Yudhishthira speaks about the advent of Kali Yuga
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| City Landscape |
Five thousand years ago, one day when Yudhishthira Maharaj the eldest of Pandavas was ruling the planet, a citizen came and informed him that he noticed a strange thing happened that day. His fence is moving into other’s place and he is wondering why it happened like that.
On the same day, another citizen came and told him that he came across a strange thing that he had a big pot with full of water, he poured that water into small pots then he poured back from the small pots to big pot but surprisingly only half is filling into that big pot.
Another person came and said that he saw a strange thing that a big elephant is passing through from a needle hole but surprisingly its tail got stuck in that hole.
Meanwhile, another person came and said that he saw big rock in the street and big personalities are not able to move but then, a sadhu came by and simply by waving his Sanyasa danda, it moved.
Yudhishthira Maharaj said that, all these qualities show that kali yuga, the age of degradation, strife and quarrel is coming. He explained the meaning of the unusual happening as below,
The first symptom is one of the citizen’s fence is moving into other’s area shows that people are interested in what others have and feel unhappy why they don’t have, then think a way to acquire them either hook or crook.
The second symptom is the big pot with full of water when it is poured into small pots and pour back into big pot, he noticed only half only, which means that one can expect only fifty percent of love, affection and help from others compared what you did to the same person.
The third symptom of big elephant going through a needle but the tail getting
stuck means that, people are ready to spend a huge chunk of their income, efforts, energy and resources for the sense satisfaction of their family, friends and loved ones but when it comes to God realisation and learning the scriptures like Bhagavatam they are not ready to spend a little bit also.
The fourth symptom, a big rock not moved by persons who are having lot of
strength but a sadhu moved that rock just by waving his danda or the staff, which means that one can get rid of all their unlimited sins, just by performing Namasankirtanam or Chanting of the names of Lord Hari.
Thus, in Hinduism the universe or cosmology is said to be passing in a cyclic manner in four distinct ages or epochs. The Satya Yuga is said to be the best of all the ages, when people’s life duration is long, virtuous nature etc. And, Kali yuga is said to be the last phase or stage of the universe when everything is topsy turvy, degraded and not auspicious.
So, what is the hope for people of Kali Yuga?
(Srimad Bhagavatham and Bhagavad Gita)
krsne sva-dhamopagate
dharma-jnanadibhih saha
kalau nasta-dṛsam esa
puranarko ‘dhunoditaḥ
This Bhagavata Puraṇa 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.(SB1.3.43)
Bhagavad-gita is the preliminary study of the Bhagavatam. And Srimad-Bhagavatam is the summum bonum of life, Lord Sri Kṛsna personified. We must therefore accept Srimad-Bhagavatam as the direct representation of Lord Krisha. One who can see Srimad-Bhagavatam can see also Lord Sri Krishna in person. They are identical.
Furthermore, in Bhagavatham, there is assurance and solace about Kali Yuga.
Though there are so many faults in this kaliyuga, the good thing is, just by
chanting the holy names of the lord, one can get up to the highest benefit of
liberation as mentioned in SB 12.3.51 that,
kaler dosa-nidhe rajann
asti hy eko mahan gunah
kirtanad eva krsnasya
mukta-sangah param´ vrajet
My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one
good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the name of Lord Sri Krishna,
one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the
transcendental kingdom of Vaikunta
