Kaliyuga Research Articles

A Ramayana for Our Times: Superheroes, Science Fiction and Myth

Recent retellings of Indian epics draw upon science fiction. This article discusses an Indian superhero comic based on the Ramayana in which Rama, the central figure in the epic, is portrayed as the superhero Nagraj. The story uses the figure of the avatara (reincarnated one) to align the world of the epics with the contemporary world by incorporating science-fiction elements into their stories. It may seem that these retellings are drawing on strategies within science fiction to update the epics for the present so as to make mythic figures equivalent to superheroes. However, these strategies are not new. Parallel compositional techniques within folk epics prefigure these science-fictional strategies. This is borne out by the fact that Nagraj is an avatara of Rama, said to be reborn in the dark Kali age to fulfil unfulfilled desires from the past. In other words, instead of being for the sake of the present, superheroes are in the present to complete a quest from another time, drawing the present within the ambit of the mythic. There is a juxtaposition of a cyclical view of time associated with myth with the eventful linear time of superheroes, reorganising assumptions about chronicity in both superhero comics and epics.

Cancer and the Kali Yuga: Gender, Inequality and Health in South India by Cecilia Coale Van Hollen (review)

Cancer and the Kali Yuga: Gender, Inequality and Health in South India by Cecilia Coale Van Hollen (review)

Interconnection of vedic with modern mathematics and information technology (IT)

The main objective of this paper is to study some slokas of Veda(s) and its connection with Modern Mathematics, Information Technology relative to conveying message. The message or information delivered through Akashvani during the period of Satya Yuga to Modern (Kali Yuga) period without direct technology at that time.

Сотериология индуистской тантрической садханы Часть I

The article deals with the central aspects of tantric practice (sādhana) related to soteriological issues. Sādhana aims at siddhi as an ideal realization; liberation (mokṣa) is considered the highest siddhi. It is permissible to discern two interre­lated aspects of sadhana, i.e. narrow (specialized) and wide (coinciding with the whole way of life of the follower). Tantric sādhana positions itself as a highly effective tool for human improvement in Kali Yuga. While addressing all people, Tantra at the same time requires the observance of the secret of practice. Leading, as it were, a “double life”, a number of tantric traditions (Śrīvidyā, for example) adapt to the needs of the orthodox Hindu society. Tantric works sometimes report the “lightness” of the spiritual path, which means the acquisition of the highest ideal during the earthly life of the practitioner, but does not mean the ease of the tantric procedures themselves. In general, Hindu Tantrism agrees with general In­dian soteriology that sādhana is a “return” (nivṛtti) process, which is accompanied by an increase of holistic perception of reality. Nevertheless, in Tantrism, nivṛtti and pravṛtti (deployment) are closely related to each other, since they represent different phases of the Śakti’s “game” (B.K. Majumdar), also understood as the divine vibration-spanda. Depending on the level of his development, sādhaka is engaged in exercises either in the spirit of nivṛtti or pravṛtti. The effectiveness of pravṛtti at the final levels of the path is turned against pravṛtti itself. The vari­ability of tantric methods and ethical standards correlate with the level of con­sciousness of the practitioner. The stage of nivṛtti, as it were, models the ultimate state reached by the tantric adept after the end of his spiritual path.

“An outstanding lama of the West taught...” – M. Pallis and his treatise warning Tibet about the consequences of Kali Yuga

The crisis of Tibetan statehood in the second half of the 1940s and the beginning of the 1950s accompanied by the relaxation of restrictions for foreigners to enter the country and by the next round of interest in Tibetan culture in general allowed many European explorers and travelers to reach Tibet and other inaccessible places of the Indo-Tibetan frontier. Their expeditions have resulted not only in the increase of the number of scientific publications on Tibet, which have defined the basic trends in modern Buddhist and Tibetan studies, but also in the increase of literary and artistic works, which have shaped “the image of Tibet” in the Western culture. A treatise prepared and written by the British researcher of Tibet and the Himalayas M. Pallis (1895–1989), which is the subject of this article, takes a special place in Tibetology, since it is a text not only about Tibet, but also for Tibet. The text was published in Tibetan as a detailed commentary on the political testament of Dalai Lama XIII (1876–1933), and its potential readers, first of all, were supposed to be Tibetans. At the same time, the text allows us to notice the intersection of the ideas of European philosophy of traditionalism and Indo-Buddhist ideas about Kali Yuga, and the appearance of the treatise can be regarded as a result of various transcultural communications between the Tibetan culture and representatives of Western philosophical thought in the mid-20th century.

From the Golden Age to the Kali Age: The evolution of the Qissa/Romance genre in South Asia

From the Golden Age to the Kali Age: The evolution of the Qissa/Romance genre in South Asia

MANIPURI NATA SANKIRTANA

Nata-Sankirtana of Manipur is considered as Purvaranga and Mahayajna in Vaisnavite culture of Manipur. Yajna means all acts performed for the satisfaction of paramatama, pritilok, devalok and for those who have sanskar (purification), for the beings and for keeping the cycle of nature, for the goodness (Singh M. T., NATASANKIRTANA AS A MAHAYAJNA, 2017). Not only these, but it also denotes mantra performed by the believers of Sanatana Dharma, Dravya, Shraddha and different Shatkarmas. For centuries, Nata-Sankirtana has been performing as an important practice, as a Gandharva Vidya, Purvaranga, and a MahaYajna in the society of Manipuri GouriyaVaishnavites. NataSankirtana became a part and parcel of Manipuri Vaishnava community’s socio-religious activities and prosperity. (Singh M. T., Manipuri Nata Sankirtana: Perspectives and Prospects, 2015) In ShrimadBhagavata, the only merit in Kali yuga is Harinam Sankirtana in which a person can reach his end and attain moksha. We have been worshipping him in one form or the other. We worship him with the help of drum or with song and dance and it is known as Gandharbam. The different religions of Prachin Bharat i.e. Sheiba, Shakta, Boudha, Jain, etc. have devised ways to worship the Istadevata starting with Sankirtana. The religious sect of Sanatana searches different means to get the almighty. In Satya Yuga, Dhyan was the only means to get blessing of God, Yajna for Treta, Puja for Dwapur and Hari Sankirtana for Kali are believed to be sure. It is also believed that the end of Dhyan, Yajna, and Puja is equal to the observance of Hari Nam Sankirtana. Thus, chanting the name of Shree Krishna is the only means in Kali Yuga. This chanting of Mahamantra will enable the soul to free from the sansarmaya and connect with Godhead. This paper tried to understand the Nata-Sankirtana and its role in Manipuri Society, to know the formalities for performing Manipuri Nata-Sankirtana and to identify the different parts required for doing a whole Nata-Sankirtana performance.

கலியுகத் திருமால் அய்யா வைகுண்டர் / Ayya Vaikundar as the Thirumal of the Kali Yuga

கலியுகத் திருமால் அய்யா வைகுண்டர் / Ayya Vaikundar as the Thirumal of the Kali Yuga

Ayya Vaikundar as the Thirumal of the Kali Yuga

Ayya Vaikundar as the Thirumal of the Kali Yuga

கலியுகத் திருமால் அய்யா வைகுண்டர் / Ayya Vaikundar as the Thirumal of the Kali Yuga

கலியுகத் திருமால் அய்யா வைகுண்டர் / Ayya Vaikundar as the Thirumal of the Kali Yuga

Pre-Historic Intra-Continental Africa-India Proximity Series on the Vedic-Period-Earth Viewed from Alfred Wegener’s Pro-Universals

This paper has chosen its platform on which Alfred Wegener had advanced his fast-track research-method as a German Professor looking at many proproximity universals in geographic locations nurtured by the Cosmic Nature‟s identical species inhabiting the Earth / Vedic Soil from the beginning of prehistoric times. The Professor must have been ignited by the Nature‟s configured terrestrial fauna and flora with remnants of material-life-objects facilitated by occurrences of fossil organisms which are the geologically altered remains and/or conceptacles of once-living organisms before and after the separation of the Continental rocks, say, not man-made at all . His Excellency Alfred Wegener came up driving home his down-to-Earth hypothesis of prefixed „Continental Drift‟ as one of the pro-Universals akin to a mathematical lemma with deemed-proof in light of the paleontological wonders , say again, not man-made at all but of his times. Yet, fossils of identical plants and animals were taken as the pro-Universals by Wegener (1880-1930), while inspired by ancestral Indo-European settlers belonging twined to Germans‟ Vedic roots of Indo-European language family as pioneers of Vedic-Research since 1846 AD on Rig-Veda by Rudolph von Roth (1821-1895) and Max Mueller (1823-1900) known as the Veda Vyasa of the Kali Yuga.

RELEVANSI KONSEP CATUR YUGA DENGAN REALITA BERMASYARAKAT DAN BERNEGARA SAAT INI

Catur Yuga is an age division according to the Hindu religion. Each era has a different character. At the age of Satya Yoga or Krta Yuga, human being was dominated by truth. Tapasya become liability in this era, and long-lived human beings and they were lived in harmony. Entering the era of Treta Yoga, humanity has begun to be interested in worldly things, humans began leaving the tapasya. At the time of Dvapara Yuga, bad human traits began to emerge slowly, it can be said between dharma and adharma have the proper tension. Then the era which has the worst character is Kali Yuga. In this era crime was increase highly, the leader is not longer a patron of the people but rather be a thief of the peaple’s rights. Moral and ethical degradation also the spiritual decline in the quality of an indicator this time era. Catur Yuga concept is addressed in the books of the Puranas. Although it seemed like a forecast, but it is worth a careful study. When linked with the reality of state and Indonesian society life these days, it seems that the Yuga concept is not only a forecast, but rather a reality and have to be faced together. Murder, rape, robbery, freesex, drug abuse, cheating politicians, leaders, corruption, a suite of bed behavior that dominates the lives of the people of Indonesian in this Kali Yoga. In the Vishnu Purana says things that be done at the time of Kali and brings great reward is with the name of the Lord over and over again. While in the Siva Purana advised to read this book wholeheartedly then sameone will be protected from sin and attain Siva consciousnes. By increasing devotion, by doing such as sravanam, kirtanam, smaranam, padasevanam, arcanam, vandanam, dasya, sankhya, and atmanivedanam, hopefully can counteract the bad influence of Kali Yuga

Teaching and Learning Guide for: Kali age crisis as Jaina–Brahmana conflict

AbstractIn the 1960s, an attempt was made to discuss the presence of feudalism in the context of early medieval India covering the period between 3rd century and 10th century CE. The Puranic literature provides information regarding the Kali age crisis. R.S. Sharma and B.N.S. Yadava considered it as representing feudalism. However, B.D. Chattopadhyaya and B.P. Sahu have questioned this argument. Kali age crisis represents the Jaina‐Brahmana conflict in the age of state formation. This conflict is represented in the form of the fear expressed by the Brahmanas concerning the domination of the heretics including the Jainas. Such a study provides a new orientation to the Indian feudalism debate.

Kali Age Crisis as Jaina‐Brahmana conflict: A contribution to Indian Feudalism debate

AbstractThis paper reviews and reinterprets the representation of the Kali Age Crisis as the reflection of feudalism, thus analyzing the feudalism debate. It substantiates the argument that the Kali Age Crisis did not represent feudalism. The apprehension of Brahmanas regarding the Kali Age did not emerge from political decentralization. It was the result of the competition from Jainism, particularly in south India. The Brahmanas were wary of the Jainas consuming a major share of the state patronage, thereby depriving the Brahmanas of the material resources, which they aimed to monopolize.

International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in the time of War in Donbas (2014 – 2019)

International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Ukraine faces different kinds of challenges – practical as well as spiritual – since the war in Donbas had been started. The practical challenge deals with taking care of fellows believers from war areas. The spiritual concerns what the community stand for in the conflict. The response on the first one was the foundation of “Ukrainian Vaisnava Refugee Fund” which provides temporal shelter for the refugees and makes the premises in Vaishnava retreat centers ready for the cold season. Concerning the second challenge – ISKCON claims principal and conscious detachment from the war. One could not expect different positions from this religious organization taking to account its theological particularities of the religion. Firstly, Vaishnavism claims a strong division on material and spiritual (transcendental) worlds so that worldly deals including wars treated less important and valuable. Secondly, the Hindu imagination on time implies that Earth is facing the period of degradation (kali yuga) when wars are inevitable and no one can influence it, so there is no point in active participation in them. Thirdly, Vaishnavism does not think about its position on war as on the detachment rather it claims the different type of participation which derives from the understanding of its mission in any conflict which differs from missions of other religious organizations. The mission of ISKCON in the war not to take one or another side but transform the quality of ignorance (tama-guna) into the quality of goodness (sattva-guna) which is reached by transcendental, not worldly methods. Therefore, any ISKCON charity project does not deals with the help one or another side of the conflict directly but strive to be universal and provide help irrespective to war affairs. As a result of this position only two ways of charity was possible for the Krishnaites in a wartime – the project “Food for life. Donbas” and taking care of abandoned cows in the conflict zone.
 However, the individual position of devotee could differ from organization’s one. Usually it depends on his or her personal experience or background, especially before coming to Krishna’s consciousness. There are devotees who follow pro-Ukrainian position as well as those who follow pro-Russian, thus Vaishnavas’ attitude to the conflict reflects, in general, the Ukrainian population attitude to it on particular territories. It does not mean that devotees on the Ukrainian territories are all pro-Ukrainian and those who are on the uncontrolled territories are all pro-Russian. Both positions exist on the both sides from the frontline. But because of curtain reasons one or another position is louder on one side from the frontline and almost silent on another.
 It could be concluded that Vaishnavas accepted the spiritual challenge successfully on both collective and individual level. As field work has shown ISKCON avoided inner conflicts and schism on the political ground. Furthermore, Ukrainian Vaishnavas have not lost the connection with their fellow believers on the uncontrolled territories. Moreover, they also have not lost the good relationships and connections with Russian fellow believers. Though the intensity of such contacts decreased drastically it is more due to technical reasons connecting with the difficulties on the borders. Regarding ISKCON yatras on the uncontrolled territories of Donbas and in Crimea they are facing difficulties with selflegalization due to strict religious laws.

Ajaran Satya dan Dharma dalam Membentuk Karakter Keluarga Hindu di Desa Peguyangan Kangin Kota Denpasar

This research is derived from the background that today is age of kali yuga, which signed by decreasing of moral and ethic from most human beings on earth. On such situation, man will lose its steps, that are, humanity values on its self since born. On this Kali Age, men are controlled passion, lose love, suspect each other, even there are tendencies to do bad things represent today trend. Corruption everywhere, there are no fear or shame to make sin, giving sign that the truth is fade away. Fighting among tribes and kill each other happened in tremendous, love is gone to humans. Progress in science and technology has give great benefits to mankind, because all easier has been given. In other side if the progress of science and technology will be misused, it will be very dangerous not only to mankind but have impact to all creatures.

Buddhist and Śaiva Interactions in the Kali Age

Abstract In a much-discussed passage of the Kāraṇḍavyūhasūtra it is taught that Avalokiteśvara produced Maheśvara from his forehead. Maheśvara is introduced as a representative of the degenerative Kali age. In this connection, the Kāraṇḍavyūha quotes a doctrinal verse about the worship of the liṅga, which for a long time has been mistakenly attributed to ‘the Skandapurāṇa’, but whose source can now be identified in the Śivadharmaśāstra. After a comparative discussion of this verse in both texts, the article considers the possible broader implications of this quotation, in particular in relation to the question of the origin of the six-syllabled mantra oṃ maṇipadme hūṃ and its Śaiva counterpart oṃ namaḥ śivāya. The article concludes with some observations on distinctive features that characterise Śaiva versus Vaiṣṇava interactions with Buddhism.

An Immobile Nomad: “the Peasant from the Danube”

Abstract European writer of Romanian origin, Vintila Horia (1915-1992) - Goncourt Prize in 1960 for the novel Dieu est né enexil - was a truly awakened consciousness of his time. Wherever he was - in Bucharest or Florence, Buenos Aires or Paris, Rome or Madrid - this “polyglot nomad” (Jean-François-Malherbe) never left the unyielding values of the spirit and of knowledge. His work of literary epistemology, hisnovelistic creation - fed by exile, love and by the divine -, as well as the Journal d’un paysan du Danube (1966), stand as testimony. Focal point of my approach, this text sheds light on the metaphysical realm of a way of thinking in which the undivided man (a double-faced reality: big infinity /small infinity) and the man to come are one and the same. Since for the exiled VintilaHoria,”the peasant from the Danube” is “celui dans lequel ce qui fut rencontre celui qui sera, dans un espace-temps non-euclidien”, and his journal emphasizes this “rediscovery”, in spite of the dark times of history; an encounter in, through and beyond the broken grounds of science, art and philosophy, but nevertheless, deeply anchored in philosophy, art and science. Apparently, rediscovery and isolation of the same proportion; in fact, we are talking about an anagnorisis: the inner man and the outer man have never separated, despite the “microbial fauna of Kali Yuga” (“la faunemicrobienne du Kali Yuga”). “Nomade polyglotte” through his evolution, a result of flawless reflexive stability, Vintila Horia proves himself to be, at the same time, animmobile nomad; “the peasant from the Danube” is the plenary expression of this unusual simultaneity.

‘Posthuman cosmopolitanism’ for the Anthropocene in India: Urbanism and human-snake relations in the Kali Yuga

India’s rapid urbanisation and biodiversity decline together have critical global implications in the Anthropocene. However, the complex socio-religious dimensions of urban biodiversity are overlooked in current planning. This paper casts animals as vital components of urban societies in India to argue for species-inclusive zoöpolises as viable cities of the future. It proposes ‘posthuman cosmopolitanism’ as a planning ethic that extends pluralism to multispecies in the Anthropocene, cognisant of the socio-cultural and religious frames in which animals are enmeshed in India. These narratives have significant implications in the Kali Yuga or the apocalyptic cosmological epoch, which Hindus believe is currently underway. Akin to the Anthropocene, human action bears an exceptional significance in the events of the Kali Yuga, which is believed to be a precursor to human, ecological, and even planetary annihilation. The paper examines human-snake conflict, one of the most widespread human-animal encounters in Indian cities. Snakes play vital roles in urban ecologies and religio-cultural narratives in India. Simultaneously, religious and social perceptions of serpents contribute to a fear of snakes. Fundamental to snake preservation in the Indian urban Anthropocene is an expansion of diversity to ‘multinatural diversity’, and a reconfiguration of human-snake relations in socio-cultural frames.

A tale of two futures: Techno-eschatology in the US and India

Different religions have strikingly different views of history; but the emergence of modern technology offers promises of salvation that can draw equally on Christian views of time in the US and Hindu views of time in India. For centuries, Christian theologians incorporated technological progress into their linear vision of history, which will end with an eschatological conflict and the rise of the New Jerusalem. In the US today, techno-enthusiasts have adopted the claim that we are fast approaching the end of the world as we know it, though the salvation they expect no longer references Christianity. A ‘Singularity’ will occur, they say, leading to the transformation of biological life into an eternal new world of machine intelligence. In India, however, history is cyclical and the end of the world has long been expected to be a return to the first age. Although presently mired in the misery of the kali yuga, we should anticipate an end to this period and a return to the glorious satya yuga. Based upon popular Indian understandings of science and technology, we should expect that both will be crucial to this process. Interviews and observations made in the US and in India reveal how technological progress is now the critical component in cultural expectations about the end of the world and the emergence of a new world to come.