Duration of Caitanya's Golden Age

[Guest guest]

I would like to know how long Caitanya's Golden Age will last for. I am aware of many figures thrown around like 10,000 years, but is this stated anywhere in sastra?

[theist]

And also how do we expect this Golden Age to manifest on Earth?

 

The Jews were waiting for the Messiah to bring it and they thought it had something to do we freeing them from the Romans but Christ said the "Kingdom of Heaven is within you."

 

Are Caitanyaites making the same mistake? Perhaps the Golden Age is to manifest THROUGH the devotees and the transformation of the world external is secondary and incidental to the transformation that first must take place within.

 

Don't wait for the Golden Age to come in the future, enter into it now.

[theist]

Suppose it does come all at once as if dropping down upon the Earth. What makes me think that I would be allowed to stay and live in it if I am unwilling to live in it now?

[Kulapavana]

Kali-yuga - 10,000 years of Golden Age

 

Ekanath Das:

 

Predicted in Brahma-vaivarta Purana 4.129.*. The fourth part of the Brahma-vaivarta is called Krsna-janma-khanda. Chapter 129 is called Golokarohanam, because it describes how Krsna returns to His abode. The general dialogue is between Lord Narayana and Narada Muni. This specific dialogue is between Lord Krsna and Mother Ganga. Verse 49 is a question by Ganga, verses 50-60 are Krsna's answer.

 

Text 49:

 

bhaagiirathy uvaaca

he naatha ramaNaSreStha

yaasi golokamuttamam

asmaakaM kaa gatiScaatra

bhaviSyati 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

 

Srii-bhagavaan uvaaca

kaleH paMcasahasraaNi

varSaaNi tiSTha bhu-tale

paapaani paapino yaani

tubhyaM daasyaMti snaanataH

 

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead 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-maMtropaasakasparSaad

bhasmibhutaani tatkSaNaat

bhaviSyaMti darSanaacca

snaanaadeva hi jaahnavi

 

"Thereafter by the sight and touch of those who worship Me by My mantra, all those sins will be burnt."

 

Text 52

 

harernaamaani yatraiva

puraaNaani bhavaMti hi

tatra gatvaa saavadhaanam

aabhiH saarddhaM ca SroSyasi

 

"There will be chanting of the name of Hari and reading of the [bhagavata] Purana. Reaching such a place, attentively hear.

 

[note: In Puranic language, when "Purana" is used alone it refers to Bhagavata Purana. Otherwise it will specify Skanda Purana, Visnu Purana, etc.]

 

Text 53:

 

puraaNa SravaNaaccaiva

harernaamaanukiirtanaat

bhasmibhutaani paapaani

brahma-hatyaadikaani ca

 

"Sinful reactions including the killing of a brahmana can be nullified be hearing the Purana and chanting of the names of Hari in the manner of devotees."

 

Text 54:

 

bhasmibhutaani taanyeva

vaiSNavaaliMganena ca

tRNaani SuSkakaaSthaani

dahaMti paavako yathaa

 

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

 

Text 55:

 

tathaapi vaiSNavaa loke

paapaani paapinaamapi

pRthivyaaM yaani tiirthaani

puNyaanyapi ca jaahnavi

 

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

 

Text 56:

 

madbhaktaanaaM SariireSu

santi puteSu saMtatam

madbhaktapaadarajasaa

sadyaH putaa vasundharaa

 

"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 putaani tiirthaani

sadyaH putaM jagattathaa

manmaMtropaasakaa vipraa

ye maducchiSRbhojinaH

 

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

 

Text 58

 

maameva nityaM dhyaayaMte

te mat praaNaadhikaaH priyaaH

tadupasparSamaatreNa

puto vaayuSca paavakaH

 

"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."

 

[Note: Sastra says that of all material elements, fire and air are always pure. Even though the air carries some impurities it always remains itself pure. This verse indicates that the Vaisnavas will purify even the pure elements of fire and air, therefore the purifying potency of the Vaisnavas referred to in this verse is not material but completely spiritual. I.e. the air and fire are _already_ materially pure, therefore the Vaisnavas purity is spiritual and not material.]

 

Text 59:

 

kaler daSa-sahasraaNi

madbhaktaaH saMti bhu-tale

ekavarNaa bhaviSyaMti

madbhakteSu gateSu ca

 

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

 

Text 60:

 

madbhaktaSunyaa pRthivi

kaligrastaa bhaviSyati

etasminnaMtare tatra

kRSNadehaadvinirgataH

 

"Devoid of My devotees, the earth will be shackled by Kali. Saying this, Krsna departed."

 

 

[stonehearted]

I've seen a draft of an article by a sannyasi disciple of one of Srila Prabhupada's Godbrothers that's intended to be Part 1 of a two-part piece. In the second part he will present shastric evidence that Mahaprabhu's golden age, which is supposed to last 10,000 years, begins 500 years after Mahaprabhu's disappearance. He told me where this is written, but I haven't seen all this yet. Work on the first part has been delayed by his other responsibilities. I'll write him to see what's up.

 

In the meantime, chant like it's 1999!

[Guest guest]

It's always struck me that those busily serving a devotee here now are living in and beyond a golden age in their consciousness. They appear to me to be transcendental to age and even time, in their fervour to please the vaisnava. Which makes sense if a pure devotee is non-different From the Lord. How that translates to this world I'm not sure, but there must be a ripple affect.

[stonehearted]

Thanks for those wonderful observations. That's pretty much what I was getting at with my "chant like it's 1999" crack. Srila Sridhar Maharaja talks about how important it is for us to find "deep engagement in responsible service." If there were more of us in that situation, we would actually bring that golden age by the consciousness ripple effect you suggest.

[Guest guest]

 

Are Caitanyaites making the same mistake? Perhaps the Golden Age is to manifest THROUGH the devotees and the transformation of the world external is secondary and incidental to the transformation that first must take place within.

 

 

This is something which also struck me, but I had always been led to believe that it would be an "actual" Golden Age, your average peace-and-love everywhere type of thing.

 

The thing that puzzled me most was its duration. I had heard conflicting things, the first that it would last 10,000 years as said by Srila Prabhupada and those scriptural verses that were just posted. The other is that Caitanya's Golden Age would last for the duration of Kali-yuga. I am not exactly sure but I think that this is what Narayana Maharaja preaches. It is also to be found in the book of Srimat Kanupriya Goswami, who was the guru of Fakir Mohan das. Gour Govinda Swami referred to Fakir Mohan das' doctoral thesis in his lectures, confirming that the Golden Age was supposed to start 500 years after Mahaprabhu's birth (1986) but due to Kali's strong influence would get off the ground 10 years later (1996).

 

I wonder what is supposed to happen now.

[Kulapavana]

some devotees think that this Golden Age will be akin to living in Satya Yuga in terms of material conditions on Earth. others think that it simply relates to the presence of the Sankirtan Movement all over the world (you could say we are already there).

 

relating that prediction to our internal consciousness is simply misleading, as such elevated state can be available at any time.

[jagatpurush]

HHBCS:

 

Today Guru Maharaja went to honor prasad at the home of his godbrother Nandakumar Prabhu. Sitting in his beautifully decorated house and living room, Guru Maharaja glorified him as an exemplary householder. He asked Nandakumara Prabhu to sit on the sofa next to him, but Nandakumara Prabhu remained sitting on the carpet, humbly saying with a smile, "Today I will hear."

Guru Maharaja then glorified him and his family. He said, "This will create the credibility of ISKCON, when there are many exemplary householders like yourself."

He added, "Krsna consciousness is not only for the temple devotees. Most mahajanas are householders." Glorifying Nandakumar Prabhu some more, Guru Maharaja said, "Whatever devotees do, they do it the best."

"Devotees must become leaders of this world in all spheres. They must become army generals, heads of States, expert businessmen, everything." He added, "Normally, it is devotees who lead the world because Krsna is the Supreme Proprietor and He puts His own men in power. But only on this planet, for four hundred thirty two thousand years does He allow Kali to rule. So Kali has put all his men in important positions. They are agents of Kali. And what is Kali's agenda? It is meat-eating, gambling, intoxication and illicit sex. Through these activities he promotes adharma."

Guru Maharaja continued, "But Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's movement is here to undo this, and rather to re-establish the four pillars of dharma. Then Krsna's people will dominate this planet."

He added, "This change will take place through the earnest effort of the devotees."

"The world will gradually see how devotees are established in prominent positions and how they will eventually take over the leadership of the world. The result will be that there will be no more meat-eating, no more gambling, no more intoxication and no more illicit sex in the kingdom. If

people will want to indulge in these activities, they will have to go to the forest. "You want to live like animal? Go where the animals live."

 

Then Guru Maharaja spoke about how leaders must be strong and vigilant. "When there is crime, there must be punishment." Guru Maharaja used the example of Singapore as well as some Muslim states to illustrate this point.