Kali Yuga + 5000yrs

[Albel]

Reading Devi Bhagavatam (transl. Ramesh Menon).

This includes a passage quoting Narayana saying that Ganga and Sri (Padma River) shall only flow for 5000 years of the Kali Yuga, and then return to Vaikutha, and all the sacred tirthas (crossing places or fords) shall return with them; with the exception of Kasi (Varanasi) and Vrindavana which shall remain even in the deepest night of the Kali.

According to Wikipedia, the Kali Yuga commenced Kali Yuga - Wikipedia in 3102 BCE, so 5000 years after would be 1899 CE.

How is the fact we still have these rivers (and the other holy sites) understood?

Did subsequent texts indicate a new interpretation?

I note there was also a near grand-conjuction in December of that year too - how would that have been interpreted in light of the 5000-year milestone

Were the various Indian Famines between 1886-1900 believed to be an outplaying of Kali Yuga in its 5000th year?

 

[Albel]

& just made the connection (reading on) similar to the idea of some Christian's have about the Rapture. The righteous getting gathered up to heaven before the true horror of the end times.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Yeah, all mishaps and natural calamities are supposed to be because of diminution of 'dharma' (people forgetting their duties and engaging in anti-social deeds) are supposed to be due to Kaliyuga. Ganga, other holy rivers places will remain. What will we do without them? Who would wash our sins if not these holy rivers and holy places? Kaliyuga is already more than 5,000 years old and will go on for another 425,000 years. So it seems Devi Purana has been interpolated. Sure, there are environmental changes and we might face more problems in future. We should do whatever is possible to make their effect limited.

As for what Christians say, does not interest us at all and I do not think this is the right forum to talk about that. Hinduism is a pagan religion.

 

[shivsomashekhar]

Reading Devi Bhagavatam (transl. Ramesh Menon).

This includes a passage quoting Narayana saying that Ganga and Sri (Padma River) shall only flow for 5000 years of the Kali Yuga, and then return to Vaikutha, and all the sacred tirthas (crossing places or fords) shall return with them; with the exception of Kasi (Varanasi) and Vrindavana which shall remain even in the deepest night of the Kali.

According to Wikipedia, the Kali Yuga commenced Kali Yuga - Wikipedia in 3102 BCE, so 5000 years after would be 1899 CE.

How is the fact we still have these rivers (and the other holy sites) understood?

Did subsequent texts indicate a new interpretation?

I note there was also a near grand-conjuction in December of that year too - how would that have been interpreted in light of the 5000-year milestone

Were the various Indian Famines between 1886-1900 believed to be an outplaying of Kali Yuga in its 5000th year?

The Yuga scheme is mythology, not to be interpreted literally.

Aryabhatta (4th Century AD) is credited with the calculation of the Kali-yuga date and therefore, the date of 3102 BCE is speculation. Moreover, there is no literary or archaeological evidence to support such an old date for civilization in NW India.

The Mahabharata is dated between 800 BCE to 500 AD. Other than sentiment, there is no reason to push this date back any further.

 

[Aupmanyav]

That is the date when Mahabharata was composed in Sanskrit. The stories are much older.

 

[Albel]

Just interested in the mix of mythology and specificity. Perhaps it was presumed in 9th - 14th Century C.E. (Devi Bhagavatam date range) that 500-1100 years hence was distant enough to speculate about.

Though I've always presumed apocalyptic literature is in part an exaggerated critique of the contemporary situation, as well as a dire warning for the future.

Curious about idea of interpolation - cited passage does come in part of text that reads differently to earlier chapters (Krishna comes to the fore for instance) but I don't know how Ramesh Menon organised the translation - he could have arranged it thematically.

Sorry about the Xian musings on the Dharmic boards - just tend to make odd connections i.e. parallels between Yuga scheme and the Golden, Silver, Bronze, and Iron ages of the Ancient Greeks, with similar decline in virtues and stature.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Yugas are only an encouragement that we can do better than we are currently doing. It is not really religion but a social strategy. Interpolations do not destroy the core message of duties and humane conduct ('dharma'). If you can understand this then you have understood Hinduism. All the rest is left free for anyone's imagination - and belief. In my case, I do not even accept the existence of Gods and Goddesses. You are always welcome.

 

[ajay0]

Reading Devi Bhagavatam (transl. Ramesh Menon).

This includes a passage quoting Narayana saying that Ganga and Sri (Padma River) shall only flow for 5000 years of the Kali Yuga, and then return to Vaikutha, and all the sacred tirthas (crossing places or fords) shall return with them; with the exception of Kasi (Varanasi) and Vrindavana which shall remain even in the deepest night of the Kali.

According to Wikipedia, the Kali Yuga commenced Kali Yuga - Wikipedia in 3102 BCE, so 5000 years after would be 1899 CE.

How is the fact we still have these rivers (and the other holy sites) understood?

Did subsequent texts indicate a new interpretation?

I note there was also a near grand-conjuction in December of that year too - how would that have been interpreted in light of the 5000-year milestone

Were the various Indian Famines between 1886-1900 believed to be an outplaying of Kali Yuga in its 5000th year?

These are metaphors outlining the course of the Kali Yuga where tamas increases along with the qualities associated with tamas.

Tamas is associated with destruction, decay and the events around the world indicating aberrant weather patterns, drought,extensive destruction of forests and pollution are signs of this increasing tamas.

The global military budget is now nearly at two trillion dollars, at record levels, indicating possible signs of future mass destruction.The ganges and yamuna are now highly polluted.

Kashi and Vrindavana remaining even in the deepest night of Kali, is a sign that only the places with the greatest
positive energies and vibes will survive the onslaught of kali while the others will not.

The Prajapita Brahmakumaris state that prakriti or nature gets into an enraged state due to tamas and this accounts for the increasing number of natural disasters and conflicts at this point of time.

Meditation, worship and love releases positive vibes and energies that can repel the onslaught of kali yuga and negative energies.