Kali Yuga Totally Explained

Everything about Kali Yuga totally explained

Kali Yuga (Devanāgarī:, lit. "Age of Kali", "age of vice"), is one of the four stages of development that the world goes through as part of the cycle of Yugas, as described in Hindu scriptures, the others being Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga and Dvapara Yuga. According to the Surya Siddhanta, an astronomical treatise that forms the basis of all Hindu and Buddhist calendars, Kali Yuga began at midnight (00:00) on 18 February 3102 BCE in the proleptic Julian calendar or 23 January 3102 BCE in the proleptic Gregorian calendar, which is also considered by many Hindus to be the time that Krishna, an incarnation of Vishnu, died as a result of a freak bow hunting accident. The Kali Yuga is traditionally thought to last 432,000 years. Kali Yuga is also recognized and stated in Sikhism, in the Guru Granth Sahib.
   Most interpretations of Hindu scriptures believe that earth is currently in Kali Yuga, though others believe that earth is now at the beginning of Dvapara Yuga. Hindus believe that human civilization degenerates spiritually throughout the Kali Yuga: it's mostly referred to as the Dark Age, mainly because people are the furthest possible from God. The description of Kali Yuga given below is an indication of its interpretive relevance in our current worldly existence.
   Hinduism generally considers morality to be comparable to a bull known as Dharma. In Satya Yuga, the first stage of development, the bull had four legs, and in each age morality is reduced by a quarter. By the age of Kali, morality will be reduced to only a quarter of that of the golden age. Thus, the bull will only have one leg: morality will wait on men.
   Kali Yuga is associated with the apocalypse demon Kali, not be confused with the goddess Kālī, as these are unrelated words in the Sanskrit language. The "Kali" of Kali Yuga means "strife, discord, quarrel, or contention."

Attributes of Kali Yuga

Various Puranas (like Bhagavata 12.2) give lists of Kali Yuga symptoms. Some of them are:

In relation to rulers

Rulers will become unreasonable: that'll levy taxes unfairly. Rulers will no longer see it their duty to promote spirituality or to protect their subjects: that'll become a danger to the world. People will start migrating seeking countries where wheat and barley form the staple food source.

In relation to people's relationships

Source: Mahabharata, Vana Parva, Section CLXXXIX within the Kali yuga of increased bhakti influence, to start 5,000 years after its beginning, for example around 1899 CE, given the traditional dating of the Kali yuga epoch to February 17 3102 BCE.

Personification

Kali (Devanāgari: कलि) is the reigning lord of Kali Yuga and nemesis of Sri Kalki, the 10th and final avatar of Lord Vishnu. According to the Vishnu Purana, he's a negative manifestation of Vishnu who, along with his extended evil family, perpetually operates as a cause of the destruction of this world. He serves as an antagonistic force in the Kalki Purana.
Towards the end of this yuga, Kalki will come riding on a white horse to battle Kali and his dark forces. The world would suffer a fiery end where all evil will perish. And in turn will start a new age, the age of Satya Yuga.

Other interpretations of Kali Yuga and the Yuga cycle

Other interpretations of the Hindu scriptures, most notably by David Frawley and Sri Yukteswar Giri, hold a different view of the Yuga cycle. Based on historical and scriptural evidence, they state that the Yugas change in a cycle much like the four seasons, where the planet moves repeatedly and gradually from one Yuga to the next, without a sudden jump from Kali into Satya Yuga. Further, they both state that historical evidence shows that Kali Yuga ended around 1700 CE, changing at that time to Dwapara Yuga.
Also supporting their view is the fact that people are becoming taller in height, more intelligent, and are living longer. This, according to Sri Yukteswar, is contrary to some of the only objective criteria for defining Kali Yuga.

Vamadeva David Frawley

David Frawley, a widely respected Jyotish astrologer and author of many books on Vedic traditions, points out that Manu, in his Manu Samhita, posits a much shorter Yuga cycle of 2,400 years. Manu’s Yuga cycle happens to correspond roughly to the same length of time that astronomers attribute to the Precession of the Equinoxes. Based on Frawley’s interpretation of scripture, we're currently near the beginning of a Dwapara Yuga cycle that will last a total of 2,400 years. He further points out that that the traditional 432,000 year cycle is questionable, based on Vedic and Puranic historical records. He explains this interpretation in more depth in his book The Astrology of the Seers. He also explains that the shorter yuga theory offers better proof of the age of Rama and Krishna and other important historical Indian figures than other dating methods, which make some of these figures out to be millions of years old - too old for the accepted chronology of human history on Earth.

Sri Yukteswar Giri

According to Sri Yukteswar Giri, we're currently in Dwapara Yuga. In his book The Holy Science, he explains that "the astronomers and astrologers who calculate the almanacs have been guided by wrong annotations of certain Sanskrit scholars (such as Kullu Bhatta) of the dark age of Kali Yuga, and now maintain that the length of Kali Yuga is 432,000 years, of which 4994 have (in 1894 CE) elapsed, leaving 427,006 years still remaining. A dark prospect! And fortunately one not true." The Holy Science includes his astronomical explanation for a shorter Yuga Cycle, in which Kali Yuga lasts only 2,400 years (1,200x2, one descending Kali Yuga cycle, followed by an ascending cycle).
Sri Yukteswarji noted that Dwapura Yuga is represented by the introduction of atomic energy and electricity and we appear to have just entered that age during the renaissance.

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