10,000 years? Prophecies of the Golden Age

Srila Prabhupada comments about a golden age of 10,000 years, in which practically everyone will be a devotee, and life will be like in Satya-yuga. How is it supposed to happen?

In several passages, Srila Prabhupada comments about a golden age of 10,000 years, in which practically everyone will be a devotee, and life on the planet will be like in Satya-yuga. Some argue that this is not based on the sastras, or that it is just his personal opinion. That's not true.

Some expect to find some special book, or at least a few complete chapters describing all details of the expected golden age, but that's not how the sastras work. Most topics in the Vedas are presented indirectly or merged into other information in the same verses. That's why the only reliable way to understand the scriptures is through the explanations of self-realized souls. Without such guidance, one will miss even the most basic points, such as the fact that God is not impersonal, or that bhakti is the highest path. We can just see how most philosophers study the Upanisads without even realizing that Krishna is the source of the impersonal Brahmajoti, ending up misinterpreting the whole thing.

The process is that we get the conclusions from a pure devotee, and armed with such conclusions we study the sastras and try to understand the verses under this logic. One who studies the scriptures under the assumption that God does not have a form, for example, will interpret the verses under this optic, and thus conclude that it is indeed true, while another who starts his studies under the assumption that God has a form and executes pastimes, will find many passages that reinforce this conception.

Srila Prabhupada mentioned a Golden Age of 10,000 years in a number of conversations. When directly asked by Allen Ginsberg where such a golden age is mentioned in the Vedas, Srila Prabhupada answered that it is mentioned in the Puranas.

According to Srila Prabhupada, this Golden Age is connected with the spread of the chanting of the Maha-Mantra. As more people adopt the process, the world will gradually change. According to him, this process will go on for 10,000 years and will be divided into an ascending period, where people will gradually adopt the process of Krsna Consciousness, a peak and then a descending period of decline, culminating with the remaining years of Kali-yuga.

This change was indirectly predicted five centuries ago by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who predicted that His name would be chanted in all towns and villages of the world. Before Srila Prabhupada came to the West, this seemed something impossible, some kind of poetic exaggeration, but after Srila Prabhupada was able to establish his movement it started sounding like a credible idea.

When Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura prophecized "When will that day come when the fair-skinned foreigners will come to Sri Mayapur-dhama and join with the Bengali Vaisnavas to chant, Jaya Sacinandana, Jaya Sacinandana. When will that day be?” it seemed very far fetched, but nowadays that's a common view in Mayapur.

In the Caitanya Caritamrta, we have a glimpse of how the process of spreading Krsna Consciousness works:

“On this earth there are many living entities,” the Lord said, “some moving and some not moving. What will happen to the trees, plants, insects and other living entities? How will they be delivered from material bondage? Haridasa Thakura replied, “My dear Lord, the deliverance of all moving and nonmoving living entities takes place only by Your mercy. You have already granted this mercy and delivered them. You have loudly chanted the Hare Krsna mantra, and everyone, moving or not moving, has benefited by hearing it. My Lord, the moving entities who have heard Your loud sankirtana have already been delivered from bondage to the material world, and after the nonmoving living entities like trees hear it, there is an echo. Actually, however, it is not an echo: it is the kirtana of the nonmoving living entities. All this, although inconceivable, is possible by Your mercy”. (CC Antya 3.68-71)

Although most may not immediately become pure devotees by just hearing the chanting, the effect of it accumulates as sukriti and the result appears in the next lives. Gradually, people become closer until they eventually join Mahaprabhu's movement and also help to spread it to others. In this way, devotional service can grow exponentially, just like an airborne virus.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura made several predictions about the spreading of the sankirtana movement. In his article “Nityadharma Suryodoy”, published in 1885 in the Sajjana-Tosani magazine, he wrote:

“Very soon the unparalleled path of hari-nama sankirtana will be propagated all over the world. Oh, for that day when the fortunate English, French, Russian, German, and American people will take up banners, mridangas, and karatalas and raise kirtana through their streets and towns! When will that day come?”

In a later article, published in 1895, he wrote:

“Sriman Mahaprabhu did not descend with His associates to deliver a certain number of human beings in the land of India, but rather His purpose was to deliver and uplift all living beings in all countries of the world by practicing the eternal religion of all souls”.

In his book “Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu: His Life and Precepts” he made another similar prophecy:

“The principle of kirtana, as the future church of the world, invites all classes of men without distinction of caste, creed, or clan to the highest cultivation of the spirit. This church will extend all over the world and take the place of all sectarian churches which exclude outsiders from the precincts of their mosque, church or temple.”

From such passages, we can see that the idea of a Golden age was not invented by Srila Prabhupada. He got it from the Parampara. However, from where did Srila Bhaktivinodha Thakura get it?

Pure devotees are called tri-kala jna, because they are capable of knowing the past present, and future. Therefore, the words of a pure devotee are sufficient proof of something, just like someone who was present at a certain event can give testimony on it.

In any case, the idea of a Golden Age is also reinforced by several passages from the scriptures and from other acaryas.

About five thousand years ago, at the beginning of the Kali-yuga, Nammalvar, one of the twelve great Vaisnava saints of the Sri Sampradaya predicted the advent of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and the spread of the sankirtana movement in his Tiruvaimoli. These predictions are explained in detail in the book “A Divine Prophecy” by Sridhara Srinivasa Prabhu.

“All glories! All glories! All glories to the devotees of the Lord! All the inauspiciousness and curses of the living entities are destroyed, no one is going to hell, Yamaraja has no work anymore, and the ill-effects of Kali-yuga have ceased to exist. I behold something wonderful: all over the world an increasing number of devotees of Kadalvannan (bluish-black complexioned Lord Krsna), sing His names while dancing and playing musical instruments.

I behold! I behold! I behold the visions that are sweet to the eyes. O devotees! Please come and join these enthusiastic devotees. Standing in joy with arms raised they are worshipping Lord Madhava, who wears a Tulasi Garland surrounded by intoxicated bees drinking its nectar. Roaming all over the earth they chant and sing in sweet mellow, the glories and names of Lord Krsna and dance with raised arms in jubilation.

The ill-effects of Kali-yuga have ceased and a new golden age of sankirtana-yajna has begun. The demigods have also joined the movement and the whole world is flooded with love of Godhead. The devotees of Kadalvannan (the complexion of a dark cloud and ocean-hued Lord Vishnu, or Krsna) have entered and occupied every corner of the earth and are singing the name, fame, and glories of the Lord with great joy and enchantment.” (Tiruvaimoli 5.2.1-3)

In the Bhavishya Purana (20.71-73) there is another interesting prediction, this one spoken by Lord Jagannatha Himself:

“Lord Jagannatha, the Supreme Lord Sri Hari Himself, spoke these attractive words for the welfare of all: The mlecchas who are born from mixed countries ruled by descendants of Kasyapa (demons) and the sudras will become brahmanas by initiation. They will wear sikas and brahmana threads and will become well versed in the uncontaminated fruit of the Vedas (Srimad Bhagavatam). They will worship Me by the Yajna prescribed by the Lord of Lords, the protector of Saci (Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu).”

So, from here we can see the information about a golden age directly given. However, from where comes the idea of 10,000 years?

In his purport to SB 8.5.23, for example, Srila Prabhupada wrote:

“When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared, He ushered in the era for the sankirtana movement. It is also said that for ten thousand years this era will continue. This means that simply by accepting the sankirtana movement and chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, the fallen souls of this Kali-yuga will be delivered. After the Battle of Kuruksetra, at which Bhagavad-gita was spoken, Kali-yuga continues for 432,000 years, of which only 5,000 years have passed. Thus there is still a balance of 427,000 years to come. Of these 427,000 years, the 10,000 years of the sankirtana movement inaugurated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu 500 years ago provide the opportunity for the fallen souls of Kali-yuga to take to the Krsna consciousness movement, chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra and thus be delivered from the clutches of material existence and return home, back to Godhead.”

Here, Srila Prabhupada doesn't just mention a period of 10,000 years, but he sets a specific date for its beginning, coinciding with the appearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. When taken in combination with the idea of an ascending and descending period, we can understand that the Golden Age may have started with the advent of Mahaprabhu, but the effects will only appear gradually. In fact, we can see that humanity changed its path after His advent, getting out of the dark ages and entering into a path that culminated with the start and expansion of Srila Prabhupada's movement,

This period of 10,000 years is mentioned in the prophecies of the Brahma-vaivarta Purana. In the 129th chapter of part 4, there is a conversation between Krsna and Mother Ganga. The Lord is returning to His abode and Mother Ganga is raising her concerns:

“Ganges said: O protector, Supreme enjoyer, on your departure for the perfect abode, Goloka, thereafter what will be my situation in the age of kali?

The blessed Lord said: On the earth 5,000 years of kali will be sinful and sinners will deposit their sins in you by bathing. Thereafter by the sight and touch of those who worship me by my mantra, all those sins will be burnt. There will be chanting of the name of Hari and reading of the [Bhagavata] Purana. Reaching such a place, attentively hear.

Sinful reactions including the killing of a brahmana can be nullified by hearing the Purana and chanting of the names of Hari in the manner of devotees. Just as dry grass is burnt by fire, by the embrace of My devotees all sins are burnt. O Ganges, the whole planet will become a pilgrimage sight by the presence of My devotees, even though it had been sinful. In the body of my devotees remains eternally [the purifier]. Mother earth becomes pure by the dust of the feet of my devotees. It will be the same in the case of pilgrimage sights and the whole world. Those intelligent worshipers of my mantra who partake My remnants will purify everything.

They are more dear to Me than My life, who everyday meditate only on Me. The air and fire become pure simply even by their indirect touch. For 10,000 years of kali such devotees of mine will fill the whole planet. After the departure of My devotees there will only be one varna [outcaste]. Devoid of My devotees, the earth will be shackled by kali. Saying this Krishna departed.” (Brahma-vaivarta Purana 4.129.49-60)

There is, however, some controversy about this golden age of 10,000 years. Verses 4.129.49-60 from the Brahma-vaivarta Purana can be translated in slightly different ways, which gives a different meaning. It can be understood that Krsna is saying that there will be devotees for the first 10,000 years of Kali-yuga and that Mother Ganga should stay for the first 5,000 years after His disappearance.

There are also two verses in the 90th chapter of the Brahma-vaivarta Purana, that state:

“Lord Hari will stay on this earth for ten thousand years of Kali-yuga and along with Him the Puranas, scriptures, and the worship of the demigods will also be present for that duration on this earth. For half that period the Ganga, other holy places, the village temples, and the study of Vedas by learned brahmanas will be present.” (Brahma-vaivarta Purana 4.90.32-33)

There is thus an apparent contradiction with the words from Srila Prabhupada. The first reference speaks about an era of 10,000 years (kaler dasa-sahasrani), but the chronology can be contested. The second reference gives the impression that such ten thousand years are counted from the beginning of Kali-yuga. It sounds especially strange that 5,100 years after the beginning of Kali-yuga, the river Ganges is still present on the planet, which also creates an apparent contradiction between what is predicted and what can be observed in practice.

How these two references can be understood and how can they be reconciled with the words of Srila Prabhupada?

These statements can be harmonized once we consider the different passages of the scriptures that predict the advent of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (like SB 11.5.32, Bhavishya Purana 20.71-73, etc.). The golden age didn’t start with the beginning of Kali-yuga, but with the advent of Mahaprabhu, five hundred years ago. When the Brahma-vaivarta Purana states that “Lord Hari will stay on this earth for ten thousand years of Kali-yuga”, this describes how He is going to be present in the form of the holy names. During the first half of this period, the Ganges and other holy places are going to be present, and the golden age continues for five thousand years more after their disappearance.

Once we accept that Krsna was present on this earth as Mahaprabhu, 500 years ago, it doesn’t matter if one understands that Brahma-vaivarta Purana 4.129.49-60 means that sinful people will bath in the Ganga for the first 5,000 years and after that will be a golden age of 10,000 years, or if one understands that it means that Ganga will stay for 5,000 years after the disappearance of Krsna (as Mahaprabhu) and there will be devotees for 10,000 years. In both cases, the statements are perfectly in line with the idea we get from Srila Prabhupada.

We are thus living right now in a transitional period since the disappearance of Mahaprabhu, where the tide of the sankirtana movement is gradually rising, and the world is being inundated. The symptoms of Kali-yuga are still present, but the population of pure devotees is increasing. Soon the tide will turn. As previously mentioned, inside the golden age, there is an ascending period (in which we are living right now), a peak and later a slow decline, leading to the remaining years of Kali-yuga (as briefly explained by Srila Prabhupada in his conversation of 13 May 1969 with Allen Ginsberg).

This idea is corroborated in the 11th canto of Srimad Bhagavatam:

“In the Age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Krsna. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Krsna Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and confidential companions.” (SB 11.5.32)

“Those who are actually advanced in knowledge are able to appreciate the essential value of this Age of Kali. Such enlightened persons worship Kali-yuga because in this fallen age all perfection of life can easily be achieved by the performance of sankirtana.” ( SB 11.5.36)

“Indeed, there is no higher possible gain for embodied souls forced to wander throughout the material world than the Supreme Lord’s sankirtana movement, by which one can attain the supreme peace and free oneself from the cycle of repeated birth and death.” (SB 11.5.37)

“My dear King, the inhabitants of Satya-yuga and other ages eagerly desire to take birth in this Age of Kali, since in this age there will be many devotees of the Supreme Lord, Narayana. These devotees will appear in various places but will be especially numerous in South India. O master of men, in the Age of Kali those persons who drink the waters of the holy rivers of Dravida-desa, such as the Tamraparni, Krtamala, Payasvini, the extremely pious Kaveri and the Pratici Mahanadi, will almost all be purehearted devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva.” (SB 11.5.38-40)

All the auspiciousness of the age of Kali, mentioned in different passages of the scriptures, is connected with the sankirtana movement, that was inaugurated by Mahaprabhu. The first 5,000 years of Kali-yuga were just a preparation, in which humanity fell down into the lowest levels of sinfulness, and a succession of acaryas (Lord Buddha, Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, Madhvacharya, etc.) came to give progressively higher levels of understanding, culminating with the advent of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who gave the conclusion.

Because of the sankirtana movement inaugurated by Him, many advanced devotees from other eras will take birth during the golden age to join Mahaprabhu’s movement. Such pure souls are going to take birth everywhere, but especially in South India. We don’t know how many of such pious souls are already walking amongst us, growing up in pious families, or waiting for someone to stop them and give them a book, but as they join, their presence is going to help to turn the tide of materialism and create a spiritual revolution.