Bhavishya Malika · Chapter 4 of 10

The Sins That Lead to the Downfall of Kali Yuga

The transgressions that hasten the end of this age.

According to the calculation of the four yugas, Kali Yuga has a potential duration of 432,000 years. However, the numerous sins committed by humans will accelerate the end of the yuga, reduce its lifespan and eventually bring out its end sooner than expected. According to the Bhaviṣya Mālikā, the age of Kali Yuga will be diminished due to the thirty-five categories of sins as mentioned below:

  1. Patricide (killing of one’s father)
  2. Matricide (killing of one’s mother)
  3. Uxoricide (killing of one’s wife)
  4. Infanticide (killing of children)
  5. Cow slaughter
  6. Brahmahatyā (killing of Brahmins)
  7. Feticide (destruction or abortion of a fetus)
  8. Abduction of one’s own mother
  9. Abduction of one’s own sister
  10. Abduction of one’s own daughter
  11. Abduction of the bride of one’s own brother
  12. Abduction of the widow
  13. Abduction of another person’s wife
  14. Abduction of women
  15. Abduction of pregnant women
  16. Abduction of young girls
  17. Abduction of animals
  18. Land grabbing
  19. Usurping other peoples’ wealth
  20. Adopting the immodest clothing of foreigners
  21. Eating forbidden food
  22. Journeying into inaccessible places
  23. Being severely depressed
  24. Detached from one’s own family
  25. Cheating one’s friend
  26. Betrayal
  27. Making love with a person from a lower caste
  28. Bathing naked
  29. Sleeping naked
  30. False speech
  31. Condemning the scriptures
  32. Illegal possession of land meant for Cow grazing and crematorium
  33. Not worshiping Maa Tulsi (& holy Basil plant)
  34. Not worshiping the idol of Lord Maha-Vishnu
  35. Not worshiping one’s own father and mother

Due to the listed sins, the age of Kali Yuga will be reduced to 5,000 years. Mahapurush Achyutananda has detailed these nuances in his book ‘Uddhav Bhakti Pradayini’. In this treatise, Mahapurush has captured the conversation between Uddhava and Shree Krishna and the response that Lord Shree Krisha gives to Uddhava’s question related to the end of Kali Yuga, which clarifies that:

“chari lakh ate batis sahasra ayush e Kali Yuga

papa badhibaru aayu katijiba alapa hoiba bhoga”

Source: Uddhav Bhakti Pradayini, Achyutananda Das

Purport: The age of Kali Yuga will be reduced to only 5,000 years from the prescribed age of 432,000 years. In the Dwapara Yuga, there is a dialogue between Lord Shree Krishna and his best friend Arjuna, and at that time, Arjuna questions Mahaprabhu Shree Krishna about the end of Kali Yuga, the establishment of Dharma and the incarnation of Lord Kalki. Then, Lord Shree Krishna narrates many pastimes (leelas) to Arjuna, which Mahapurush Achyutananda has described in his various books like 'Chaushathi Patal,’ 'Neel Sundar Gita' etc.

Arjuna had asked Mahaprabhu Shree Krishna that if the age of Kali Yuga was destined to be 432,000 years and due to the transgressions, Kali Yuga’s lifespan was to be reduced to only 5,000 years, then, "O Lord, kindly tell us by which sinful deeds and by how much will the age of Kali Yuga be diminished."

Then Lord Shree Krishna describes the major sins and the number of years by which the lifespan of Kali Yuga will be reduced due to each misdeed, as follows:

Due to lying: 5,000 years

Due to bathing naked in the Ganges: 12,000 years

Due to love making of a Brahmin with people of another caste: 30,000 years

From the sin of betraying a friend: 6,000 years

Due to not worshiping the idol of Lord Maha-Vishnu: 17,000 years

Due to not worshiping Maa Tulsi (& holy Tulsi plant): 5,000 years

Due to not serving the guest: 6,000 years

Due to the sin of betraying one’s brother: 40,000 years

Due to consumption of forbidden foods (meat etc.): 8,000 years

Due to usurping others' wealth: 10,000 years

From the sin of cow slaughter: 100,000 years

By misusing charity: 14,000 years

By doing wrongs to widows: 24,000 years

From the sin of killing creatures: 11,000 years

By making love, disobeying the rules of caste, religion, and creed: 12,000 years

From the sin of feticide: 7,000 years

From the sin of killing women: 32,000 years

Due to illegally possessing the land meant for cow grazing and crematorium: 40,000 years

From the sin of abducting one’s mother: 5,000 years

From the sin of betraying others: 40,000 years

Due to patricide, matricide, and other sins: 3,000 Years

In this way, 427,000 years will be deducted from Kali Yuga’s 432,000 years; thus, the age of Kali Yuga will be reduced to just 5,000 years.

In line with the above reasoning, we find evidence from various Shastras, Puranas, and Malika scriptures that due to the many sinful deeds, the age of a yuga is reduced, and the age of this Kali Yuga will also be reduced in the same way and will last only for 5,000 years. Also, as per the calculations described in the Shastras, the current year of Kali Yuga is the 5,125th year, which means that this Yuga has already ended.

॥ हरि ॐ तत्सत् ॥

Jay Shree Madhava

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