In the Sat Yuga, everything was free from deceit, slyness, and greed; and morality was like a bull, with all four legs complete. In the Treta Yuga sin took away one of these legs and morality had three legs. In the Dwapara Yuga, sin and morality got mixed up and morality was left standing on two legs only. In the Dark Age of Kali Yuga, Sin overpowered Morality, and the left is hanging on one leg which is said to collapse soon and Sin will be at its Peak in Kali Yuga. The Age of Kali started when Lord Krishna left this planet for his abode. In this age, the evil force will proclaim the weak and the weak will just be tormented more and more.

Mahabharat’s  Vana Parva, Section CLXXXIX says that in Kali Yuga there will be no morality, each one will be deceitful, cows will be extinct, Brahmins will stop doing fire sacrifices, the land will eventually become non-cultivable, and many more terrible mishaps are revealed in there.

Ever thought who is this Kali? How was He born? Why is He so Evil?

The Birth of Kali 

All sages were gathered at the Naimisharanya forest and they all wanted to know of Kali’s birth they asked Suta to enlighten them to which Suta said.

After the annihilation of the universe, Lord Brahma, from the Dirt (Maleen) accumulated from his back a son was born, having a black complexion. This son was named Adharma (Irreligion). This Adharma married a beautiful cat-eyed lady named Mithya (Falsehood) and they begot a son named Dambh (Pride) who was always very angry and energetic and a daughter named Maya (Illusion). Dambh went into his sister Maya and begot a son named Lobha (Greed), and a daughter named Nikrti (Cunningness). Lobha also went into his sister Nikrti and they begot a son named Krodha (Anger) and a daughter Himsa (Envy). Again Himsa and Krodha performed incest and got a son Kali. Thus Kali was born. Kali is always seen to be holding his genitals in his left hand. His complexion is pitch black. Kali’s abdomen is like that of a crow, his face is frightening to behold, and his tongue is red and appears to be full of greed. His appearance is very fearful and a bad smell emanates from his body.

Kali is very fond of playing chess (gambling), drinking wine (intoxication), enjoying the company of prostitutes (illicit sex), and associating with gold merchants (greed). Further, Kali’s sister was Durukti (Harsh Speech). From Durutti’s womb, Kali begot a son named Bhay, (Fear), and a daughter named, Mrtyu (Death). Bhaya begot a son named Niraya (Hell) from the womb of Mrtyu and Niraya begot ten thousand sons in the womb of his sister, Yatana (Excessive Pain). All these relatives of Kali were the destroyers of sacrifice, the study of the Vedas, and charity because they transgressed all the Vedic principles of religion. They were reservoirs of mental distress, disease, old age, destruction of religious principles, sorrow, lamentation, and fear. Such is the Monstrous evil Kali and his clutches.

Let us try to Analyze the birth of Kali as according to Human traits, the first thing born is Irreligion, when we remove religion from a person’s life we are removing faith, belief, and fear of a higher power which when removed takes away disciple, etiquette and many things. Now let us mix this irreligion with Falsehood, the person at once becomes fake, unfaithful, and also untrustworthy and that leads the person to his own world of Pride and Illusion.  Such a person starts to think that he is really on a higher platform and starts to quench for power, by becoming a leader, Godman, or being the center of attraction in any way. Improper leaders make misguided improper followers. People who gain positions of leading society automatically get so attracted to a sense of gratification that they become blinded with Pride and Illusion making them crave more power, followers, and the ability to fulfill their desire. With every desire getting fulfilled emerges more and more leading to Greed and with Greed to stay in power and in position comes strange ideas, Cunningness. 

When Cunning ideas grow with greed and at times if things are not going your way or if you fail in something then such a situation will lead to Anger and if someone else is getting the success then Envy is sure, that Envy can drive a sane man Insane and all intelligence, choosing what is right or wrong vanishes, and then that every person becomes a personification of Kali. A monster that is on a Rampage to bring the world under him by all means.

Don’t we see cases of a Child killing parents for money or, property? Don’t we see cases when a father rapes his daughter or sells off his daughter for some money just to buy his drinks? We see friends getting violent, mortals claiming to be God, no helping hand during an emergency; Doctors focused on minting money without caring for humanity.

All this is nothing but a Personification of Kali and the goal is to satisfy the senses and enjoy gambling, spend lavishly on intoxication and also indulge in illicit sex.  To talk of Kali’s progeny Fear and Death, it is Fear that does not let us take a stand and Death is the ultimate suffering but for a pious person death is happiness, and with Death and sin comes Hell and in Hell, there is Extreme Punishment for the sins The idea of Kali is not just Literary but it is Practical and we can experience in our day to day life. 

To save ourselves from Kali we need to first eliminate the root cause of the birth of Kali that is Adharam (Irreligion) we need to Serve the Supreme Personality Of Godhead and by his Mercy, we will be freed from the evil clutches of Kali.  And serving God will take away our sins which will free us from any misery of this material world.