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Contemporary Hindu eschatology is linked in the Vaishnavite tradition to the figure of Kalki, or the tenth and last avatar of Vishnu before the age draws to a close, and Shiva simultaneously dissolves and regenerates the universe.
Most Hindus believe that the current period is the Kali Yuga, the last of four periods (Yuga) that make up the current age. Each period has seen a successive degeneration in the moral order and character of human beings, to the point that in the Kali Yuga quarrel and hypocrisy are prevalent. Often, the invocation of Kali Yuga denotes a certain helplessness in the face of the horrors and suffering of the human condition and a nostalgia for a golden past or a future salvation.
However, Hindu conceptions of time, like those found in other non-Western traditions, are cyclical in that one age may end but another will always begin. As such, the cycle of birth, growth, decay, death, and renewal at the individual level finds its echo in the cosmic order of all things, yet affected by the vagaries of the comings and goings of divine interventions in the Vaishnavite belief.
Most Hindus believe that Shiva will destroy the world at the end of the kalpa. Some Shaivites hold the view that he is incessantly destroying and creating the world.
In Hinduism, time is cyclic, consisting of cycles or "kalpas". Each kalpa lasts 4.1 - 8.2 billion years, which is a period of one full day and night for Brahma, who in turn will live for 311 trillion, 40 billion Years. Within a kalpa there are periods of creation, preservation and decline. After this larger cycle, all of creation will contract to a singularity and then again will expand from that single point, as the ages continue in a religious fractal pattern.
The Four Yugas
Within the current kalpa, there are four yugas, or epochs, that encompass the evolution of this specific cycle. These ages encompass a beginning of complete purity to a descent into total corruption.
- Satya Yuga lasts 1.728 million years.
- Treta Yuga lasts 1.296 million years.
- Dvapara Yuga lasts 864,000 years.
- Kali Yuga lasts 432,000 years.
Kali Yuga, the last of the four ages, is the one we are in currently. This epoch has been foretold to be characterized by impiety, violence, and decay. The four pillars of dharma will be reduced to only that of charity. In addition, as the each age progresses, the human life span decreases, starting from thousands of years in the Krutha Yuga to 100 years in the current Kali Yuga.
As written in the Gita:
Yadaa Yadaa hi Dharmasya Glaanir bhavati Bhaarata
Abhyuthaanam Adharmasya Tadaatmaanam Srjaamy Aham.
Whenever there is decay of righteousness O! Bharatha
And a rise of unrighteousness then I manifest Myself!
At this time of evil, the final incarnation of Vishnu known as Kalki will appear on a white horse. The eight Adityas, or solar deities, will shine together in the sky. Kalki will amass an army to "establish righteousness upon the earth" and leave "the minds of the people as pure as crystal."
At the completion of Kali Yuga, the next epoch will begin, known as Satya Yuga in which everyone will once again be righteous with the reestablishment of dharma and piety. This, in turn, will be followed by epochs of Treta Yuga, Dwapara Yuga and again another Kali Yuga. This cycle will then repeat till the larger cycle of existence under Brahma returns to the singularity and a new universe is born.
A Chatur Yuga comprises four yuga's and lasts for 4.32 million years. A Chatur Yuga comprises the time of existence of the entire universe, after which it will contract to a singularity and be followed by a new explosion and universe.
| Part of a series on |
| Eschatology |
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| Buddhist |
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| Hindu |
Islamic— Figures —
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Brahma Kumaris
Within Hinduism, there are more distinguishing scenarios in certain sects. Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi of the Brahma Kumari has written that their prediction of the imminent end of the world is hidden from non-members. Within their tradition, the majority of the planet is predicted to become submerged beneath the ocean, similar to the Ragnarök of Nordic mythology.
See also
References
- Hooper, Rev. Richard (April 20, 2011). End of Days: Predictions of the End From Ancient Sources. Sedona, AZ. p. 156.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - www.sanskrit.org/www/Hindu%20Primer/yugatime.html
- "Vishnu Purana". Astrojyoti.com. Retrieved 2011-11-21.
- "The Mahabharata, Book 6, Bhagavad Gita Chapter IV, Section 7". Sacred-texts.com. Nov 12, 2012. Retrieved Nov 12, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - Browne, Sylvia. End of Days: Predictions and Prophecies About the End of the World.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - "What Vedas say about the age of the Universe?". What Vedas say about the age of the Universe?. Gurudev. Retrieved 1 May 2007.
- Beit-hallahmi, B. (2004). "Death, Fantasy, and Religious Transformations". The Psychology of Death in Fantasy and History. Retrieved 2008-01-25.
A case study of Brahma Kumaris, a contemporary group characterized by an apocalyptic vision (kept hidden from nonmembers).
- Varughese, Suma. "An article on the sect of the Brahma Kumaris in Rajasthan, India". Lifepositive.com. Retrieved 2011-11-21.
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