Kali is the age marked by ignorance and murkiness. Only a fourth of the dharma remains and it is the slippery slope for the mankind. The suffering is often by the dharmic person. One who enjoys and celebrates is the one who breaks the rules and laws. Is it justified may be the question many sincere asks. It is the order of the universe and the previous three yugas of the Kruta, Treta, and Dwapara were longer than Kaliyuga by an order of two-multiples to one Kaliyuga is the good news.
Treta or Satya is the period of time in which the dharma or the righteousness had four out of four parts present. The order was prevailing and none needed goading of any sort to follow the dharma. On the part of the humans, these were expected to spend time in the dhyana, deep inner meditative approach for the ‘realization’. The dhyana state or the condition was natural then. It is akin to the switching the connection with the external and switching over to the internal. So simple and so swift. Many divine avataras occurred during this age.
During the Treta yuga, the dharma became only three quarters. One needed the advisors to guide. Goodness on the part of the rulers was, the advices were heeded, and more often than not the path forward was dharmic. The seekers and the rulers were expected to conduct the Yagya or the Kratus aimed at offering the ‘havis’ to the devas. Sri Rama’s father Dasharatha performed Ashwamedha and Putra Kameshti during this phase. Third Yuga in the order is Dwapara. Puja and archana are said to be the path forward for the seekers during this age. Aiming at gaining Sri Krishna, the Vrundavan Gopikas performed Katyayani puja during this age.
Current age of Kali has many pitfalls. People can’t commit body and mind for dhyana. Kratus and Pujas are difficult to be performed as the purity of the offerings is difficult. The workable path given to the ‘alpayu Manushyas’ of this age is ‘Kalau Namasankeertanam’ meaning reciting of the name of the GOD. We have this definite means of crossing the path in the naam or the name. Namasankeertana when done, it clears chitta and aligns us towards the divine.
Dr S Ainavolu is a Mumbai-based teacher of Management and Tradition. Intent is nextgen’s learning and cultural education
