The Process of Yoga for This Age
The Vedic scriptures inform that the chanting of this Hare Krishna Maha-mantra, composed of sixteen words, is the process of yoga for this age of Kali.
As per the Vedic scriptures there are four ages or 'yugas' known as the Satya-yuga, Treta-yuga, Dvapara-yuga and Kali-yuga. Just as the calendar months or the seasons keep changing in rotation, similarly the four yugas also change in rotation.
The cycle of Satya is characterized by virtue, wisdom and religion, there being practically no ignorance and vice. In the Treta-yuga vice is introduced. In the Dvapara-yuga there is an even greater decline in virtue and religion. And finally in Kali-yuga (the present yuga) there is an abundance of strife, ignorance, irreligion and vice. The cycle of the four yugas, namely Satya, Treta, Dvapara and Kali, rotates like the calendar months.
Srimad-Bhagavatam on Yugadharma
For each yuga there is a prescribed method of self-realization called yugadharma. Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.3.52) explains:
कृते यद्ध्यायतो विष्णुं त्रेतायां यजतो मखै: ।
द्वापरे परिचर्यायां कलौ तद्धरिकीर्तनात् ॥ ५२ ॥
kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ
tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ
dvāpare paricaryāyāṁ
kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt
"Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Vishnu, in Treta-yuga by performing sacrifices and in Dvapara-yuga by serving the Lord's lotus feet can also be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra."
It is very difficult to meditate in this disturbing age of Kali. In the Satya-yuga, when people used to live for one hundred thousand years, Valmiki Muni attained perfection by meditating for sixty thousand years. But now we have no guarantee that we are going to live for sixty years or even sixty hours. So meditation is not possible in this age. In the Treta-yuga, people performed rituals, as they are described in the Vedic shastra. That requires huge amounts of money. In the present age people are very poor, so they cannot perform these sacrifices. Dvapare paricaryayam — in the Dvapara-yuga it was possible to worship the Deity opulently in the temple, but nowadays, in the Kali-yuga, that is also an impossible task. Therefore, the general recommendation is kalau tad dhari-kirtanat: in this age of Kali one can attain all perfection simply by chanting the holy name of the Lord.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is yugadharma?
The word yuga means age, and dharma means the path of religion — yugadharma is the process of self-realization prescribed for a given age. The Vedic scriptures recommend a different process for each of the four yugas, and for this age of Kali, that process is congregational chanting of the holy names of God.
What are the four yugas?
Satya-yuga, Treta-yuga, Dvapara-yuga and Kali-yuga. The cycle of Satya is characterized by virtue, wisdom and religion, there being practically no ignorance and vice. In the Treta-yuga vice is introduced. In the Dvapara-yuga there is an even greater decline in virtue and religion. And finally in Kali-yuga, the present yuga, there is an abundance of strife, ignorance, irreligion and vice.
What is the recommended process of self-realization for Kali-yuga?
The Vedic scriptures inform that the chanting of the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra, composed of sixteen words, is the process of yoga for this age of Kali.
What does Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.3.52 say about yugadharma?
Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Vishnu, in Treta-yuga by performing sacrifices and in Dvapara-yuga by serving the Lord's lotus feet can also be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.
Why can't people in this age meditate or perform sacrifices like in earlier yugas?
It is very difficult to meditate in this disturbing age of Kali — in the Satya-yuga, when people used to live for one hundred thousand years, Valmiki Muni attained perfection by meditating for sixty thousand years, but now there is no guarantee of even sixty years of life. In the Treta-yuga, people performed rituals that required huge amounts of money, but in the present age people are too poor. In the Dvapara-yuga it was possible to worship the Deity opulently in the temple, but nowadays that is also an impossible task. Therefore the general recommendation is kalau tad dhari-kirtanat: in this age of Kali one can attain all perfection simply by chanting the holy name of the Lord.