The benefits of the age of Kali

A folk story tells us that once, understanding that the age of Kali was approaching, a group of great sages approached Srila Vyasadeva, who was repeatedly shouting: “All glories to the age of Kali!”

A folk story tells us that once, understanding that the age of Kali was approaching, a group of great sages approached Srila Vyasadeva, wishing to hear from him some solutions for the sinful age. However, when the sages arrived, Vyasadeva was taking a bath in the Ganges, repeatedly shouting: “All glories to the age of Kali!”

The sages where amazed. How could Vyasa be happy about the beginning of such an inauspicious age? According to the story, after being inquired by the sages, Vyasa answered:

“Sages, listen closely! Though the coming Age of Kali is said to be the worst, there are three blessings in this age:

The first blessing of Kali Yuga belongs to women. Those who are devoted wives in this age are truly fortunate. Their duty is to love and honor their husbands, and they will be fully protected. Even without performing austerities or rituals, they can achieve the same spiritual level as their husbands.

The second blessing is for loyal servants. A servant’s duty is to faithfully serve their master. The master, in the pursuit of business or political success, may sometimes resort to dishonesty. These actions burden the master with sin, but the servant remains blameless. By simply serving, the servant enjoys the master’s protection and avoids the consequences of the master’s actions. In this way, the servant’s position is even more fortunate.

The third and greatest blessing of Kali Yuga is the power of chanting holy names. In this difficult age, most of our efforts yield little fruit. The world is full of challenges and imperfections. But through sincere chanting of the holy names, we can swiftly cross the ocean of material existence and reach Vaikuntha, the Lord’s supreme abode.”

As in other folk stories, its difficult to verify its authenticity, but the points made are in harmony with other passages.

In the Srimad Bhagavatam, it’s mentioned:

“Mahārāja Parīkṣit was a realist, like the bees who only accept the essence [of a flower]. He knew perfectly well that in this Age of Kali, auspicious things produce good effects immediately, whereas inauspicious acts must be actually performed [to render effects]. So he was never envious of the personality of Kali.”

We may be attracted to the Vedic societies of the past, but the reality is that with our level of qualification, we would not be accepted in them. We would be considered outcasts and forced to live in the forest. Kali-yuga is the opportunity for souls like us, who lack the level of piety and qualification of people from previous ages to take birth and get in contact with Krsna Consciousness.

Not only do we have access to the most powerful process of self-realization, the chanting of the holy names, but we also have access to the conclusion of all Vedic scriptures in the form of the Srimad Bhagavatam, and the commentaries of Prabhupada make this knowledge even more accessible. In previous eras, not only people had to take the trouble of following very complicated and comparatively ineffective processes of self-realization, but the knowledge of the scriptures would not be so easily available.

Another advantage we have is that we are not punished for our mental sins. In previous eras, people would become degraded by just thinking about a sinful activity, while in Kali-yuga we only degrade ourselves by effectively doing it. We are not expected to have the same degree of mental control of people from previous ages. Our minds may be disturbed, but as long as we can refrain from physically doing sinful actions, we don’t become implicated. On the other hand, just for thinking about doing some service or some auspicious activity, we get benefits. In this way, even the most lethargic persons can advance by just desiring to serve Krsna.

Similarly, an employee or servant is not responsible for the actions of his master. One may work for some dishonest man, but as long as he himself is honest, the faults of the master do not affect him. Similarly, the sins of a husband do not affect his wife. As long as she perform her own religious duties, she remains protect from sin, regardless of what the husband does out of home. In our age, people have sinful activities everywhere, even in holy places, but as long as we can restrict ourselves from also performing sinful activities, we are not implicated. In other words, it is actually easier to remain free from sin in Kali-yuga than in previous ages, and it is much easier to advance spiritually.

Kali can remain only in places where there is meat eating, illicit sex, gambling, and intoxication. Therefore, by carefully avoiding these activities by strictly following the four principles, we can remain aloof from his influence. We can see that the process of Krsna Consciousness was carefully created to give us the best opportunity to go back to Godhead. By following the four principles, daily chanting the holy names, offering our food to Krsna, studying the scriptures, worshiping the deities, regularly going to the temple, etc. we can enjoy all the benefits of the age of Kali, while simultaneously avoiding its negative sides.

The age of Kali is thus a great opportunity for us. It’s especially tailored for our deficiencies. We would not be fit to live in Satya-Yuga, Treta-Yuga, or even Dvapara-Yuga, but due to the mercy of the Lord, we have the best opportunity to escape the cycle of birth and death right now.