Just before the beginning of Kali-yuga—or, in other words, at the end of Dvapara-yuga—Lord Sri Krsna appeared and left His instructions in the form of Bhagavad-Gita, in which He asked all living entities to surrender unto Him. Since the beginning of Kali-yuga, however, people have practically been unable to surrender to the lotus feet of Kåñëa, and therefore, after some five thousand years, Krsna came again as Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu just to teach the entire world how to surrender unto Him, unto Çré Krsna, and thus be purified....
Kali-yuga is full of contamination. This is described in the Çrémad-Bhägavatam (12.3.51):
kaler dosa-nidhe räjann
asti hy eko mahän guëaù
kértanäd eva Krsnasya
mukta-sanga param vrajet.
This age of Kali is full of unlimited faults. Indeed, it is just like an ocean of faults (doña-nidhi). But there is one chance, one opportunity. kértanäd eva Krsnasya mukta-sanga param vrajet: simply by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra, one can be freed from the contamination of Kali-yuga and, in his original spiritual body, can return home, back to Godhead. This is the opportunity of Kali-yuga.When Kåñëa appeared, He gave His orders, and when Kåñëa Himself appeared as a devotee, as Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, He showed us the path by which to cross the ocean of Kali-yuga. That is the path of the Hare Kåñëa movement. When Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu appeared, He ushered in the era for the saìkértana movement. It is also said that for ten thousand years this era will continue. This means that simply by accepting the saìkértana movement and chanting the Hare Kåñëa mahä-mantra, the fallen souls of this Kali-yuga will be delivered. After the Battle of Kurukñetra, at which Bhagavad-gétä was spoken, Kali-yuga continues for 432,000 years, of which only 5,000 years have passed. Thus there is still a balance of 427,000 years to come. Of these 427,000 years, the 10,000 years of the saìkértana movement inaugurated by Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu 500 years ago provide the opportunity for the fallen souls of Kali-yuga to take to the Kåñëa consciousness movement, chant the Hare Kåñëa mahä-mantra and thus be delivered from the clutches of material existence and return home, back to Godhead.Chanting of the Hare Kåñëa mahä-mantra is potent always, but it is especially potent in this age of Kali. Therefore Çukadeva Gosvämé, while instructing Mahäräja Parékñit, stressed this chanting of the Hare Kåñëa mantra.kaler doña-nidhe räjannasti hy eko mahän guëaùkértanäd eva kåñëasyamukta-saìgaù paraà vrajet"My dear King, although Kali-yuga is full of faults, there is still one good quality about this age. It is that simply by chanting the Hare Kåñëa mahä-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom." (S.B. 12.3.51) Those who have accepted the task of spreading the Hare Kåñëa mahä-mantra in full Kåñëa consciousness should take this opportunity to deliver people very easily from the clutches of material existence. Our duty, therefore, is to follow the instructions of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu and preach the Kåñëa consciousness movement all over the world very sincerely. This is the best welfare activity for the peace and prosperity of human society.
(Çrémad-Bhägavatam 8.5.23)
Comments