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necessities of life, eating, sleeping, defending agreement, and a person will think he is fitto and needless violence, and all the social class- and mating without following the rules and appear in public if he has merely taken a bath. es will be reduced to the lowest level of regulations, and this deterioration of social A sacred place will be taken to consist ofno Sudras. Cows will be like goats, spiritual her- and moral rules is certainly lamentable more than a reservoir of water located at a dis- _mitages will be no different from mundane because of the harmful effects of such beastly _ tance, and beauty will be thought to depend _ houses, and family ties will extend no further behaviour. In this age, the fathers and the on one's hairstyle. Filling the belly will _ than the immediate bonds of marriage. Most guardians are not happy with the behaviour of become the goal of life, and one who is auda- _ plants and herbs will be tiny, and all trees will their wards. They should know that so many cious will be accepted as truthful. He who appear like dwarf sami trees. Clouds will be innocent children are victims of bad associa- can maintain a family will be regarded as an __ full of lightning, homes will be devoid of tion awarded by the influence of this Age of | expert man, and the principles of religion will _ piety, and all human beings will have become Kali. In this Age of Kali, the poor innocent __ be observed only for the sake of reputation. like asses. At that time, the Supreme students are daily victims of cinemas which "As the Earth becomes crowded with a cor- Personality of Godhead will appear on the attract men only for sex indulgence. rupt population, whoever among any of the Earth. Acting with the power of pure spiritual "Nowadays, men without proper training social clas shows himself to be the goodness, He will rescue eternal religion." by culture and tradition are promoted to exalt- strongest will gain political power. Losing — Srimad Bhagavatam 12.2.1-16 ed posts by the votes of the people who are __ their wives and properties to such avaricious themselves fallen in the rules and regulations and merciless rulers, who will behave no bet- "In the Age of Kali, only one fourth of the of life. How can such people select a proper _ ter than ordinary thieves, the citizens will flee _ religious principles remains. That last rem- man when they are themselves fallen in the to the mountains and forests. Harassed by _ nant will continuously be decreased by the standard of life? Therefore, by the influence famine and excessive taxes, people will resort ever-increasing principles of irreligion and of the Age of Kali, everywhere, politically, to eating leaves, roots, flesh, wild honey, _ will finally be destroyed. socially or religiously, everything is topsy- _ fruits, flowers and seeds. Struck by drought, "In the Age of Kali, people tend to be turvy, and therefore for the sane man it is _ they will become completely ruined. The citi- greedy, ill-behaved and merciless, and they most regrettable." zens will suffer greatly from cold, wind, heat, fight one another without good reason. — Srimad Bhagavatam 1.16.19-22 rain and snow. They will be further torment- Unfortunate and obsessed with material ed by quarrels, hunger, thirst, disease and _ desires, the people of Kali-yuga are almost all In the 12th canto of the Srimad severe anxiety. The maximum duration of Sudras and barbarians. When there is a pre- Bhagavatam, Srila Sukadeva Goswami life for human beings in Kali-yuga will dominance of cheating, lying, sloth, sleepi- relates how, after the thorough degradation of _ become fifty years. ness, violence, depression, lamentation, the brahminical and administrative classes, "By the time the Age of Kali ends, the bod- bewilderment, fear and poverty, that age is these and other symptoms of Kali-yuga _ ies of all creatures will be greatly reduced in Kali, the age of the mode of ignorance. increase to an intolerable level. size, and the religious principles of followers "Because of the bad qualities of the Age of "Sukadeva Goswami said: Then, O King, — of varnasrama will be ruined. The path of the Kali, human beings will become shortsighted, religion, truthfulness, cleanliness, tolerance, Vedas will be completely forgotten inhuman —_ unfortunate, gluttonous, lustful and poverty- mercy, duration of life, physical strength and society, and so-called religion will be mostly stricken. The women, becoming unchaste, memory will all diminish day by day because atheistic. The kings will mostly be thieves, of the powerful influence of the Age of Kali. _ the occupations of men will be stealing, lying iu pag "In Kali-yuga, wealth alone will be consid- ered a sign of a man's good birth, proper ehaviour and fine qualities. And law and justice will be applied only on the basis of one's power. Men and women will live together merely because of superficial attrac- tion, and success in business will depend on deceit. Womanliness and manliness will be judged according to one's expertise in sex, and a man will be known as a Brahmana just y his wearing a thread. "A person's spiritual position will be ascer- tained merely according to external symbols, and on the same basis people will change rom one spiritual order to the next. A per- son's propriety will be seriously questioned if ie does not earn a good living. And one who is very clever at juggling words will be con- sidered a learned scholar. A person will be judged unholy if he does not have money, and ypocrisy will be accepted as virtue. Marriage will be arranged simply by verbal and needless violence, and all the social class- es will be reduced to the lowest level of Sudras. Cows will be like goats, spiritual her- mitages will be no different from mundane houses, and family ties will extend no further than the immediate bonds of marriage. Most plants and herbs will be tiny, and all trees will appear like dwarf sami trees. Clouds will be full of lightning, homes will be devoid of piety, and all human beings will have become like asses. At that time, the Supreme Personality of Godhead will appear on the Earth. Acting with the power of pure spiritual goodness, He will rescue eternal religion." — Srimad Bhagavatam 12.2.1-16 — 4, Serene. NEXUS +63 Continued on page 77 OCTOBER — NOVEMBER 2003 www.nexusmagazine.com