Nature of this age

Dharma (righteousness) sustains the entire creation and the scriptures state that there is delension progressively in Dharma through the four ages (Yuga). Thus in the present Kali Yuga only a quarter remains but there is a silver lining in the dark cloud. Because of the nature of Kali practising the tenets of Dharma has become much more fruitful for the merit of a virtuous act is greater in this age. But, the nature of Kali is such that it will cause impediments to those who adhere to Dharma and hence a spiritual seeker must be always on guard last he succumb to the ills of the age.

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The Bhagavata Purana describes the nature of this age metaphorically through a chance meeting of Kind Pareekshit with a cow and bull being tormented by a man on the bank of river Saraswati. The bull was white in colour and stood trembling on one leg with fear while the miserable cow bereft of her calf was being kicked by the man and was in teras. A noble king that he was in the line of the Pandavas and fortunate to have been saved by Lord Krishna even before he was born, Pareekshit immediately sprang to the poor creature's defence by threatening the man, said Sri B. Sundar Kumar in his discourse.

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After Lord Krishna left the world Kali Yuga had set in and the Pandavas had also ascended to heaven after installing Pareekshit on the throne. It was in his kingdom during his rule that he witnessed this cruelty and considering that it was the paramount duty of a monarch to protect his subjects he intervened to punish the perpetrator.

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Pareekshit surmised that the bull was indeed Dharma and said, "In the Krta Yuga you had fourfeet in the form of austerity, purity, compassion and truthfulness. Three of them have since been destroyed by the progeny of unrighteousness: pride, attachment and hauteur. Now you have only one foot left in the shape of truthfulness on which you are supporting yourself. Yonderunrighteousness in the shape of Kali seeks to rob you of the same, strengthened by falsehood. And the cow is no other than the good mother Earth..," Pareekshit then subdued Kali but as he pleaded allowed him to stay in five places where vices dwelt.