5,
000 years ago,
One day when Yudhisthira Maharaj,
The eldest of Pandavas,
Was ruling the planet,
A citizen came and informed him that he noticed a strange thing happen that day.
His fence is moving into others' place and he is wondering why it happened like that.
On the same day,
Another citizen came and told him that he came across a strange thing,
That he had a big pot with full of water.
He poured that water into small pots,
Then he poured back from the small pots to big pot,
But surprisingly only half is filling into that big pot.
Another person came and said that he saw a strange thing,
That a big elephant is passing through from a needle hole but surprisingly,
Its tail got stuck in that hole.
Meanwhile,
Another person came and said that he saw a big rock in the street and big personalities are not able to move,
But then,
A sadhu came by and simply by waving his sannyasa danda,
It moved.
Yudhisthira Maharaj said that all these qualities show that Kali-yuga,
The age of degradation,
Strife and quarrel,
Is coming.
He explained the meaning of the unusual happening as below.
The first symptom is one of the citizen's fence,
Is moving into other's area,
Shows that people are interested in what others have and feel unhappy why they don't have,
Then think a way to acquire them either hook or crook.
The second symptom is the big pot with full of water.
When it is poured into small pots and pour back into big pot,
He noticed only half only which means that one can expect only 50% of love,
Affection and help from others,
Compared what you did to the same person.
The third symptom of big elephant going through a needle but the tail getting stuck means that people are ready to spend a huge chunk of their income,
Efforts,
Energy and resources for the sense satisfaction of their family,
Friends and loved ones.
But when it comes to God,
Realization and learning,
The scriptures like Bhagavatam,
They are not ready to spend a little bit also.
The fourth symptom,
A big rock not moved by persons who are having lot of strength but a sadhu moved that rock just by waving his danda or the staff,
Which means that one can get rid of all their unlimited sins just by performing Nama Sankirtanam or chanting of the names of Lord Hari.
Thus,
In Hinduism,
The universe or cosmology is said to be passing in a cyclic manner in four distinct ages or epochs.
The Satya Yuga is said to be the best of all the ages,
When people's life duration is long,
Virtuous nature etc.
And Kali Yuga is said to be the last phase or stage of the universe when everything is topsy-turvy,
Degraded and not auspicious.
So what is the hope for people of Kali Yuga?
This Bhagavata Purana is as brilliant as the sun and it has arisen just after the departure of Lord Krishna to his own abode,
Accompanied by religion,
Knowledge etc.
Persons who have lost their vision due to the dense darkness of ignorance in the age of Kali shall get light from this Purana.
Bhagavad-Gita is the preliminary study of the Bhagavatam and Srimad-Bhagavatam is the summum bonum of life Lord Sri Krishna personified.
We must therefore accept Srimad-Bhagavatam as the direct representation of Lord Krishna.
One who can see Srimad-Bhagavatam can see also Lord Sri Krishna in person.
They are identical.
Furthermore,
In Bhagavatam,
There is assurance and solace about Kali Yuga,
Though there are so many faults in this Kali Yuga,
The good thing is,
Just by chanting the holy names of the Lord,
One can get up to the highest benefit of liberation.
My dear King,
Although Kali Yuga is an ocean of faults,
There is still one good quality about this age.
Simply by chanting the name of Lord Sri Krishna,
One can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom of Vaikuntha.
