“When the milk and curd are kept high on a swing hanging from the ceiling and Krishna and Balarama cannot reach it, They arrange to reach it by piling up various planks and turning upside down the mortar for grinding spices. Being quite aware of the contents of a pot, They pick holes in it. While the elderly gopis go about their household affairs, Krishna and Balarama sometimes go into a dark room, brightening the place with the valuable jewels and ornaments on Their bodies and taking advantage of this light by stealing.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 10.8.30)

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हस्ताग्राह्ये रचयति विधिं पीठकोलूखलाद्यै-
श्छिद्रं ह्यन्तर्निहितवयुन: शिक्यभाण्डेषु तद्वित्
ध्वान्तागारे धृतमणिगणं स्वाङ्गमर्थप्रदीपं
काले गोप्यो यर्हि गृहकृत्येषु सुव्यग्रचित्ता:

hastāgrāhye racayati vidhiṁ pīṭhakolūkhalādyaiś
chidraṁ hy antar-nihita-vayunaḥ śikya-bhāṇḍeṣu tad-vit
dhvāntāgāre dhṛta-maṇi-gaṇaṁ svāṅgam artha-pradīpaṁ
kāle gopyo yarhi gṛha-kṛtyeṣu suvyagra-cittāḥ

The claim from the acharya is that people are generally less fortunate in the age of Kali. This is the yuga in which we currently find ourselves. The complete yuga is millions of years, and for the purposes of analysis there are four further divisions to that one collective. The divisions are also known as yuga, but they go by different names based on the position in which they stand.

Something like having a pole position, second place, third place, and so forth, Kali is the last of the four. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, on the basis of statements from shastra, says that man is generally less fortunate during this time. They do not live for as long. They are always burdened by distresses. They are always finding trouble, even when minding their own business.

प्रायेणाल्पायुष: सभ्य कलावस्मिन् युगे जना:
मन्दा: सुमन्दमतयो मन्दभाग्या ह्युपद्रुता:

prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya
kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ
mandāḥ sumanda-matayo
manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ

“O learned one, in this iron age of Kali men have but short lives. They are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky and, above all, always disturbed.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.1.10)

What clearer example can there be than the typical child in this age? Kali Yuga lasts for thousands of years, but even at this very moment the signs are clear. The evidence is abundant. The innocent child faces one attack after another, starting from the time they are conceived.

1. Knife in the womb

“I am well aware of the divisive nature to the topic. It is what they refer to as a ‘hot-button’ issue. You are not supposed to discuss any of the particulars. The subject matter is too mature for most audiences. The two main political parties have their opposing stances and everyone accepts the landscape. They do not insist upon explanations or justifications.

“But why is it taboo? Why can’t we talk about it? The one question I have of the supporters, of the ones who argue vehemently in favor of choice, which is ghastly, is do they have a preferred mechanism for doing the deed? You know, exactly what is the best way to get the work accomplished, when someone chooses in favor of termination?

“From shastra, we have the historical reference of King Kamsa of Mathura. He waited until the children were born before throwing them against a stone slab. Quick and easy. What chance do the infants stand? Of course, that would be against the law today; or so we think.

“Instead, now they bring a knife into the womb. Does the child welcome the sharp object with a smile? Are they happy to see the weapon that is intentionally placed before them to facilitate the end? How can anyone who really knows what happens in the procedure ever be in favor of it? What kind of doctor, who must pledge to do no harm, carries through with such violence? It simply boggles the mind.”

2. Endless needles thereafter

“You could call it due diligence. I was being a responsible parent. I was simply consulting the handbook, to see what the recommended schedule was. It was right about then that my jaw practically dropped to the floor. I was laughing out loud in seeing how many doses of the so-called life-saving medication the experts were recommending.

“The administration is to commence mere moments after the child is born. Oh, but they have their warnings, just in case. They say to think twice if the child has had a previous allergic reaction to the potion, which is administered through a needle. Umm, if the child is five minutes old, how would I know if they are allergic to the medication?

“And any honest person knows that the rapid increases in brain damage amongst the childhood population is tied directly to the aggressive nature of the administration of such potions. You are not allowed to say it out loud. Doctors will lose their practices. Parents will be shunned within the community. But think about the poor children. They are forced to take this needless and potentially dangerous medication, over and over, just so they can attend school. It is an absolute horror.”

3. Suffocation in public

“I sincerely apologize. I never before noticed just how much these adults hate children, including their own. It is now vividly clear, for everyone to see. They forced these poor kids to be suffocated for up to eight hours in a day, five days a week. This was in the name of science and health, but it was absolute garbage, if you ask me. No person with a brain or common sense would ever think that such a mechanism would keep anyone safe, or healthy, for that matter.

“It was like this sick game that these adults were playing. They were taking pleasure out of the suffering of the children. It was like their envy of the innocent ones became clear to everyone. I guess they cannot stand for anyone else to be happy, to be carefree in their innocence. I can’t imagine what would have happened to me if they pushed the same nonsense on us when I was a child. I might not have survived the ordeal.”

4. Infinite scroll

“You often see the saying, ‘Kids today will never know.’ A lot of this has to do with changes in technology. For instance, when I was growing up we did not have cable television service. We watched whatever came over the antenna, for free. We were children, so we didn’t know better. We did not think that we were missing out on anything.

“One of the side effects was this tremendous appreciation when experiencing something rare. Like seeing that celebrated wrestling champion in a live match. Finally viewing that one episode for that show that we happened to miss. We knew there was no other way, that there was not an endless library of video content at our disposal.

“I am worried about children today, who are getting spoiled by this concept of infinite scroll. They are not being taught patience, which is a virtue. How will they learn to appreciate the value of hard work, perseverance, and time if they grow accustomed to receiving everything immediately, whenever they want it? I do not think this is a benefit. It is going to make these people more agitated as adults. They will cry and scream over the slightest austerity, which is an expected occurrence in the journey through life.”

5. Elective surgeries

“How in the world is no one objecting to this? How are hospitals allowed to do this? It is pure madness. I never thought we would have to debate with people who thought it was fine for minor children to undergo drastic surgery, simply for trying to artificially change their identity. In a sane world, the adults pushing this would be thrown in prison.”

…

These merely scratch the surface of the unfortunate circumstances faced in Kali Yuga. The miseries begin at childhood, but as Bhagavad-gita explains, the individual remains the same throughout the changes. They will be the same individual as an adult, if they are lucky to reach that stage, through proper advancement.

देहिनो ऽस्मिन् यथा देहे
कौमारं यौवनं जरा
तथा देहान्तर-प्राप्तिर्
धीरस् तत्र न मुह्यति

dehino ‘smin yathā dehe
kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir
dhīras tatra na muhyati

“As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.13)

The one concession of Kali Yuga is that we can achieve perfection through association with sound. Transcendental sound, which is divyam in nature. It is divine, in the manner of the appearance and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यम्
एवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः
त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर् जन्म
नैति माम् एति सो ऽर्जुन

janma karma ca me divyam
evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti so ‘rjuna

“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.9)

We can also remember those transcendental activities, including from the period of childhood. Krishna was the greatest butter thief, known for His travels within the town of Gokula-Vrindavana. He carried His transcendental effulgence with Him, lighting up even the darkest of storerooms. He took as much of His precious butter as desired, and so even whilst experiencing the fatigue associated with this dark age of quarrel and hypocrisy, we can be uplifted through concentration on that sacred image.

In Closing:

I’m steady with determination,
To be fixed in concentration.

On image of Krishna found,
With bells on ankles to sound.

Carrying with Him effulgent light,
To make the darkest room bright.

Successful heist of butter to wage,
Rescue even during Kali’s age.

Categories: the five

Tags: god, hare krishna, hinduism, poem, poems, poetry, religion