5,000 posts gone; 5,000 years of Kali gone.

[Jahnava Nitai Das]

Seeing that this is the 5,000th post, it reminded me of a conversation between Lord Krishna and mother Ganga found in the Brahma-vaivarta Purana. There Lord Krishna describes what will happen in the Kali yuga after 5,000 years of degradation pass. It is quite relevant, since we have just recently passed through 5,000 years of Kali yuga. If we look at Lord Krishna's predictions about the chanting of his mantra spreading throughout the world, the reading of Srimad Bhagavatam spreading throughout the world, and the eating of Krishna prasadam spreading throughout the world, it becomes clear that this prediction has already begun to manifest.

 

This conversation occurs in the Brahma-vaivarta Puran, 4th canto, chapter 129, texts 49 - 60. Copy it and email it to some of your friends.

 

 

Text 49

 

bhagarathy uvaca

he natha ramanashreshtha

yasi golokamuttamam

asmakam ka gatishcatra

bhavishyati kalau yuge

 

Ganges said: O protector, Supreme enjoyer, on your departure for the perfect abode, Goloka, thereafter what will be my situation in the age of kali?

 

Text 50

 

sri-bhagavan uvaca

kaleh pancasahasrani

varshani tishtha bhutale

papani papino yani

tubhyam dasyanti snanatah

 

The blessed Lord said: On the earth 5,000 years of kali will be sinful and sinners will deposit their sins in you by bathing. 

 

Text 51

 

man-mantropasakasparshad

bhasmibhutani tatkshanat

bhavishyanti darsanacca

snanadeva hi jahnavi

 

Thereafter by the sight and touch of those who worship me by my mantra, all those sins will be burnt.

 

Text 52

 

harernamani yatraiva

puranani bhavanti hi

tatra gatva savadhanam

abhih sarddham ca shroshyasi

 

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

 

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

 

Just as dry grass is burnt by fire, by the embrace of My devotees all sins are burnt.

 

Text 55

 

tathapi vaishnava loke

papani papinamapi

prithivyam yani tirthani

punyanyapi ca jahnavi

 

O Ganges, the whole planet will become a pilgrimage sight by the presence of My devotees, even though it had been sinful.

 

Text 56

 

madbhaktanam sharireshu

santi puteshu samtatam

madbhaktapadarajasa

sadyah puta vasundhara

 

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

 

It will be the same in the case of pilgrimage sights and the whole world. Those intelligent worshipers of my mantra who partake My remnants will purify everything. 

 

Text 58

 

mameva nityam dhyayante

te mat pranadhikah priyah

tadupasparshamatrena

puto vayushca pavakah

 

They are more dear to Me than My life, who everyday meditate only on Me. The air and fire become pure simply even by their indirect touch.

 

Text 59

 

kaler dasha-sahasrani

madbhaktah santi bhu-tale

ekavarna bhavishyanti

madbhakteshu gateshu ca

 

For 10,000 years of kali such devotees of mine will fill the whole planet. After the departure of My devotees there will only be one varna [outcaste].

 

Text 60

 

madbhaktashunya prithivi

kaligrasta bhavishyati

etasminnantare tatra

krishnadehadvinirgatah

 

Devoid of My devotees, the earth will be shackled by kali. Saying this Krishna departed.

 

 

[This message has been edited by jndas (edited 07-15-2001).]

[animesh]

jndas ji,

One question. Whom did Krishna instruct just before leaving the Earth? Uddhav or Ganga? Bhagwat Puran mentions Uddhav whereas Brahma-vaivarta Puran mentions Ganga.

[Jahnava Nitai Das]

I apologize for repling so late. Somedays the connections are too bad and I can't load up the messages, so I just wait till later to reply.

 

One question. Whom did Krishna instruct just before leaving the Earth? Uddhav or Ganga? Bhagwat Puran mentions Uddhav whereas Brahma-vaivarta Puran mentions Ganga.

Krishna instructed Uddhava last before leaving the earth. This reference of Brahma-vaivarta purana is not being exact that this was the last instruction. It is a general account, that just prior to ending his descent he instructed Ganga.

 

What calendar is refferec when you say that 5000 years of Kaliyuga have passed?

This in reference to the traditional date accepted as the beginning of Kali yuga (as 3102 B.C.) which is mostly universally accepted in present Vedic schools of thought, and incorporated in the sankalpas of every puja. Great astrological scholars such as Arya Bhatta have accepted this date for the beginning of the Kali yuga.

[dubeyrakesh]

What calendar is refferec when you say that 5000 years of Kaliyuga have passed?

Thanks,

Rakesh

 

[ethos]

Interesting.

 

So how does this correspond to Lord Caitanya's Golden Age?

[karthik_v]

J N Das prabhuji,

 

 

This in reference to the traditional date accepted as the beginning of Kali yuga (as 3102 B.C.) which is mostly universally accepted in present Vedic schools of thought, and incorporated in the sankalpas of every puja. Great astrological scholars such as Arya Bhatta have accepted this date for the beginning of the Kali yuga.

 

 

Even historically and archeologically, the Aihole inscriptions mention this date to be the beginning of Kali yuga.

 

Ethosprabhuji,

 

 

So how does this correspond to Lord Caitanya's Golden Age?

 

 

I would think that the golden age prophesised by Caitanya Mahaprabhu hasn't started yet. We don't even have a worldwide scenario that is favourable to spiritualism, leave alone Vaishnavism. On the contrary, going by the controversies that ISKCON and other such organizations have invited in the recent past, one is tempted to deduce that right now it is a turbulent phase. I would guess, once all this turbulence settles down, a stage of mature spiritualism [sans sectarianism and polemics] will begin and that would perhaps mark the commencement of the golden age. When this could happen is a matter of conjecture, but I would be very skeptical of assigning any date in the near future.

[stonehearted]

My calculations indicate that we've passed 5100 years of kali. I remember calculating this 25 years ago, starting with the calculatiosn of Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati given in SrilaPrabhupada's presentation fo Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, which I found confirmed under the definition of "kali" given in Monier-Williams (gives the imputed date for the beginning og kali-yuga).

 

Regarding Mahaprabhu's golden age, I recently heard Sripad Bodhayan Maharaj explain that some commentators predicted a golden age beginning 500 years after Mahaprabhu's departure. (I don't remember who his sources were.) So it seems we have another 30 years or so to wait. I half-jokingly commented that this wouldn't hapen until most of us old creep who have created so many problems are out of the way. And it will come, as some have reported Srila Prabhupada as predicting, withthe maturity of our grandchildren.

[ethos]

So there is a chance that some of us may see the "Golden Age" usher in? How glorious!

 

Think of the satisfaction... to see your heart's passion verified by the masses, to personally witness fulfillment of divine prophecy, and to leave with the satisfaction that you somehow helped make it true.

 

Yes, let me die with this Krsna consciousness!

[ethos]

I must say that these sastric references are very intense. It's easy to accept it as the coming of "utopia" or "heaven on earth."

 

I am trying to temper my enthusiasm and not be a sentimental fool.

 

It was explained to me not long ago in response to the meaning of the Golden Age question here, that Lord Caitanya's birth is actually much rarer than even Krsna's (can't remember the numbers here). In most other cycles, the people just have to go through Kali-yuga without the benefit of the Holy Name. My impression was that the Holy Name was the "Golden Age" providing a unique opportunity for shelter and liberation for the souls who can take advantage of it. The explanation was subtle as contrasted with the "drama" here.

 

Can someone please respond with more insights? ... seeking to understand this better.

[stonehearted]

ethos wrote: It was explained to me not long ago in response to the meaning of the Golden Age question here, that Lord

Caitanya's birth is actually much rarer than even Krsna's (can't remember the numbers here). In most other

cycles, the people just have to go through Kali-yuga without the benefit of the Holy Name.

 

stone: My understanding is that, while Krishna appears in each cyle of yugas, and Kali-yuga's yugavatar slo comes in each cycle, Krishna comes as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu only once in a day of Brahma (or is it once every 100 Kali yugas?). So while each Kali-yuga the yugavatar comes to propagate the yuga dharma, chanting of Hari.nama sankirtan, only rarely does krishna come coverd by Radha's mood to give the rarest gift: pure love for Krishna in the mood of the Vraja gopis.

 

And my understanding of the golden age referred to here is not necessarily some utopia where no one gets sick or dies, but to a noticable, progressive influence of Mahaprabhu's sankirtan movement. That may certainly make life here seem like heaven in comparison with the way things are now, but we'll have to wait and see.