SATYUGA IN KALIYUGA
(
Golden era in Dark era )
_
A P ANAND
As per English dictionary, the word
‘advent’ means the arrival of an important person or thing. In our subject
matter, “kaliyuga” (dark era) started after the death of Lord Krishna in
“Dwapra Yuga”. It is said that Lord Krishna lived for 125 years. It is also
believed that Kaliyuga started from Jan 10,3104 B.C and its span is the
shortest of all other yugas (i,e Satyuga, Treta, Dwapra) equivalent to 4,32000
human life years and the next Satyayuga will be double than this period. Lord
Krishna left this world at Prabhasa on the banks of Saraswati River in Gujarat
State leaving all His teachings to a friend, Udhava.
In the present Kaliyuga a pall of
gloom is in the air and we are passing through horrendous strife and
gut-wrenching situations. We cannot live secluded life as we are
interdependent. We get crushing defeat against the nature when we defy it. In
Kaliyuga we have refractive and in Satyuga we have reflective mind-set. In the
present era the technology and scientific bent of perverted mind devoid of
emotional values, morals, ethics and spirituality has thrown us deep in abyss
to bog down. The vast difference between these two consecutive yugas (kaliyuga
and Satyuga) in life and civilization shows due to time, events and effects. As
the names and effects of these yugas imply, all black and unrighteous events
will take place in Kaliyuga and truth and righteousness will prevail in
Satyayuga, all due to our ‘karmas’ or deeds. Time has come for our
brain-storming. Unfortunately, our wrong understanding of religion, values and
improper education is dividing us in the present era whereas in Sayayuga it
strengthened and boosted our values, morals and brotherhood. Yajur Veda (XL.14)
says that with proper education one can overcome the early death. Even Manusmriti
(II.121) upholds this view. There are all doubts and questions in Kaliyuga and
unconditional, unflinching faith in God in Satyuga. In Kaliyuga, due to pitch
darkness (murky situation) of ignorance, we are groping for truth, happiness and
vision whereas in Satyuga life is bright and comfortable due to ‘sunny’ days.
Also people possess analytical and spiritual mind in the latter era and are
bereft of worries, depression, ill-health and down gradation of life. The life
during Satyuga is a love journey whereas the one in Kaliyuga is like the pricks
of the barbs of a monster ready to devour us. In Kaliyuga it is very difficult
to discern between a saint, to put us on a right path, and an imposter. In
short, the negativities of Kaliyuga will over-ride and kill the positivity or
gains of Satyuga, which is bad and an alarming sign for the worst to happen.
Satyuga is a dazzling past, full of grandeur and glory whilst Kaliyuga is full
of miseries and attritions/ altercations. If we wish to bring a change in
(2)
society for
its welfare and desire a Golden era during the present era we should nurture
the positive and virtuous character in ourselves, individually, first than to
look for churning the same in others. We are as we have chiselled; cast our own
body, mind, soul and character.
We are placed in appalling situations
and are strained, not restrained, but over-boiled on flimsy grounds due to our
mind-set in Kaliyuga. Some are wearing crown of thorns but still welded and
hankering/ dribbling after materialism. We are mired in anger which escalates
violence and cuts asunder our life in pieces. Kaliyuga is of the immoral and
vicious people. It is a sham tinsel and glint naughty world.
People In yore have enjoyed real
vibrant life in the realm of Satyuga according to the tenets and formulations
of Vedas, Puranas, Upanisads, divine Gita and other scriptures. Tolerance,
forgiveness, compassion, love, equality for all and immaculate life was the
order of the day. Mahatma Gandhi used to recite the following lines in the
glory of those days,”Vaishnav Jan Ko Tene Kahiye, Jo Peer Paraee Jane
Re”(Compassionate person is the one who understands and feels the pain of
others) and wipes out his tears and instills magnanimity in self. During this
yuga the rule of ‘be good and do good ’applies. You rise to spirituality in
real sense from the religion. Your finite worldly attachments are gone from
your life and you feel yourself like a spiritual emperor. You look serene and
comely but not the frowning and dreadful. If you get sound sleep, you are
living in Satyuga and are in awakened state of mind.
There are many other ills and gory
pictures of Kaliyuga. There is hardly anyone who pays obeisance to the teacher,
parents, saints, elders or even God. The values and respect have downgraded.
There is a lot of chasm in the spoken word and reality in actions. Ego is the
main culprit like an infested wound which must be effaced and eradicated from
the root of our life. Ego forms a knot
in our heart of unreasonable pride which hardly loosens. Corruption of all
kinds and deception/ hoodwinking are at peak. People revel in sinister designs
and debauchery or lavish style of life mainly due to unwanted desires and
expectations. They also vie or show one-upmanship endlessly causing revenge and
brawls. In this Kaliyuga people are acting and behaving in frenzy
(uncontrolled) helter skelter way. Thy are jostling against each other due to
unwise increase in population and are dying fast due to ailments and lack of
nutritious food. Pollution and indiscriminate industrialization are also of our
own making. Floods, drought,
(3)
eruption of
volcanoes, spread of nuclear radiation, storms, earthquakes and unbearable heat
and cold also add to our crippling miseries and nature’s fury or retribution of
God to punish us of our evils/ wrong doings. Our character is at its lowest ebb
and unwise people perform even the incest sex apart from other unspeakable
shameful acts.
Satyuga is a par excellent era of
civilization, truth, justice, fearlessness, steadfastness, morals and ethics.
It is also like dulcet or zephyr breeze and sounding sweet like gurgling
brooks. In this era people used to live dignified and ideal life which is
negation in Kaliyuga. This yuga is famous for contentment, detachment,
compassion and patience, virtuous deeds and lofty thoughts apart from what is
said earlier. The elderly had portrayed hoary disposition and glowing visage
due to spiritually radiant divine light and lofty frame of mind. They proved as
beacon light for others. A lot of importance to mother, motherland and its
culture was given.
One requires determination and will
power to change the situations and circumstances at an opportune time from
negativities to positivity. Our frenzy and stinging behavior cannot achieve the
desired goal. Conciliatory tones and steps have magical effect on our behavior.
Please contribute and spread love instead of hatred. You will enjoy even the
darkness when you make it a partner in your life. If everyone in the world
endeavours to bring some reforms by doing virtuous deeds and becomes
compassionate to help others we can hope to convert Kaliyuga into Satyuga. Fie
on us if we do not learn from the bitter experiences of Kaliyuga and volte face
or attempt to change our life for betterment or be prepared to face the pangs
of life.
It is a well admitted and established
fact that it is not easy and possible to mend others but only ourselves. We
should know and realize God during life time through education imparted by a
perfect Guru (Preceptor) for redemption. Be ever thankful and grateful to God
who is Giver and Controller/ Deliverer. Though religion is to be lived/ walked
and not just talked about, the education, especially spiritual one, removes
many of our doubts and ignorance to achieve wisdom. It is a continuous process.
Education should be wholesome which can bring veritable heaven on earth. One
becomes cruel and brute without education which removes veil of ignorance and
untruth, makes us discernful between wrong and right and also unbiased. It acts
like antimony to our eyes which dilates and wide opens them to make us
visionary.
(4)
In the light of quandary
(uncertainty), savage (fierce and violent) and morass situation of the day it
is pertinent for us to lay a smooth path bereft of vicissitudes, pushes and pulls,
meandering and prickly thorns, weeds/ tares and rehabilitate the like- minded
persons with impassioned instincts in a reformed colony where pure love,
compassion and brotherhood will thrive. We should also understand that religion
enjoins us for virtuous deeds and the art of healthy living with lofty ideals
but spirituality enlivens us with our dormant divine instincts and hikes to
reach God for spiritual advancement. Both are necessary in our life to
embellish (bedeck) it by refraining from animal instincts and to honour and
respect the views and feelings of other religions.
We have been
pushed in the kiln of Kaliyuga (‘Narka’/ hell) and its sizzling ambers are
consuming us fast. Some of us who imbibe and tread virtuous path and bring
sweeping changes in self for betterment will come out of it unscathed. This way
they will not only purify themselves of their sins and live present life to the
full extant but will start charting pavement of their smooth path for the next
life’s journey also.
A P ANAND
E/120,
“VIRGO”, LOWER KHARODI, MARVE ROAD
MALAD
(WEST), MUMBAI—400 095
Ph: 022-2862
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E-mail:
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