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Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com)

 

Change in behaviour of people in the Kali Yuga

 

CHENNAI, NOV. 28. Having toiled almost throughout his active life

to earn and maintain his family and having experienced both joy

and sorrow, is it not necessary for a man to think about

apportioning his later years to spiritual exercises? His post-

retirement days may be short and hence he should take the

earliest opportunity to devote himself to divine pursuits if he

has not already done it. Our glorious scriptural texts have shown

the way as to how to approach God and it is his duty to grab this

chance and tread the path of meditation and get himself

dissociated from worldly pleasures and activities so as to live

in peace here and attain Bliss in the Divine Kingdom. The holy

texts refer to the nine-point formula spelt out by child devotee

Prahlada and the course prescribed by Patanjali containing

tremendous discipline. But an easier method in the present

strife-torn days is to pin one's total faith on the Almighty as

displayed by the innocent, unsophisticated maiden of the village

where God in His incarnation stayed. They identified themselves

with God and would think of Him at every second. By devotion and

detachment men of modern days can adopt this step of Divine love

and retain God's form within the heart by constantly chanting His

names.

 

The Bhagavatham, which contains the purpose of various

incarnations of the Lord refers to the changes in people's

behaviour as the aeons vary. With the dawn of Kali era, at the

time when Pandavas' grandson, Pareekshit ruled, there was an

indication of deterioration in morality. But he, with his powers,

subdued the evil tendencies. He saw the God of Virtue (Dharma)

hoofing about on one foot in the form of a bull and Earth as a

cow, shorn of her lustre and bathing her cheeks in tears like a

mother who has lost her child. In the first age the God of Virtue

stood on four feet - austerities, purity, compassion and

truthfulness. But in the current era, he is supported by only one

but even this will be robbed. The king however made Kali

(symbolised by a human being) reside in places where falsehood,

intoxication, passion, slaughter and animosity prevailed. He

himself was careful to see that during his regime, none of these

evils raised their head, said Sri Krishna Premi in a discourse

explaining that even this righteous person once erred due to the

influence of Kali and committed an offence that resulted in

incurring a curse that he should die after seven days by a snake

bite. Owning responsibility for his sin he utilised this period

to listen to the exposition of the Bhagavatham, which enabled him

to cross the ocean of lures and reach God's place.

 

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