The Age of Transition

We are presently in India living in a transitional period of our history, the transition being from feudal agricultural society to modern industrial society.
A transitional period is a period of great turbulence and turmoil, as a study of the history of Europe from the 17th to the 19th century, when Europe was passing through its own transition, reveals. During this period in Europe there was great turbulence, wars, social churning, chaos, revolutions, intellectual ferment,etc. There were theories of Voltaire, Rousseau, the Encyclopaedists, etc which were advanced. It was only after going through this fire that modern society emerged in Europe. India is presently going through this fire. We are going through a very painful period in our history.

In our Shastras it is mentioned that there are four yugas- Satyug, Tretayug, Dwaparyug and Kaliyug. After Kaliyug there is a period known as pralaya, after which Satyug again starts. This pralaya can be regarded as the transition period of turbulence and turmoil, and India is going through this period, after which there will again be a age of prosperity (Satyug) for our country. Kaliyug and Pralaya have been described in the sixth chapter of Vishnupuran, which strikingly bears resemblance to what is happening in India today. For example, there is mention therein :

1) In Kaliyug the powerful will rule over everybody, whether he is a good man or bad man.

2)In Kaliyug whatever nonsense anyone will say will be regarded as Shastras (a learned discourse)

3) In Kaliyug wives will leave husbands who are poor, and only the rich people will be the husbands of women.

4) In Kaliyug people will go only after money and not after knowledge.

5) In Kaliyug people will not help even their near and dear ones.

6) In Kaliyug many people will commit suicide (In recent years 250,000 farmers have committed suicide).

7) In Kaliyug the kings will not protect their subjects, but instead will take away their subjects property in the name of taxation.

8)In Kaliyug the weak will become slaves.

9) In Kaliyug many children will die at an early age. (Today many children in India die because of malnutrition, cold, etc)

10) In Kaliyug foolishness (Paakhand) will grow.(Today in India most people are casteist and communal, and believe in superstitions like astrology).

As regards pralaya it is mentioned that in this period there will be no water, because of which people will die. (Today there is great water shortage in large parts of India). Various other descriptions of pralaya are also given in Vishnupurana

We should not give a literal interpretation to all that is mentioned in the sixth chapter of Vishnupurana, but it certainly gives an idea about the great turbulence and turmoil which takes place in a period of transition.It shows that our ancestors, who had great vision, had a dynamic,not static , understanding of history.

I urge all patriotic and modern minded people of India, particularly the youth, to come forward and help the country in this difficult transitional period.