WHETHER KALI YUGA IS ALREADY OVER AND WE ARE NOW IN SATYA YUGA SANDHI?

While Mystics know the embedded secrets of cosmic order and time concept in a holistic manner and much better than us, the detailed descriptions of the features and deterioration of Kali Yuga as spelt out in the various PurANAs and other Vedic Scriptures is not yet fully visible. Taking this into consideration coupled with other factors like the duration of Kali yuga, manifestation of Kalki avatAra , views of traditional AcAryas and so on, it is difficult to conclude with certainty that Kali Yuga was already over ( in 1974 or so) and that we are in the Satya Yuga (Kruta yuga) Sandhi kAla. The difference in the time duration concept for Devas (1 day of Devas = 1 year of human beings) makes the subject more complex.

GREATNESS OF GANGA

Naimiṣam is most sacred place in Kṛta Yuga, Puṣkaram in Tretā yuga while Kurukṣetram is most sacred  in Dvāpara Yuga.

In Kali Yuga, Gangā snānam is most sacred and particularly at Prayāg is considered to be the only medicine for all Sins .

Kṛte tu naimiṣam kṣetram tretāyām puṣkaram param !
dvāpare tu kurukṣetram kalau gangā  viśiṣyate !!
gangāmeva niṣeveta prayāgam tu viśeṣataḥ !
nānyat kaliyuge ghore bheṣajam nṛpa vidyate !!

- Matsya Purāṇa

WHETHER PARASARA SMRUTI CAN ALONE BE FOLLOWED IN KALI YUGA TO THE EXCLUSION OF THE VEDA SAKHA SUTRAS AND OTHER DHARMA SASTRAS?

With the efflux of time, the practice of dharma undergoes certain changes and this is well recognized in the dharma SAstras.

As the yugas change, the yuga dharma also changes as determined by the great Rishis. Accordingly, the major shift has happened as follows in the four yugas:

Kruta yuga = DhyAnam

TretA yuga = YAga

dvApara yuga = PUjA

Kali yuga = nAma sankIrtanam (keSava)

dhyAyan krute yajan yajnaih tretAyAm dvAparercayan !

yadApnoti tadApnoti kalau sankIrtya keSavam !!

---- vYAsa

YAvanna kIrtayet rAmam kalikalmasha sambhavam !

tAvattishthati dehesmin bhayam cAtra pravartate !!

---- Sivasarvasvam

SrutismrutipurANeshu rAma nAma samIritam !

tannAma kIrtanam bhUyas tApatrayavinASanam !!

---- cyavana smruti

sarvapApa prasaktopi dhyAyannimishamacyutam !

punastapasvI bhavati panktipAvana pAvanah !!

---- PaiThInasI

na tAvatpApamedhena yannAma hatam hareh !

atireka bhayAdAhuh prAyascittAntaram vrithA !!

----YogayAjnavalkya

prAyascittAnyaSeshANi tapah karmAtmakAni vai !

yAni teshAmaSeshANAm krishNAnus smaraNam param !!

----SrI vishNu purANa

One should not condemn the changing yuga dharmas and those dvijas who follow those, as the dvijAs are suited to the yuga concerned.

yuge yuge ca ye dharmAs tatra tatra ye dvijAh !

teshAm nindA na kartavYA yugarUpa hi te dvijAh !!

------- parAsara

krute tu mAnavA dharma: tretAyAm gautamA: smrutAh !

dvApare SAnkha likhitAh kalau pArASarAh smrutAh !!

It is said that Manu smruti is applicable in Kruta yuga, Gautama smruti in tretA yuga, Sankha and Likhita smrutis in dvApara yuga and ParASara smruti in kali yuga.

Let us take the case of performance of SrAddha and see whether we can go fully  by only what is stated in ParASara Smruti. But ParASara smruti does not deal with the elaborate provisions regarding performance of SrAddha. A smruti is like a policy document. Only in the grhya sUtras, the detailed procedures are explained. We cannot ignore what is said by the sUtrakAras. The Sraddha prayoga that we practise today is a digested form based on various relevant smrutis and the sUtras. Hence we have to take this as the benchmark and try to follow to the extent possible.

It is to be noted that  in many places what we find is that the smrutis differ in the subtle aspects of performance of samskAras, karmAnushtHAnas and so on depending on the yuga dharma about which only the great Rishis deeply know. If a particular aspect has not been dealt with in a smruti, but is contained in another smruti, it can be considered  for guidance. There are areas of conflicts as well. All these call for proper reconciliation and resolution by experts in dharma SAstras from time to time. Hence we have to go by what is based on traditional practice wherever there is conflict in the statement of the various smrutis.

kalau kalmasha chittAnAm pApadravyopa jIvinAm !

vidhikriyA vihInAnAm gatir govinda kIrtanam !!

nama: parama Rishibhyo nama: parama Rishibhyah !

WHETHER PARASARA SMRUTI CAN BE FOLLOWED REGARDING THE PROVISIONS OF SRADDHA TO THE EXCLUSION OF THE VEDA SAKHA SUTRAS?

krute tu mAnavA dharma: tretAyAm gautamA: smrutAh !

dvApare SAnkha likhitAh kalau pArASarAh smrutAh !!

It is said that Manu smruti is applicable in Kruta yuga, Gautama smruti in tretA yuga, Sankha and Likhita smrutis in dvApara yuga and ParASara smruti in kali yuga. But ParASara smruti does not deal with the elaborate provisions regarding performance of SrAddha. A smruti is like a policy document . Only in the grhya sUtras, the detailed procedures are explained. We cannot ignore what is said by the sUtrakAras.

The Sraddha prayoga that we practise today is a digested form based on various relevant smrutis and the sutras. Hence we have to take this as the benchmark and try to follow to the extent possible.