.
Traditionally, it is considered the four primary Vedas.
Svami—one who can control his mind and senses.
Tamo-guna—the material mode of ignorance.
Tapasya—voluntary austerity for spiritual advancement.
Tilok—the clay markings that signify a person’s body as a temple, and the
sect or school of thought of the person.
Tirtha—a holy place of pilgrimage.
Treta-yuga—the second of the four ages which lasts 1,296,000 years.
Tulasi—the small tree that grows where worship to Krishna is found. It is
called the embodiment of devotion, and the incarnation of Vrinda-
devi.
Upanishads—the portions of the Vedas which primarily explain
philosophically the Absolute Truth. It is knowledge of Brahman
which releases one from the world and allows one to attain self-
realization when received from a qualified teacher. Except for the
Isa Upanishad, which is the 40th chapter of the Vajasaneyi Samhita
of the Sukla (White) Yajur-veda, the Upanishads are connected to
the four primary Vedas, generally found in the Brahmanas.
Vaikunthas—the planets located in the spiritual sky.
Vaishnava—a worshiper of the Supreme Lord Vishnu or Krishna and His
expansions or incarnations.
Vaishnava-aparadha—an offense against a Vaisnava or devotee, which can
negate all of one’s spiritual progress.
Vaisya—the third class of society engaged in business or farming.
Vanaprastha—the third of the four ashramas of spiritual life in which one
retires from family life in preparation for the renounced order.
Varna—sometimes referred to as caste, a division of society, such as
brahmana (a priestly intellectual), a kshatriya (ruler or manager),
vaisya (a merchant, banker, or farmer), and sudra (common laborer).
Varnashrama—the system of four divisions of society, varnas, and four
orders of spiritual life, ashramas. Varnas are the natural divisions of
society, namely the Shudras or laborer class, the vaisyas or farmers
and merchants, the Kshatriyas or warriors, military, and leaders, and
the brahmanas or intellectual and priestly class. This is not the
modern day caste system that is determined by family birth, which
was inflicted on the people by the British to help cause dissension
among the people and make it easier for the British to maintain
control over them. But this is the natural tendencies, proclivities,
and abilities that each individual has. When each individual is
engaged in his natural tendencies and contributes to society that
way, everyone is happy and appreciated. The ashramas are simply
the divisions of life, consisting of brahmacari or celebate student
life, the grihasthas of married life, the vanaprasthas or retired life,
and the sannyasis or life of renunciation when one prepares for
death by becoming as spiritually focused as possible.
Vedanta-sutras—the philosophical conclusion of the four Vedas.
Vedas—generally means the four primary samhitas; the Rig, Yajur, Sama,
and Atharva.
Vidya—knowledge.
Vikarma—sinful activities performed without scriptural authority and which
produce sinful reactions.
Virajanadi or Viraja River—the space that separates the material creation
from the spiritual sky.
Vishnu—the expansion of Lord Krishna who enters into the material energy
to create and maintain the cosmic world.
Vishnu Purana—one of the eighteen major Puranas, Vedic historical
scriptures.
Vrindavana—the place where Lord Krishna displayed His village pastimes
5,000 years ago, and is considered to be part of the spiritual abode..
Vyasadeva—the incarnation of God who appeared as the greatest
philosopher who compiled all the Vedas into written form.
Yadu dynasty—the dynasty in which Lord Krishna appeared.
Yajna—a ritual or austerity that is done as a sacrifice for spiritual merit, or
ritual worship of a demigod for good karmic reactions.
Yajur Veda—one of the four Vedas, original revealed scriptures spoken by
the Lord Himself.
Yamaraja—the demigod and lord of death who directs the living entities to
various punishments according to their activities.
Yantra—a machine, instrument, or mystical diagram used in ritual worship.
Yoga—linking up with the Absolute.
Yoga-siddhi—mystic perfection.
Yogi—a transcendentalist striving for union with the Supreme.
Yuga-avataras—the incarnations of God who appear in each of the four
yugas to explain the authorized system of self-realization in that age.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stephen Knapp grew up in a Christian family, during which time he
seriously studied the Bible to understand its teachings. In his late teenage
years, however, he sought answers to questions not easily explained in
Christian theology. So he began to search through other religions and
philosophies from around the world and started to find the answers for
which he was looking. He also studied a variety of occult sciences, ancient
mythology, mysticism, yoga, and the spiritual teachings of the East. After
his first reading of the Bhagavad-gita, he felt he had found the last piece of
the puzzle he had been putting together through all of his research.
Therefore, he continued to study all of the major Vedic texts of India to gain
a better understanding of the Vedic science.
It is known amongst all Eastern mystics that anyone, regardless of
qualifications, academic or otherwise, who does not engage in the spiritual
practices described in the Vedic texts cannot actually enter into
understanding the depths of the Vedic spiritual science, nor acquire the
realizations that should accompany it. So, rather than pursuing his research
in an academic atmosphere at a university, Stephen directly engaged in the
spiritual disciplines that have been recommended for hundreds of years. He
continued his study of Vedic knowledge and spiritual practice under the
guidance of a spiritual master. Through this process, and with the sanction
of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, he became
initiated into the genuine and authorized spiritual line of the Brahma-
Madhava-Gaudiya sampradaya, which is a disciplic succession that
descends back through Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Vyasadeva, the
compiler of Vedic literature, and further back to Sri Krishna. Besides being
brahminically initiated, Stephen has also been to India several times and
traveled extensively throughout the country, visiting most of the major holy
places and gaining a wide variety of spiritual experiences that only such
places can give.
Stephen has put the culmination of over forty years of continuous
research and travel experience into his books in an effort to share it with
those who are also looking for spiritual understanding. More books are
forthcoming, so stay in touch through his website to find out further
developments.
More information about Stephen, his projects, books, free ebooks, and
numerous articles and videos can be found on his website at: www.stephen-
knapp.com or at http://stephenknapp.wordpress.com.
Stephen has continued to write books that include in The Eastern
Answers ot the Mysteries of Life series:
The Secret Teachings of the Vedas,
The Universal Path to Enlightenment,
The Vedic Prophecies: A New Look into the Future,
How the Universe was Created and Our Purpose In It.
He has also written:
Toward World Peace: Seeing the Unity Between Us All,
Facing Death: Welcoming the Afterlife,
The Key to Real Happiness,
Proof of Vedic Culture’s Global Existence,
Vedic Culture: The Difference It Can Make In Your Life,
Reincarnation and Karma: How They Really Affect Us,
Power of the Dharma: An Introduction to Hinduism and Vedic Culture,
The Eleventh Commandment: The Next Step in Social Spiritual
Development,
The Heart of Hinduism: The Eastern Path to Freedom,
Empowerment and Illumination,
Seeing Spiritual India: A Guide to Temples, Holy Sites, Festivals and
Traditions,
Crimes Against India: And the Need to Protect its Vedic Tradition,
Avatars, Gods and Goddesses of the Vedic Tradition,
The Soul: Understanding Our Real Identity, and
Destined for Infinity, an exciting novel for those who prefer lighter reading,
or learning spiritual knowledge in the context of an action oriented,
spiritual adventure.
If you have enjoyed this book, or if you are serious about finding higher
levels of real spiritual Truth, and learning more about the mysteries of
India’s Vedic culture, then you will also want to get other books written by
Stephen Knapp, which include:
The Secret Teachings of the Vedas
The Eastern Answers to the Mysteries of Life
This book presents the essence of the ancient Eastern philosophy and
summarizes some of the most elevated and important of all spiritual
knowledge. This enlightening information is explained in a clear and
concise way and is essential for all who want to increase their spiritual
understanding, regardless of what their religious background may be. If you
are looking for a book to give you an in-depth introduction to the Vedic
spiritual knowledge, and to get you started in real spiritual understanding,
this is the book!
The topics include: What is your real spiritual identity; the Vedic
explanation of the soul; scientific evidence that consciousness is separate
from but interacts with the body; the real unity between us all; how to attain
the highest happiness and freedom from the cause of suffering; the law of
karma and reincarnation; the karma of a nation; where you are really going
in life; the real process of progressive evolution; life after death—heaven,
hell, or beyond; a description of the spiritual realm; the nature of the
Absolute Truth—personal God or impersonal force; recognizing the
existence of the Supreme; the reason why we exist at all; and much more.
This book provides the answers to questions not found in other religions or
philosophies, and condenses information from a wide variety of sources that
would take a person years to assemble. It also contains many quotations
from the Vedic texts to let the texts speak for themselves, and to show the
knowledge the Vedas have held for thousands of years. It also explains the
history and origins of the Vedic literature. This book has been called one of
the best reviews of Eastern philosophy available.
The Universal Path to Enlightenment
The Way to Spiritual Success for Everyone
Although all religions and spiritual processes are meant to lead you
toward enlightenment, they are not all the same in regard to the methods
they teach, nor in the level of philosophical understanding they offer. So an
intelligent person will make comparisons between them to understand the
aims and distinctions of each religion, and which is the most elevating.
This book presents a most interesting and revealing survey of the major
spiritual paths of the world and describes their histories, philosophical
basis, and goals. It will help you decide which path may be the best for you.
You Will Learn
the essential similarities of all religions that all people of any culture or
tradition can practice, which could bring about a united world religion,
or “THE UNIVERSAL PATH TO ENLIGHTENMENT.”
how Christianity and Judaism were greatly influenced by the early pre-
Christian or "pagan" religions and adopted many of their legends,
holidays, and rituals that are still accepted and practiced today.
about evidence that shows Jesus traveled to India to learn its spiritual
knowledge, and then made bhakti-yoga the basis of his teachings.
the philosophical basis and origin of Christianity, Judaism, Islam,
Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Jainism, Sikhism, and many
others.
and, most importantly, what is the real purpose that you should strive
for in a spiritual process, and how to practice the path that is especially
recommended as the easiest and most effective for the people of this
age.
This book is $19.95, 6”x 9” trim size, 340 pages, ISBN: 1453644660.
How the Universe was
Created
And Our Purpose In It
This book provides answers and details about the process of creation
that are not available in any other traditions, religions, or areas of science. It
offers the oldest rendition of the creation and presents insights into the
spiritual purpose of it and what we are really meant to do here.
Every culture in the world and most religions have their own
descriptions of the creation, and ideas about from where we came and what
we should do. Unfortunately, these are often short and generalized versions
that lack details. Thus, they are often given no better regard than myths.
However, there are descriptions that give more elaborate explanations of
how the cosmic creation fully manifested which are found in the ancient
Vedic Puranas of India, some of the oldest spiritual writings on the planet.
These descriptions provide the details and answers that other versions leave
out. Furthermore, these Vedic descriptions often agree, and sometimes
disagree, with the modern scientific theories of creation, and offer some
factors that science has yet to consider.
Now, with this book, we can get a clearer understanding of how this
universe appears, what is its real purpose, from where we really came, how
we fit into the plan for the universe, and if there is a way out of here. Some
of the many topics included are:
Comparisons between other creation legends.
Detailed descriptions of the dawn of creation and how the material
energy developed and caused the formation of the cosmos.
What is the primary source of the material and spiritual elements.
Insights into the primal questions of, “Who am I? Why am I here?
Where have I come from? What is the purpose of this universe and my
life?”
An alternative description of the evolutionary development of the
various forms of life.
Seeing beyond the temporary nature of the material worlds, and more.
This book will provide some of the most profound insights into these
questions and topics. It will also give any theist more information and
understanding about how the universe is indeed a creation of God.
This book is $19.95, 6” x 9” trim size, 308 pages, ISBN: 1456460455.
Proof of Vedic Culture’s Global
Existence
This book provides evidence which makes it clear that the ancient Vedic
culture was once a global society. Even today we can see its influence in
any part of the world. Thus, it becomes obvious that before the world
became full of distinct and separate cultures, religions and countries, it was
once united in a common brotherhood of Vedic culture, with common
standards, principles, and representations of God.
No matter what we may consider our present religion, society or
country, we are all descendants of this ancient global civilization. Thus, the
Vedic culture is the parent of all humanity and the original ancestor of all
religions. In this way, we all share a common heritage.
This book is an attempt to allow humanity to see more clearly its
universal roots. This book provides a look into:
How Vedic knowledge was given to humanity by the Supreme.
The history and traditional source of the Vedas and Vedic Aryan
society.
Who were the original Vedic Aryans. How Vedic society was a global
influence and what shattered this world-wide society. How Sanskrit
faded from being a global language.
Many scientific discoveries over the past several centuries are only
rediscoveries of what the Vedic literature already knew.
How the origins of world literature are found in India and Sanskrit.
The links between the Vedic and other ancient cultures, such as the
Sumerians, Persians, Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, and others.
Links between the Vedic tradition and Judaism, Christianity, Islam,
and Buddhism.
How many of the western holy sites, churches, and mosques were once
the sites of Vedic holy places and sacred shrines.
The Vedic influence presently found in such countries as Britain,
France, Russia, Greece, Israel, Arabia, China, Japan, and in areas of
Scandinavia, the Middle East, Africa, the South Pacific, and the
Americas.
Uncovering the truth of India’s history: Powerful evidence that shows
how many mosques and Muslim buildings were once opulent Vedic
temples, including the Taj Mahal, Delhi’s Jama Masjid, Kutab Minar,
as well as buildings in many other cities, such as Agra, Ahmedabad,
Bijapur, etc.
How there is presently a need to plan for the survival of Vedic culture.
This book is sure to provide some amazing facts and evidence about the
truth of world history and the ancient, global Vedic Culture. This book has
enough startling information and historical evidence to cause a major shift
in the way we view religious history and the basis of world traditions.
This book is $20.99, 6”x9” trim size, 431 pages, ISBN: 978-1-4392-
4648-1.
Toward World Peace:
Seeing the Unity Between Us All
This book points out the essential reasons why peace in the world and
cooperation amongst people, communities, and nations have been so
difficult to establish. It also advises the only way real peace and harmony
amongst humanity can be achieved.
In order for peace and unity to exist we must first realize what barriers
and divisions keep us apart. Only then can we break through those barriers
to see the unity that naturally exists between us all. Then, rather than focus
on our differences, it is easier to recognize our similarities and common
goals. With a common goal established, all of humanity can work together
to help each other reach that destiny.
This book is short and to the point. It is a thought provoking book and
will provide inspiration for anyone. It is especially useful for those working
in politics, religion, interfaith, race relations, the media, the United Nations,
teaching, or who have a position of leadership in any capacity. It is also for
those of us who simply want to spread the insights needed for bringing
greater levels of peace, acceptance, unity, and equality between friends,
neighbours, and communities. Such insights include:
The factors that keep us apart.
Breaking down cultural distinctions.
Breaking down the religious differences.
Seeing through bodily distinctions.
We are all working to attain the same things.
Our real identity: The basis for common ground.
Seeing the Divinity within each of us.
What we can do to bring unity between everyone we meet.
This book carries an important message and plan of action that we must
incorporate into our lives and plans for the future if we intend to ever bring
peace and unity between us.
This book is $6.95, 90 pages, 6” x 9” trim size, ISBN: 1452813744.
Facing Death
Welcoming the Afterlife
Many people are afraid of death, or do not know how to prepare for it
nor what to expect. So this book is provided to relieve anyone of the fear
that often accompanies the thought of death, and to supply a means to more
clearly understand the purpose of it and how we can use it to our advantage.
It will also help the survivors of the departed souls to better understand
what has happened and how to cope with it. Furthermore, it shows that
death is not a tragedy, but a natural course of events meant to help us reach
our destiny.
This book is easy to read, with soothing and comforting wisdom, along
with stories of people who have been with departing souls and what they
have experienced. It is written especially for those who have given death
little thought beforehand, but now would like to have some preparedness
for what may need to be done regarding the many levels of the experience
and what might take place during this transition.
To assist you in preparing for your own death, or that of a loved one,
you will find guidelines for making one’s final days as peaceful and as
smooth as possible, both physically and spiritually. Preparing for deathcan
transform your whole outlook in a positive way, if understood properly.
Some of the topics in the book include:
The fear of death and learning to let go.
The opportunity of death: The portal into the next life.
This earth and this body are no one’s real home, so death is natural.
Being practical and dealing with the final responsibilities.
Forgiving yourself and others before you go.
Being the assistant of one leaving this life.
Connecting with the person inside the disease.
Surviving the death of a loved one.
Stories of being with dying, and an amazing near-death-experience.
Connecting to the spiritual side of death.
What happens while leaving the body.
Destined for Infinity
Deep within the mystical and spiritual practices of India are doors that
lead to various levels of both higher and lower planes of existence. Few
people from the outside are ever able to enter into the depths of these
practices to experience such levels of reality.
This is the story of the mystical adventure of a man, Roman West, who
entered deep into the secrets of India where few other Westerners have been
able to penetrate. While living with a master in the Himalayan foothills and
traveling the mystical path that leads to the Infinite, he witnesses the
amazing powers the mystics can achieve and undergoes some of the most
unusual experiences of his life. Under the guidance of a master that he
meets in the mountains, he gradually develops mystic abilities of his own
and attains the sacred vision of the enlightened sages and enters the
unfathomable realm of Infinity. However, his peaceful life in the hills comes
to an abrupt end when he is unexpectedly forced to confront the powerful
forces of darkness that have been unleashed by an evil Tantric priest to kill
both Roman and his master. His only chance to defeat the intense forces of
darkness depends on whatever spiritual strength he has been able to
develop.
This story includes traditions and legends that have existed for hundreds
and thousands of years. All of the philosophy, rituals, mystic powers, forms
of meditation, and descriptions of the Absolute are authentic and taken from
narrations found in many of the sacred books of the East, or gathered by the
author from his own experiences in India and information from various
sages themselves.
This book will will prepare you to perceive the multidimensional
realities that exist all around us, outside our sense perception. This is a book
that will give you many insights into the broad possibilities of our life and
purpose in this world.
Published by iUniverse.com, $16.95, 255 pages, 6” x 9” trim size,
ISBN: 0-595-33959-X.
Reincarnation and Karma:
How They Really Affect Us
Everyone may know a little about reincarnation, but few understand the
complexities and how it actually works. Now you can find out how
reincarnation and karma really affect us. Herein all of the details are
provided on how a person is implicated for better or worse by their own
actions. You will understand why particular situations in life happen, and
how to make improvements for one’s future. You will see why it appears
that bad things happen to good people, or even why good things happen to
bad people, and what can be done about it.
Other topics include:
Reincarnation recognized throughout the world
The most ancient teachings on reincarnation
Reincarnation in Christianity
How we transmigrate from one body to another
Life between lives
Going to heaven or hell
The reason for reincarnation
Free will and choice
Karma of the nation
How we determine our own destiny
What our next life may be like
Becoming free from all karma and how to prepare to make our next
life the best possible.
Combine this with modern research into past life memories and
experiences and you will have a complete view of how reincarnation and
karma really operate.
Published by iUniverse.com, $13.95, 135 pages, 6” x 9” trim size,
ISBN: 0-595-34199-3.
Vedic Culture
The Difference It Can Make In Your Life
The Vedic culture of India is rooted in Sanatana-dharma, the eternal and
universal truths that are beneficial to everyone. It includes many avenues of
self-development that an increasing number of people from the West are
starting to investigate and use, including:
Yoga
Meditation and spiritual practice
Vedic astrology
Ayurveda
Vedic gemology
Vastu or home arrangement
Environmental awareness
Vegetarianism
Social cooperation and arrangement
The means for global peace
And much more
Vedic Culture: The Difference It Can Make In Your Life shows the
advantages of the Vedic paths of improvement and self-discovery that you
can use in your life to attain higher personal awareness, happiness, and
fulfillment. It also provides a new view of what these avenues have to offer
from some of the most prominent writers on Vedic culture in the West, who
discovered how it has affected and benefited their own lives. They write
about what it has done for them and then explain how their particular area
of interest can assist others. The noted authors include, David Frawley,
Subhash Kak, Chakrapani Ullal, Michael Cremo, Jeffrey Armstrong, Robert
Talyor, Howard Beckman, Andy Fraenkel, George Vutetakis, Pratichi
Mathur, Dhan Rousse, Arun Naik, and Stephen Knapp, all of whom have
authored numerous books or articles of their own.
For the benefit of individuals and social progress, the Vedic system is as
relevant today as it was in ancient times. Discover why there is a growing
renaissance in what the Vedic tradition has to offer in Vedic Culture.
The Heart of Hinduism:
The Eastern Path to Freedom, Empowerment and
Illumination
This is a definitive and easy to understand guide to the essential as well
as devotional heart of the Vedic/Hindu philosophy. You will see the depths
of wisdom and insights that are contained within this profound spiritual
knowledge. It is especially good for anyone who lacks the time to research
the many topics that are contained within the numerous Vedic manuscripts
and to see the advantages of knowing them. This also provides you with a
complete process for progressing on the spiritual path, making way for
individual empowerment, freedom, and spiritual illumination. All the
information is now at your fingertips.
Some of the topics you will find include:
A complete review of all the Vedic texts and the wide range of topics
they contain. This also presents the traditional origins of the Vedic
philosophy and how it was developed, and their philosophical
conclusion.
The uniqueness and freedom of the Vedic system.
A description of the main yoga processes and their effectiveness.
A review of the Vedic Gods, such as Krishna, Shiva, Durga, Ganesh,
and others. You will learn the identity and purpose of each.
You will have the essential teachings of Lord Krishna who has given
some of the most direct and insightful of all spiritual messages known
to humanity, and the key to direct spiritual perception.
The real purpose of yoga and the religious systems.
What is the most effective spiritual path for this modern age and what
it can do for you, with practical instructions for deep realizations.
The universal path of devotion, the one world religion.
How Vedic culture is the last bastion of deep spiritual truth.
Plus many more topics and information for your enlightenment.
So to dive deep into what is Hinduism and the Vedic path to freedom
and spiritual perception, this book will give you a jump start. Knowledge is
the process of personal empowerment, and no knowledge will give you
more power than deep spiritual understanding. And those realizations
described in the Vedic culture are the oldest and some of the most profound
that humanity has ever known.
Published by iUniverse.com, 650 pages, $35.95, 6” x 9” trim size,
ISBN: 0-595-35075-5.
The Power of the Dharma
An Introduction to Hinduism and Vedic Culture
The Power of the Dharma offers you a concise and easy-tounderstand
overview of the essential principles and customs of Hinduism and the
reasons for them. It provides many insights into the depth and value of the
timeless wisdom of Vedic spirituality and why the Dharmic path has
survived for so many hundreds of years. It reveals why the Dharma is
presently enjoying a renaissance of an increasing number of interested
people who are exploring its teachings and seeing what its many techniques
of Self-discovery have to offer.
Herein you will find:
Quotes by noteworthy people on the unique qualities of Hinduism
Essential principles of the Vedic spiritual path
Particular traits and customs of Hindu worship and explanations of
them
Descriptions of the main Yoga systems
The significance and legends of the colorful Hindu festivals
Benefits of Ayurveda, Vastu, Vedic astrology and gemology,
Important insights of Dharmic life and how to begin.
The Dharmic path can provide you the means for attaining your own
spiritual realizations and experiences. In this way it is as relevant today as it
was thousands of years ago. This is the power of the Dharma since its
universal teachings have something to offer anyone.
Published by iUniverse.com, 170 pages, 6” x 9” trim size, $16.95,
ISBN: 0-595-39352-7.
Seeing Spiritual India
A Guide to Temples, Holy Sites, Festivals and
Traditions
This book is for anyone who wants to know of the many holy sites that
you can visit while traveling within India, how to reach them, and what is
the history and significance of these most spiritual of sacred sites, temples,
and festivals. It also provides a deeper understanding of the mysteries and
spiritual traditions of India.
This book includes:
Descriptions of the temples and their architecture, and what you will
see at each place.
Explanations of holy places of Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis,
and Muslims.
The spiritual benefits a person acquires by visiting them.
Convenient itineraries to take to see the most of each area of India,
which is divided into East, Central, South, North, West, the Far
Northeast, and Nepal.
Packing list suggestions and how to prepare for your trip, and
problems to avoid.
How to get the best experience you can from your visit to India.
How the spiritual side of India can positively change you forever.
This book goes beyond the usual descriptions of the typical tourist
attractions and opens up the spiritual venue waiting to be revealed for a far
deeper experience on every level.
Published by iUniverse.com, 592 pages, $33.95, ISBN: 978-0-595-
50291-2.
Crimes Against India:
And the Need to Protect its Ancient Vedic Traditions
1000 Years of Attacks Against Hinduism and What to Do
about It
India has one of the oldest and most dynamic cultures of the world. Yet,
many people do not know of the many attacks, wars, atrocities and
sacrifices that Indian people have had to undergo to protect and preserve
their country and spiritual tradition over the centuries. Many people also do
not know of the many ways in which this profound heritage is being
attacked and threatened today, and what we can do about it.
Therefore, some of the topics included are:
How there is a war against Hinduism and its yoga culture.
The weaknesses of India that allowed invaders to conquer her.
Lessons from India’s real history that should not be forgotten.
The atrocities committed by the Muslim invaders, and how they tried
to destroy Vedic culture and its many temples, and slaughtered
thousands of Indian Hindus.
How the British viciously exploited India and its people for its
resources.
How the cruelest of all Christian Inquisitions in Goa tortured and
killed thousands of Hindus.
Action plans for preserving and strengthening Vedic India.
How all Hindus must stand up and be strong for Sanatana-dharma, and
promote the cooperation and unity for a Global Vedic Community.
India is a most resilient country, and is presently becoming a great
economic power in the world. It also has one of the oldest and dynamic
cultures the world has ever known, but few people seem to understand the
many trials and difficulties that the country has faced, or the present
problems India is still forced to deal with in preserving the culture of the
majority Hindus who live in the country. This is described in the real
history of the country, which a decreasing number of people seem to recall.
Therefore, this book is to honor the efforts that have been shown by
those in the past who fought and worked to protect India and its culture, and
to help preserve India as the homeland of a living and dynamic Vedic
tradition of Sanatanadharma (the eternal path of duty and wisdom).
Available from iUniverse.com, 370 pages, $24.95, ISBN: 978-1-4401-
1158-7.
The Eleventh Commandment
The Next Step in Social Spiritual Development
A New Code to Bring Humanity to a Higher Level of Spiritual Consciousness
Based on the Universal Spiritual Truths, or the deeper levels of spiritual
understanding, it presents a new code in a completely nonsectarian way that
anyone should be able and willing to follow. We all know of the basic ten
commandments which deal mostly with moralistic principles, but here is the
Eleventh Commandment that will surely supplant the previous ones and
provide a truly spiritual dimension to everything we do. It increases our
awareness of the spiritual nature all around and within us.
Herein is the next step for consideration, which can be used as a tool for
guidance, and for setting a higher standard in our society today. This new
commandment expects and directs us toward a change in our social
awareness and spiritual consciousness. It is conceived, formulated, and now
provided to assist humanity in reaching its true destiny, and to bring a new
spiritual dimension into the basic fabric of our ordinary every day life. It is
a key that unlocks the doors of perception, and opens up a whole new
aspect of spiritual understanding for all of us to view. It is the
commandment which precepts us to gain the knowledge of the hidden
mysteries, which have for so long remained an enigma to the confused and
misdirected men of this world. It holds the key which unlocks the answers
to man’s quest for peace and happiness, and the next step for spiritual
growth on a dynamic and all-inclusive social level.
This 11th Commandment and the explanations provided show the
means for curing social ills, reducing racial prejudices, and create more
harmony between the races and cultures. It shows how to recognize the
Divine within yourself and all beings around you. It shows how we can
bring some of the spiritual atmosphere into this earthly existence, especially
if we expect to reach the higher domain after death. It also explains how to:
Identify our real Self and distinguish it from our false self.
Open our hearts to one another and view others with greater
appreciation.
Utilize higher consciousness in everyday life.
Find inner contentment and joy.
Attain a higher spiritual awareness and perception.
Manifest God’s plan for the world.
Be a reflection of God’s love toward everyone.
Attain the Great Realization of perceiving the Divine in all beings.
The world is in need of a new direction in its spiritual development, and
this 11th Commandment is given as the next phase to manifest humanity’s
most elevated potentials.
This book is $13.95, Size: 6” x 9”, Pages: 128, ISBN: 0-595-46741-5.
Yoga and Meditation
Their Real Purpose and How to Get Started
Yoga is a nonsectarian spiritual science that has been practiced and
developed over thousands of years. The benefits of yoga are numerous. On
the mental level it strengthens concentration, determination, and builds a
stronger character that can more easily sustain various tensions in our lives
for peace of mind. The assortment of asanas or postures also provide
stronger health and keeps various diseases in check. They improve physical
strength, endurance and flexibility. These are some of the goals of yoga.
Its ultimate purpose is to raise our consciousness to directly perceive the
spiritual dimension. Then we can have our own spiritual experiences. The
point is that the more spiritual we become, the more we can perceive that
which is spiritual. As we develop and grow in this way through yoga, the
questions about spiritual life are no longer a mystery to solve, but become a
reality to experience. It becomes a practical part of our lives. This book will
show you how to do that. Some of the topics include:
Benefits of yoga
The real purpose of yoga
The types of yoga, such as Hatha yoga, Karma yoga, Raja and Astanga
yogas, Kundalini yoga, Bhakti yoga, Mudra yoga, Mantra yoga, and
others.
The Chakras and Koshas
Asanas and postures, and the Surya Namaskar
Pranayama and breathing techniques for inner changes
Deep meditation and how to proceed
The methods for using mantras
Attaining spiritual enlightenment, and much more
This book is 6”x9” trim size, $17.95, 240 pages, 32 illustration, ISBN:
1451553269.
Avatars, Gods and Goddesses of Vedic
Culture
The Characteristics, Powers and
Positions of the Hindu Divinities
Understanding the assorted Divinities or gods and goddesses of the
Vedic or Hindu pantheon is not so difficult as some people may think when
it is presented simply and effectively. And that is what you will find in this
book. This will open you to many of the possibilities and potentials of the
Vedic tradition, and show how it has been able to cater to and fulfill the
spiritual needs and development of so many people since time immemorial.
Here you will find there is something for everyone.
This takes you into the heart of the deep, Vedic spiritual knowledge of
how to perceive the Absolute Truth, the Supreme and the various powers
and agents of the universal creation. This explains the characteristics and
nature of the Vedic Divinities and their purposes, powers, and the ways they
influence and affect the natural energies of the universe. It also shows how
they can assist us and that blessings from them can help our own spiritual
and material development and potentialities, depending on what we need.
Some of the Vedic Divinities that will be explained include Lord
Krishna, Vishnu, Their main avatars and expansions, along with Brahma,
Shiva, Ganesh, Murugan, Surya, Hanuman, as well as the goddesses of Sri
Radha, Durga, Sarasvati, Lakshmi, and others. This also presents
explanations of their names, attributes, dress, weapons, instruments, the
meaning of the Shiva lingam, and some of the legends and stories that are
connected with them. This will certainly give you a new insight into the
expansive nature of the Vedic tradition.
This book is: $17.95 retail, 230 pages, 11 black & white photos, ISBN:
1453613765, EAN: 9781453613764.
The Soul
Understanding Our Real Identity
The Key to Spiritual Awakening
This book provides a summarization of the most essential spiritual
knowledge that will give you the key to spiritual awakening. The
descriptions will give you greater insights and a new look at who and what
you really are as a spiritual being.
The idea that we are more than merely these material bodies is
pervasive. It is established in every religion and spiritual path in this world.
However, many religions only hint at the details of this knowledge, but if
we look around we will find that practically the deepest and clearest
descriptions of the soul and its characteristics are found in the ancient Vedic
texts of India.
Herein you will find some of the most insightful spiritual knowledge
and wisdom known to mankind. Some of the topics include:
How you are more than your body
The purpose of life
Spiritual ignorance of the soul is the basis of illusion and suffering
The path of spiritual realization
How the soul is eternal
The unbounded nature of the soul
What is the Supersoul
Attaining direct spiritual perception and experience of our real identity
This book will give you a deeper look into the ancient wisdom of
India’s Vedic, spiritual culture, and the means to recognize your real
identity.
This book is 5 ½” x 8 1/2” trim size, 130 pages, $7.95, ISBN:
1453733833.
Prayers, Mantras and Gayatris
A Collection for Insights, Spiritual Growth,
Protection, and Many Other Blessings
Mantra-yogaespecially for this ageUsing mantras or prayers can help us
do many things, depending on our intention. First of all, it is an ancient
method that has been used successfully to raise our consciousness, our
attitude, aim of life, and outlook, and prepare ourselves for perceiving
higher states of being.
The Sanskrit mantras within this volume offer such things as the
knowledge and insights for spiritual progress, including higher perceptions
and understandings of the Absolute or God, as well as the sound vibrations
for awakening our higher awareness, invoking the positive energies to help
us overcome obstacles and oppositions, or to assist in healing our minds and
bodies from disease or negativity. They can provide the means for
requesting protection on our spiritual path, or from enemies, ghosts,
demons, or for receiving many other benefits. In this way, they offer a
process for acquiring blessings of all kinds, both material and spiritual.
There is something for every need.
Some of what you will find includes:
The most highly recommended mantras for spiritual realization in this
age.
A variety of prayers and gayatris to Krishna, Vishnu and other avatars,
Goddess Lakshmi for financial well-being, Shiva, Durga, Ganesh,
Devi, Indra, Sarasvati, etc., and Surya the Sun-god, the planets, and for
all the days of the week.
Powerful prayers of spiritual insight in Shiva’s Song, along with the
Bhaja Govindam by Sri Adi Shankaracharya, the Purusha Sukta,
Brahma-samhita, Isha Upanishad, Narayana Suktam, and Hanuman
Chalisa.
Prayers and mantras to Sri Chaitanya and Nityananda.
Strong prayers for protection from Lord Narasimha. The protective
shield from Lord Narayana.
Lists of the 108 names of Lord Krishna, Radhika, Goddess Devi,
Shiva, and Sri Rama.
The Vishnu-Sahasranama or thousand names of Vishnu, Balarama,
Gopala, Radharani, and additional lists of the sacred names of the
Vedic Divinities;
And many other prayers, mantras and stotras for an assortment of
blessings and benefits.
This book is 6”x9” trim size, 760 pages, ISBN:1456545906, or 978-
1456545901, $31.95.
www.Stephen-Knapp.com
Be sure to visit Stephen’s web site. It provides lots of information on
many spiritual aspects of Vedic and spiritual philosophy, and Indian culture
for both beginners and the scholarly. You will find:
All the descriptions and contents of Stephen’s books, how to order
them, and keep up with any new books or articles that he has written.
Reviews and unsolicited letters from readers who have expressed their
appreciation for his books, as well as his website.
Free online booklets are also available for your use or distribution on
meditation, why be a Hindu, how to start yoga, meditation, etc.
Helpful prayers, mantras, gayatris, and devotional songs.
Over a hundred enlightening articles that can help answer many
questions about life, the process of spiritual development, the basics of
the Vedic path, or how to broaden our spiritual awareness. Many of
these are emailed among friends or posted on other web sites.
Over 150 color photos taken by Stephen during his travels through
India. There are also descriptions and 40 photos of the huge and
amazing Kumbha Mela festival.
Directories of many Krishna and Hindu temples around the world to
help you locate one near you, where you can continue your experience
along the Eastern path.
Postings of the recent archeological discoveries that confirm the Vedic
version of history.
Photographic exhibit of the Vedic influence in the Taj Mahal,
questioning whether it was built by Shah Jahan or a pre-existing Vedic
building.
A large list of links to additional websites to help you continue your
exploration of Eastern philosophy, or provide more information and
news about India, Hinduism, ancient Vedic culture, Vaishnavism, Hare
Krishna sites, travel, visas, catalogs for books and paraphernalia, holy
places, etc.
A large resource for vegetarian recipes, information on its benefits,
how to get started, ethnic stores, or non-meat ingredients and supplies.
A large “Krishna Darshan Art Gallery” of photos and prints of Krishna
and Vedic divinities. You can also find a large collection of previously
unpublished photos of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.
This site is made as a practical resource for your use and is continually
being updated and expanded with more articles, resources, and information.
Be sure to check it out.
