Kali Coming of Age: Unmarriage the Norm

Tying the Knot?

Marriage and Krishna Consciousness by HANSADUTTA DAS

Relationships that are not God-centered will not last. After they become familiar with one another’s body or mental and intellectual nuances, they become bored. Familiarity breeds contempt. Why people are being divorced? Because they have lost the centrepiece of the human relationship or the marriage relationship, which is God. more

Pradyumna: [reading from Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.19:] "The people of the world in this age of Kali are always full of anxieties. Everyone is diseased with some kind of ailment. From the very faces of the people of this age, one can find out the index of the mind. Everyone feels the absence of his relative who is away from home. The particular symptom of the age of Kali is that no family is now blessed to live together. To earn a livelihood, the father lives at a place far away from the son, or the wife lives far away from the husband and so on. There are sufferings from internal diseases, separation from those near and dear, and anxieties for maintaining the status quo. These are but some important factors which make the people of this age always unhappy."

Prabhupada: So this age of Kali, we have discussed in the previous verses, is very degraded age. In the beginning, there is Satya-yuga; and next, Treta-yuga; next, Dvapara-yuga; and this is the Kali-yuga. The aggregate of all these four yugas is called yuga: sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmano viduh [Bhagavad-gita 8.17]. The duration of Satya-yuga is 1,800,000's of years; and the next, Treta-yuga, roughly 1,200,000's of years; and Dvapara-yuga, 800,000's of years; and this Kali-yuga, 432,000's of years. So we are in this Kali-yuga. In this Kali-yuga we have passed only five thousand years. Out of 432,000's of years we have passed only five thousand. Since the Battle of Kurukshetra, which took place five thousand years ago, the Kali-yuga has begun.

So this chapter is on the subject matter, "How Parikshit Received the Age of Kali." We are studying this chapter at the present moment. In Los Angeles we were studying, and again, after that, we are presenting. So Kali-yuga is not very good age, simply faults. We have several times discussed that in this age, people's duration of life, mercifulness, bodily strength and so many things, eight kinds of things, will be reduced. The age is reducing; the bodily strength is also reducing. Now you American generation, you are not as strong as your father or grandfather. You can understand that. You are not so luxuriantly grown up, bodily growth. There are so many reasons, but this is the symptom of age of Kali. And they're described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, foretold, five thousand years ago, what will happen in this Kali-yuga. That is all explained in the Twelfth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, third, fourth chapter. So simply full of faults. Social life, political life, religious life—everything has been described there. And one thing I can see very practical, that in this age, lavanyam kesha-dharanam. It is stated there that people will think that by keeping long hairs they will become very beautiful. That is stated there. Dampatye ratim eva hi. Husband and wife's relation will depend on the strength of sex. These are described there. Svikara eva codvahe. Marriage will be performed simply by agreement.

Now, this is shastra [scripture]. Five thousand years ago, what was written, that is now becoming true. Now there is no marriage as it was taking formerly, Vedic marriage. The father (and) mother will select the bride, bridegroom, and there will be gorgeous ceremony and marriage. The father will spend... Both parties, the girl's father and the boy's father, will spend. Still in India, there are cases like that. They'll spend their hard-earned money during the marriage ceremony of their son and daughter. But in this age, gradually, it is said, svikara eva codvahe. Udvaha means marriage, taking the charge of the girl. The boy takes charge of the young girl from the custody of her father. This is marriage. Woman, according to Vedic civilization, they are not recommended freedom. They should be taken care just like children are taken care of. You cannot give independence to the children. That is not possible. Then it is not good for them. Similarly, woman also should be taken care of. They should not be given freedom. That is not good for them. They should be protected by the father in childhood, by the husband in youthhood, and by the grown-up children in old age. Three stages. But in this age, women are trying to take independence of father, husband or children. That is not good. That is described in the shastra.

So, so many symptoms are described, but at the end the remedy is suggested because shastra means it will guide you for the ultimate goal of life, for the perfection of life. So if the world condition is so bad, then how people will be saved? That is also suggested in the shastra: kaler dosha-nidhe rajann asti hy eko mahan gunah. Parikshit Maharaja was advised by Shukadeva Gosvami, "My dear King, I've described so many faults. It is like the ocean of faults. But there is one boon also. That is special prerogative, special advantage of this age." Kaler dosha-nidhe rajann asti hy eko mahan gunah. Kalau, kalau means "In this age of Kali, it is full of faulty things. But there is one boon." What is that? Kirtanad eva krishnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet [Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.3.51]. Kirtanad eva krishnasya: Simply by chanting the holy name of Krishna—Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare—simply by chanting the holy name...," kirtanad eva krishnasya, krishnasya, so, mukta-sangah, "he becomes free from all these contaminations, by one thing, simply chanting Hare Krishna." Kirtanad eva krishnasya mukta-sangah. There are so many contaminations, so many faults of this age, but simply by chanting Hare Krishna maha-mantra, one becomes kirtanad eva krishnasya mukta-sangah, he becomes free from the contaminated association.

Just like if there is some epidemic, disease, and if you take vaccine, it is supposed that you are free from the contamination. So this vaccine of chanting Hare Krishna maha-mantra will keep you fit without any contamination of this age of Kali. And that is happening. All over the world people are chanting Hare Krishna maha-mantra. And practically we see, those who are chanting, they're becoming free from the contamination. If you follow the rules and regulations, very simple thing, and chant Hare Krishna maha-mantra... That is our only request. Then, in spite of this contaminated age of Kali, you'll be saved. You'll be saved. That we are... That is our... Krishna consciousness movement means that we are preaching this cult.

harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha [Chaitanya-charitamrita Adi-lila 17.21]

Without this, there is no other way of saving you from the contamination of Kali.