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Kalki

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Kalki
Kalki on horse
Devanagariकल्कि
Sanskrit transliterationKalki
AffiliationTenth avatar of Vishnu
AbodeShambhala
WeaponRatna Maru (sword) (weapon of Shiva)
Bow and arrow (sometimes)
TextsBhagavata Purana
Garuda Purana
Kalki Purana
Padma Purana
Vishnu Purana
ConsortPadma (Avatar of Lakshmi)

'Kalki, also called kalkin, is the tenth avatar of Hindu god Vishnu to end the kali yuga, one of the four periods in endless cycle of existence (krita) in Vaishnavism cosmology. He is described in the Puranas as the avatar who rejuvenates existence by ending the darkest and destructive period to remove adharma and ushering in the Satya Yuga, while riding a white horse with a fiery sword. The description and details of Kalki is inconsistent among the Puranic texts. He is, for example, only an invisible force destroying evil and chaos in some texts, an actual person who kills those who persecute others and leading an army of Brahmin warriors in some. His mythology has been compared to the concepts of Messiah, Apocalypse, Frashokereti and Maitreya in other religions.

In the Tibetan Buddhism Kalachakra tradition, 25 rulers of the Shambhala Kingdom held the title of Kalki, Kulika or Kalki-king. During Vaishakha, the first fortnight in Shukla Paksha is dedicated to fifteen deities, with each day for a different god. In this tradition, the twelfth day is Vaishakha Dwadashi and is dedicated to Madhava, another name for Kalki.

Etymology

The name Kalki is derived based Kali, which means "present age" (kali yuga).

Maha Avatara

There are numerous interpretations of Vedic traditions. Avatara means "descent" and refers to a descent of the divine into the material realm in the Avatari's selfsame form. The Garuda Purana lists ten avatars, with Kalki being the tenth.

Puranas

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Vaishnavism
Closeup of Vishnu, seated in the lotus position on a lotus. From depiction of the poet Jayadeva bowing to Vishnu, Gouache on paper Pahari, The very picture of devotion, bare-bodied, head bowed, legs crossed and hands folded, Jayadeva stands at left, with the implements of worship placed before the lotus-seat of Vishnu who sits there, blessing the poet.
Supreme deity
Vishnu / Krishna / Rama
Important deities
Dashavatara
Other forms
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Holy scriptures
Puranas
Sampradayas
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Teachers—acharyas
Related traditions

One of the earliest mentions of Kalki is in the Vishnu Purana, dated to after the Gupta Empire.

Birth

There is a description of his background in other sources of scripture. The Kalachakra tantra, first taught by Buddha to Dharmaraja Suchandra of Shambhala, also describes his background:

Vishnuyasha refers to the father of Kalki as a devotee of Vishnu while Sumati refers to His mother in Shambhala. Also it is written in Kalki Purana that he will have four brothers who are Sumanta, Prajna and Kavi.

Origin of Kalki

It is believed that the origin of Kalki will be in India on the banks of river Ganges.

People who have claimed to be Kalki

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, founder of Ahmadiyya movement, claimed to be the Kalki Avatar.

See also

References

  1. ^ Wendy Doniger; Merriam-Webster, Inc (1999). Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions. Merriam-Webster. p. 629. ISBN 978-0-87779-044-0.
  2. Manmatha Nath Dutt, tr., The Garuda Puranam (1908), p. 4
  3. ^ Roshen Dalal (2010). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. Penguin Books India. p. 188. ISBN 978-0-14-341421-6.
  4. Klaus K. Klostermaier (2006). Mythologies and Philosophies of Salvation in the Theistic Traditions of India. Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press. p. 75. ISBN 978-0-88920-743-1.
  5. Gopal, Madan (1990). K.S. Gautam (ed.). India through the ages. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 73.
  6. Wilson, Horace (2001). Vishnu Purana. Ganesha Publishing. p. 72. ISBN 1-86210-016-0.
  7. Juergensmeyer, Mark (2006). Oxford Handbook of Global Religions. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 520. ISBN 978-0-19-513798-9, ISBN (Ten digit): 0195137981.

External links

Avatars of Vishnu
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 The list of the "ten avatars" varies regionally. Two substitutions involve Balarama, Krishna, and Buddha. Krishna is almost always included; in exceptions, he is considered the source of all avatars.
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