Why is Bhaviṣya Mālikā indispensable at the end of Kali Yuga?
The ‘Yuga Chakra’ symbolizes the cyclical nature of time and is represented by a wheel or ‘chakra’ with each epoch or yuga as its segment. The four yugas that appear chronologically per the Yuga Chakra are Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dwapara Yuga, and Kali Yuga. We are currently living in a time that has gone beyond the end of Kali Yuga and is amid a transitional period known as ‘Yuga-Sandhya’ or ‘Sangam-Yuga.’
The interlude between two yugas is called ‘Yuga-Sandhya’ or ‘Sangam-Yuga.’ According to the Manusmriti, which contains the laws of sage Manu, the lifespan of Kali Yuga is 432,000 years. However, it also stipulates that the heinous sins committed by humanity will curtail its span by 4,27,200 years, ultimately making it only 4,800 years long. This is supported by a verse from Manusmirti and is quoted below,
“catvāryāhuḥ sahastrāṇi varṣāṇāṁ tu kr̥tam yugam
tasya tāvacchatī sandhyā sandhyāśaśca tathāvidhaḥ”
(Source: Manusmriti, 1.69)
Purport:
The above verse states that Satya Yuga commences after 4,000 years of Kali Yuga. It also says that the Yuga-Sandhyas wrap Kali Yuga at its beginning and end. The duration of each Sandhya period is calculated as 100 multiplied by the number of millennia (where, 1 millennium = 1000 years) in the yuga’s duration. Hence, since Kali Yuga lasts for 4,000 years (i.e., 4 millennia), respectively its Yuga-Sandhya lasts for 400 years (4 x 100).
- The age of Kali Yuga = 4,000 years.
- The combined ages of Yuga-Sandhya that precede and succeed the Kali Yuga = 400 years x 2 = 800 years.
Hence, the cumulative age of the Kali Yuga and the Yuga-Sandhya is 4,800 years.
In the Bhaviṣya Mālikā texts, inscribed by Achyutananda Das, there is a detailed discussion about the lifespan of Kali Yuga. Achyutananda Das was one of the five prominent members of the Panchasakha (five divine friends) of Odisha. In Dwapara Yuga, Sudama was the most beloved companion and devotee of Lord Shree Krishna. In Kali Yuga, Sudama was reborn as Brahma Gopal Achyutananda Das, who became one of the five prominent members of the Panchasakha. Achyutananda Das was a Mahapurush, a title conferred to a great man. Under the divine guidance of the Formless Supreme Lord, he wrote a prophetic treatise called ‘Bhaviṣya Mālikā.’ In this treatise, Mahapurush Achyutananda Das revised the age of Kali Yuga, which is mentioned as 4,800 years in the Manusmriti, to 5,000 years.
“cāri lakṣa jē batiśa sahasra,
kalijuga ra aṭai āyuṣa
pāpa bhārā rē kali tuṭi jiba,
pānca sasra kali bhōga hōiba”
(Source: Bhaviṣya Mālikā, Achyutananda Das)
Purport:
Mahapurush Achyutananda Das states that the Kali Yuga, which is a period of moral degradation, has a duration of 432,000 years. However, due to the immoral deeds of humans, the lifespan of Kali Yuga will reduce to only five-thousand years. The above verse explains that various Hindu calendars called Panjikas (almanacs), such as ‘Maa Biraja Panjika,’ ‘Jagannath Panjika,’ and ‘Kohinoor Panjika’, have determined that we are currently in the 5,125th year of Kali Yuga. This implies that Kali Yuga has already surpassed its expected duration of the five-thousand year and has ended, ushering in the age of Yuga-Sandhya or Sangam-Yuga. Since Kali Yuga has ended and we are in the transitional period, Bhaviṣya Mālikā, a text of prophecies and predictions, is particularly indispensable for navigating this transition successfully and uplifting mankind from evil to righteousness. In the Bhaviṣya Mālikā, Mahapurush Achyutananda Das elaborates on this as quoted below,
“sansāra madhyarē kēmanta jāṇibē nara angē dēha bahi
gata āgata jē yuga ra byabasthā samastanku jaṇā nāhīn”
(Source: Siva Kalpa Navakhanḍa Nirghaṇṭa, Achyutananda Das)
Purport:
Here, Mahapurush says that human beings, deceived by the illusions (māyā) of this world, will be oblivious to the perils that will strike at the end of a yuga (Kali Yuga), during the transition (Yuga-Sandhya) and just before the beginning of the new yuga (Satya Yuga). Furthermore, he says that even wise men will be under the thrall of this illusion of māyā and make grandiose claims during their spiritual discussions, suggesting that Kali Yuga is still in its infancy. In summary, the text implies that people will be deluded by the illusions of the world, causing them to underestimate the severity of the impending changes that will occur during the transition to a new yuga.
“udayati: yadi bhānu paścima diga bibhāgē,
bikaśati yadi padma parvatānāṁ śikhāgrē
pracalati yadi mēru śitō tāpatī banhī,
naṭalatiṁ khaḍū bākya sajjanānāṁ kadā”
(Source: Bhaviṣya Mālikā, Achyutananda Das)
Purport:
The above excerpt from the Malika conveys that the prophecies made by revered sages like Mahapurush Achyutananda and Panchasakha are immutable and unchangeable, as if they are etched in stone. These lines suggest that, it may become possible that in the future, humanity may witness unprecedented and extraordinary events that previously seemed impossible, such as the sun rising from the west, the lotus blooming atop a mountain peak, the Meru Peak reversing its geographical location, fire providing the sensation of cold air, and ice emitting heat but the predictions of these great sages will remain true to the fact.