#begining of kali yuga

[mplanetleaf]

Last Message of Krishna on the day he left his body | కృష్ణుడి చిట్టచివరి ప్రసంగం!...

[eyeoftheheart]

“Will the modern world follow this fatal course right to the end, or will a new readjustment intervene once more, as it did in the case of the Greco-Latin decadence, before it reaches the bottom of the abyss into which it is being drawn? It would seem that a halt midway is no longer possible since, according to all the indications furnished by the traditional doctrines, we have in fact entered upon the last phase of the Kali-Yuga, the darkest period of this “dark age”, the state of dissolution from which it is impossible to emerge otherwise than by a cataclysm, since it is not a mere readjustment that is necessary at such a stage, but a complete renovation.

Disorder and confusion prevail in every domain and have been carried to a point far surpassing all that has been known previously, so that, issuing from the West, they now threaten to invade the whole world; we know full well that their triumph can never be other than apparent and transitory, but such are the proportions which it has reached, that it would appear to be the sign of the gravest of all the crises through which mankind has passed in the course of its present cycle. Have we not arrived at that terrible age, announced in the Sacred Books of India, “when the castes shall be mingled, when even the family shall no longer exist”?

It is only necessary to look around in order to be convinced that this state is truly that of the world of today, and to see on all sides that profound degeneracy which the Gospel terms “the abomination of desolation”. The gravity of the situation cannot be minimized; it should be envisaged such as it is, without optimism but also without pessimism, for as we have already said, the end of the old world will be also the beginning of a new one.

(...)

the point at which the “descent” is completely accomplished, where “the wheel stops turning”—at least for the instant marking the passage from one cycle to another—it is necessary to conclude that, until this point is actually attained, it is impossible that these things should be understood by men in general, but only by the small number of those who are destined to prepare, in one way or in another, the germs of the future cycle.”

― René Guénon, The Essential René Guénon: Metaphysical Principles, Traditional Doctrines, and the Crisis of Modernity

After Ragnarök by Emil Doepler  (1855–1922) 

[jasminewalkerauthor]

Deep dives into folklore: Apocalpses

The apocalypse, or the end of the world, has been a recurring theme across a wide range of mythologies, cultures, and folklore throughout history. These apocalyptic narratives offer insight into the beliefs, fears, and values of different societies. They explore how these cultures understood the world around them and how they sought to explain the end of life as they knew it. Despite the differences in cultural contexts, there are notable similarities and differences between apocalyptic depictions across various traditions. These narratives often serve as cautionary tales and reflections on human nature, societal anxieties, and cosmic cycles.

Similarities in Apocalyptic Narratives

1. Catastrophic Events:

Most apocalyptic stories involve some form of catastrophic event that brings about the end of the world. These can include natural disasters (such as floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions), celestial phenomena (such as eclipses and comets), or even supernatural events. For example, in the Hebrew Bible, the story of Noah's Ark describes a great flood sent by God to cleanse the world of sin. Similarly, in Norse mythology, Ragnarök involves a great battle and cataclysmic events that lead to the destruction of the world.

2. Moral Judgment and Divine Retribution:

Many apocalyptic narratives involve a sense of divine judgment or retribution for human wrongdoing. The end of the world is often portrayed as a consequence of humanity's moral failings. For instance, the Book of Revelation in the New Testament describes a final judgment where the righteous are rewarded and the wicked are punished.

3. Cycles of Creation and Destruction:

In several cultures, apocalyptic events are seen as part of a larger cycle of creation and destruction. After the world ends, a new world or era may emerge. This is evident in Hindu mythology, where the concept of yugas (ages) describes a cycle of creation and destruction. The Kali Yuga, the current age, is expected to end with a cataclysmic event before a new age begins.

4. Heroes and Survivors:

Many apocalyptic stories feature heroes or survivors who play a key role in the narrative. These individuals often represent the best of humanity and may carry forward the legacy of the old world into a new one. For example, in Greek mythology, Deucalion and Pyrrha survive a great flood and repopulate the earth.

Differences in Apocalyptic Narratives

1. Cultural Context:

Apocalyptic narratives often reflect the specific concerns and values of the culture from which they originate. For example, the biblical flood narrative can be seen as a warning against moral decay and disobedience to divine law. In contrast, the Norse myth of Ragnarök emphasizes themes of fate, heroism, and the cyclical nature of existence.

2. Diverse Agents of Destruction:

The agents of destruction vary across different cultures. In some traditions, the apocalypse is triggered by gods or supernatural beings (e.g., the Norse gods in Ragnarök). In others, natural disasters or human actions play a central role (e.g., the flood in the Hebrew Bible or the destruction of Atlantis in Greek mythology).

3. Outcome and Resolution:

The outcomes of apocalyptic narratives can differ widely. Some stories end with a new beginning or rebirth (e.g., the Hindu concept of a new yuga following the Kali Yuga). Others conclude with finality, suggesting the end of all existence (e.g., some interpretations of the Book of Revelation).

Societal Impacts and Influences

1. Reflection of Anxieties:

Apocalyptic narratives often reflect societal anxieties and fears about the future. They may serve as cautionary tales that highlight the consequences of moral decay, environmental destruction, or other perceived threats.

2. Moral and Ethical Lessons:

These stories often carry moral and ethical lessons about human behavior. They may encourage individuals to lead righteous lives, respect nature, or avoid hubris.

3. Cultural Identity and Continuity:

Apocalyptic narratives contribute to a culture's identity by providing a shared story that explains the past and envisions the future. They often affirm cultural values and reinforce a sense of continuity.

4. Influence on Art and Media:

Apocalyptic themes have influenced art, literature, film, and other forms of media across the world. These stories continue to inspire creators, providing a rich source of material for exploration and reinterpretation.

In conclusion, apocalyptic narratives across different mythologies, cultures, and folklore offer valuable insights into human nature and societal concerns. While these stories may differ in their specifics, they share common themes of destruction, judgment, and rebirth. They continue to resonate with modern audiences, reflecting ongoing fears and hopes about the future of humanity.

[dailyanarchistposts]

Caste is, as Ambedkar said, “not just a division of labour but, a division of labourers.” Wherever this institution went, it tried to freeze the society into a fossilized rulership and a fossilized disposable and disciplined labouring class. And just as division of labour alienates the workers from her work, product of her labour and life itself; the division of labourers alienated the whole of society and deeply fractured the spirit of human morality and solidarity. The caste structure gave birth to the caste society which has outlived the mode of domination it was invented to serve.

The straitjacket of caste did not emerge in isolation. It is one part of the centuries old project of societal control – Brahmanism. This entry is an attempt to find an anarchist orientation towards Bhrahmanism and its annihilation by looking at some episodes in its history and mutations.

Brahmanism, primarily, is and always has been a socio-political ideology and not a religious movement. The ideology consists in the believe that Brahmans have established links with the higher realms, they are the natural advisors to the rulers on social and political matters and, that they hold the highest place in the social hierarchy. The hierarchy consists in a four tier system of Varna and those who are out of this hierarchy forming the Avarna strata, based on Brahmans principles of standardized purity. Within this image of the Brahmanical society the caste becomes the essential of realizing the dominance of Brahmans as the priestly caste. To insure the success and reproduction of this institution every aspect of human life from the cradle to the grave are governed by strict laws codified in various books and laws of local kingdoms.

This vision of society was largely realized in significant parts of the sub-continent with varying degrees of success, modifications and compromises with other power system. This was not an easy task and beginning with the invasion of Alexander of Macedon, the Brahmans were prosecuted in the north-western region of what is now called India, the only region where they had influence. This continued with Ashoka’s and later his son, Kunala’s murdering of the “treacherous” Brahmans who were fueling anti-Maurya sentiments in local courts. The situation was so bad for the priestly caste that they were sure that the end of the world has finally arrived – the end of Kali Yuga. But Brahmanism not only survived but thrived and the impacts of its unfortunate success to this day are leaving bloody marks on human body and spirit.

Brahmanism conquered not by the blade of the sword but with the succor of the myth. Brahmans spread stories of their demigod like powers, the benefits of befriending and dangers of crossing them. Most importantly they provided to the rulers a divine lineage and right to rule till the end of time and the practical knowledge of statecraft. The Brahmans without ever becoming a threat to political power gave rulers a lineage they can link back to the Puranas and the Vedic era. They were not only able but necessary for the prosperity of the land, making the ruler the permanent and necessary fixture in the mind of the masses.

The benefits flow both ways. Kshatriya and the other ruling castes were essential for realizing the Brahmanical society. It was the duty of the warrior class to institute Danda for its maintenance. In essence, Brahmanism is statism. The kingly class is so essential to the ideology that the end of Yugas are marked by the Kshatriyas becoming incompetent in maintaining the Varna vyavastha and that the evidence that the end of time had not yet arrived was the fact that most king’s lineage maintained their thrones.

This perfect union of the priestly caste and the ruling class is no accident. Humans, when incapable of making sense of the untimely flood, failed crops or plague conjure up unseen forces that help us make sense of the unpredictability and meaninglessness around. Through the combined effect of general ignorance and the need for self-preservation the first seed of authority and power is sown in the heart. God becomes the Supreme Ruler. Once formalized enough, we try to tame the forces through rituals and sacrifices. In initial stages this practice is individualistic. The relation of these forces or gods is direct and intimate, but soon these practices become socialized and a specialized class of sacrifice experts emerges. The link of individual to the god is broken and a flesh and blood human becomes a new center of social power. The same phenomenon repeats itself in sphere of social organization and to tame the social forces in our favor we learn to surrender to the Ruler, sent on earth by the Supreme Ruler. To the extent we submit to a power for self preservation, from corporate bureaucracies to nation states and families, all forms of rulershipare religion.

It was during this period of renewal of Brahmanism, returning from the brink of extinction that the pantheon that is now recognized as Hindu deities was gradually created. First by casting the individualistic, semi-socialized religious cults of Krishna, Shiva etc into the mold of Brahmanism and later by making the newer gods the incarnation of the former. In this process of absorptionreplicating the hierarchy of the Brahmanical society into the realm of gods. Through economic and political coercion the religious power now served the interest of the Brahmans and states.

I skip the changes this Brahmanical temporal authority ordained by the divine authority underwent over the next few centuries and under the Mughal rule and turn to its first interaction with capitalism, the Company Raj, colonization and modern nation states that shook the roots of the old project. In the preceding decades the merchant caste, with its control over rural finance and land displaced the Brahmans from the top of social hierarchy. In Bengal province by the end of the nawab rule fifteen families controlled 60% of the land and in Punjab the British administration had to introduce a law to regulate the acquisition of land by the money lenders on failure of payment of debts. And with the changing nature of sovereignty from the village level to the new national imagination Brahmanism had to mutate once more to survive.

The core of this mutation was the deep-seated hatred of the individual – her free development and initiative. Faced with European capitalism, in its vulgarized disguise of individual freedom the reformers, who had taken up the task of reviving the Indian culture by going back to the Vedic sources, were united in there contempt for the individual. They found in the Varna system the solution to the modern problems of nations. Caste does not necessarily have to be based on heredity but the proper division of labour and social activity based on natural hierarchies which was necessitated by the needs of social organization. Caste with natural leadership of Brahmans, was no longer justified by the metaphysics of religion became the outcome of the theology of social sciences, its theory of race, competition, gender superiority and survival of the fittest. Its aim was to serve the New God of “national interest”.

In search of this nation Brahmanism morphed into Hindutva. This new outward expression of the lust for power also explicitly presented itself as a political project and not a religious movement. Within the Hindi, Hindu, Hindustan that is to bring glory to the nation state, the Hindu is a casteist structure. This was novel. The Hindu identity for a political project was necessitated by two factors. First, the apparent feebleness of the social unity – togetherness and second, the essential principle of nationhood – unity through separation.

Savarkar understood this principle well – “nothing can weld peoples into a nation and nations into a state as the pressure of a common foe. Hatred separates as well as unites.” A nation is that artificial and arbitrary unit of territory and subjects that a political power has acquired for controlling and fleecing. It destroys the natural love and association with the place of birth and our immediate communities through its industrialization and directs that human feeling towards the worship of this abstraction, its symbols and submission to its policies. This form of rulership finds its fullest expression in Totalitarianism of Nazism, Bolshevism or Brahmanism.

The national identity of Hindu provided the aspect of togetherness through idea of blood, culture and language, modification of Shudhi, etc. and its separation through the idea of the Muslim. Whether the state takes refuge in the ideology and shape of Hindutva or secular nationalism – two face of the same coin, its true nature remains the same, that of attuning all human expressions to the beat of this soulless political machine in the name of “national interest”. This technical term does not include the interests of the population – free and quality education and health care, well paid jobs or free or cheap housing for all, it means the interest of the market, the interest of the war machine that is the life blood of the state – its defense from other competing states, its source of expansion outside and control within.

After the transfer of power in 1947, India has remained a fractured community with its apartheid of caste and material conditions furnished by generations of deprivation and violence. In the rural regions it maintain the old structure of control and coercion while in urban setting it modified mildly and justified the stratification by logic of hygiene and merit – that is justifying privilege with privilege itself. The new Indian state did not start a project of actively constructing a casteist state but through its passivity towards caste issues it perpetuated the caste society within the shell of a capitalist state system, each feeding off the other. The maintenance of hierarchical corporate structure that is the Hindu family and segregation through the institution of marriage. The upper castes continued their take over of bureaucracy and managerial positions in state and cultural institution, practically, without any reservation mechanism and that continue to define the Indian society till date.

If we anarchists say that sanctity of the temple of the parliament and its new priesthood just like the temple of the old gods and the Brahmans is a lie and deception then, what do we have to say about reservation and other methods of achieving equality within the current state of things? To this we say that even the ritual of horse sacrifice must have yielded results for the masses, not from the blood drawn but from their organizing for themselves, taking things into their own hand and shaking things up. This assertive self-organization of the masses in each epoch of history has realized to the extent possible the moral and social progress. And within the modern nation states this progress, which is the collective wealth of our humanity has received a degree of formalization.

The erosion of this progress and regression will always be a possibility as long as there is a power whose control it weakens. And when this social progress is at its highest the instruments of domination have also become sharper, deadly and now threaten us with the possibility of ending the only known experiment of life in the universe. Anarchist believe that through continuing this assertive self-organizing for securing more and more moral progress we not only improve our immediate condition but also prepare ourself for the final destruction of social, political and economic rulership. A liberal welfare state can be an holding ground that reduces the impact of the blows from the state and the caste society and gives us opportunity for further progress. But the ultimate safeguard from Brahmanism or any other form of absolute domination over human body and spirit is Anarchism.

In an hierarchical society, certain individuals at particular historical junctures can play a catalytic role in either accelerating the progress or dragging it back for decades. If the former, then too, it is the social organization of individuals based on values of equality, mutual aid and decentralization of power that maintain it. There is further limit of the strategy of “having the right faces in the high places”. Once in position of power, the prerogative of the institutions dictate their actions. Having women, dalit-bahujan or queer people In position of power, like other holding strategies can make some limited gains but in the end the only interests these individuals represent are their own. No person can “represent” another person, a whole community lesser still. It maintains the relations of dependence and submission and further dulls the instincts for self-initiative and fosters moral passivity – a perfect condition for Brahmanism or any form of authority to exploit.

Even if the major decision of life and society are now made by the captains of industry and states-persons, and even if these decisions are not primarily driven by Brahmanical interests (and how different are these differences after all?) Caste is still alive. Some aspects of caste have been weakened and at the same time others strengthened. The general economic inequality, access to housing, well paid jobs – which means class – is graded on caste lines. As one historian noted, “it is striking how many of the country’s billionaires today are, though not direct descendants of eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century magnates, certainly originate from the same communities which began to accumulate wealth and influence at the end of the Mughal period and during the rise of the English East India Company.” The social stigma, practices of untouchablity and the Brahmanical institution of marriage flourish. Two great forces are gravitating towards forging a new Brahmanical-Hindutva order and a hazy road for taking in the opposite direction also gradually becoming visible. Both possibilities, like always depend on one thing – Organizing.

The force of social reaction to the neo-liberal bloodbath which turned a preventable health crisis into an global pandemic and in India made 12 crore people unemployed in a single month is the decisive factor in the fate of Brahmanism. 10 crore young Indians have given up all hope of finding a job and had stopped searching for work long before the current economic breakdown. Half of the youth of this country are unemployed. And those who have work are working 12 hours shifts to survive hand to mouth. In this constantly changing external world the individual loses her equilibrium. These uprooted millions turn into a mob seeking a source of stability and finding themselves incapable of self emancipation look for external power that would uplift them and give life a new meaning. Along with religiosity, in some cases the caste relations are strengthened as they are seen as a source of nourishment.

This combined with RSS’s mobilization and organization is the path towards strengthening Leader worship and Hindutva. The breaking up of the process of class reproduction and the erosion of the middle class, and with it the hopes and aspirations of millions in front of their eyes is accelerating. By some estimate at least half of the children born in middle class do not remain in it when they reach adulthood. The concentrating boss class is eager to exploit the people on caste lines. This is where one possibility of going in the other direction lies – poor peoples’ revolutionary unionism. The traditional unions that replicate the caste structure due to its hierarchical nature will only represent the interests of the minority leader class and not the workers themselves.

Its only through Anarcho-Syndicalism that we can achieve the threefold task of achieving progress in living and work standards, wages, expansion of reservation to compensate for the generational subjugation of dalit-bahujans in private and public sector, expanding the public sector that enables creation of new and greener jobs, progressive taxation and day-to-day struggles at workplaces; confronting the caste issue face to face as members of working class as well as part of oppressed communities through minority committees, along with local union branches to address caste at workplace and within the unions and; shedding away the elaborate etiquette of submission of this casteist society through rediscovering our instincts for self-initiative and direct action rather being dependent on this or that leader, the despot of tomorrow. This rediscovery and the development of this instinct and culture in the organized form within these alternative institutions form the essential ingredient of the society that shall replace the current disorder.

John R. McLane noted that, “since an individual’s obligations and privileges were specific to his or her family, jati, and age, universal standards of political-moral behavior rarely galvanized people into cooperative political effort.” Any intellectual current or form of practice that exclusively promote inward inquiry at cost of building broad solidarity of all oppressed while understanding the various inner relations in practice, unintentionally replicates the essential of the nation and Brahmanical order and play into hand of our enemies like in 2019 general election where Jadav-Yadav dynamic was a major determining factor in BJP’s victory. We do not wish to repeat these past mistakes, neither of the Marxist left that minimizes the importance of non-economic cultural and social factors at work and in society and address them within their organization and programs nor, of the narrow identity politics that in the long-run poses no threat to the status quo that it apparently wishes to destroy and has no space for broad solidarity based on shared needs and values in genuinely democratic and workers controlled organizations.

Revolutionary unionism is only one part of the struggle. Anarchists and other individuals must engage in cultural struggles towards elimination of the caste society. I cannot pretend to have a solution to this problem, I can only note that we know that the forces of alienation aggravates it and that we have a legacy of experiments by the people from dalit-bahujan castes to build upon and with anarchist emphasis on the abolition of marriage, dismantling the corporation of family and building a society based on free love and societal responsibility of child rearing, we have the impetus to motivate action in direction of liberation.

Caste being a particular configuration of hierarchy and the method of its reproduction, it finds affinity with all forms of dominations and latch on to the one it finds. While through the autonomous and varied cultural struggles and fighting back the class war as working class dealing with caste antagonism we make conditions better for both our class and dalit-bahujans, Anarchism is Brahmanisms only permanent solution. As long as there is a state or a economy based on private property, RSS has the possibility of achieving its desired position of the Raj Guru to the State. Following in the footsteps of the Saudra-attishudra Dakaits and their direct actions against capital and domination we organize not to end any particular form of authority but Rulership itself.

For a Casteless Society! – For Annihilation of Brahmanism! – For a Free Humanity!

For Anarchy!

[laikaflash]

The other night I was going through two fics I wrote sporadically between late 2022 and 2023. They spawned from the same plot bunny warren I landed in after writing "Her Firstborn" and doubled as my attempts at staving off inclement brain chemistry at times.

But really, I just want to share this scene from one of them where Kong Xiuqiang meets baby Kilik.

By the way, assuming Kilik was born on February 9, 1567, this means he was born at the start of a Fire Rabbit year.

At dawn, a young woman furtively approached the temple gate. Bending her back against the chill wind, she clutched a small basket in both arms. Inside, a newborn boy lay wrapped in a roughspun blanket.

Once she reached the door, she gently set the basket on the ground. She caressed the baby’s cheek and the wisps of brown hair on his head. For a moment, the mother hesitated, but then knocked on the door. The temple remained silent. Her knocking grew frantic. Finally, she fled down the hillside path.

The baby began to cry from the bitter cold. By the time the doors opened, he was still wailing for his vanished mother.

Han Dongxiu looked into the basket, then saw the trail of footprints nearby and his heart sank. He cradled the baby in his arms and turned to the abbot.

“Do you see those footprints, Făshī? This baby can’t have been left here for that long.”

“It seems so,” the abbot said in a somber tone. “Take the child inside. If this is indeed an orphan, it shall be raised here.”

“Shouldn’t we try to find the…” Han trailed off, a sinking feeling taking over. He turned toward the residence hall.

“Han, your intentions are good, but perhaps this was done for the better. Keep the little one out of the cold.”

“I understand, Făshī.”

With a bow, Han went on his way. The sight of him with the baby compelled the other monks to turn their heads. Han simply went into his cell and laid the basket on his bed. Seemingly restless, the baby began to kick at the blanket. Then, when he got up to shut the door, he saw a bewildered Kong staring past him. Han beckoned him inside.

Kong seemed to stumble on his words for a moment. His eyes were wide and his jaw set. “That… Where did…”

“I found him at the front gate this morning. Abandoned, I’m afraid.”

“Him?” With a deep breath, Kong began to relax.

“Xiuqiang, what’s the matter?”

“Oh, I’ve been so… distracted lately. Even training hasn’t calmed my mind.” Kong tentatively knelt by the basket. Pitying the child looking up at him, he patted the thatch of brown hair. “What’s his name?”

Han shook his head. “I believe the abbot intends to name him.”

“The poor thing. Not so much as a surname to go by.”

“That’s the way of this world, isn’t it? I suppose his mother, whoever she was, thought that there’d be merit in bringing him here.”

“What a way for the new year to begin,” Kong mumbled.

A squeezing sensation around his finger jolted his attention. He had nearly pulled his hand away before he noticed the baby’s tiny hand clasped around it. With a twinge of guilt, Kong thought of Xianglian. Would he risk giving it all away if he held this one?

Kong cradled the baby in his arms. In the back of his mind, he thought of how Xianglian had grown. The boy was lighter and smaller than her. He might have well been born mere hours before his mother had set foot uphill. What kind of father did he have? The baby stared up at him as though in rapt attention.

“Xiuqiang, the little fellow seems to like you already,” Han said with a smile.

“Oh? Maybe years from now, I’ll be teaching him rod techniques.” Kong’s heartbeat quickened at the idea and all that it entailed. If the Kali-Yuga rod were passed on to him, it would be an immense honor for the boy to train under him.

[uptoolateart]

I know it's been forever since I updated my Miraculous tarot deck. I've just been so busy writing fics instead! Then I saw the S5 finale and I decided to replace one of the cards I'd already done. So, this is Reality, which is a replacement for The World. An explanation is below the image. It turns into a bit of an analysis of 'Re-Creation'.

My previous image for The World was Marinette/Ladybug and Adrien/Cat Noir, i.e. their dual images. Then I got stuck because actually, that image would be perfect for the 2 of Yo-Yos...but I want to update it because I can draw better now, so that's on its way.

So, why did I go with Gimmi / Reality for this card?

The World is the end of the Major Arcana, or the archetypal cards at the head of the deck. Therefore, it speaks of fulfilment, completion, harmony, and the end of a certain cycle or phase of life. One journey has ended and a new one begins. From this point, we return to The Fool and start the sequence all over again.

The traditional Rider-Waite-Smith image shows a dancing figure, showing that fulfilment is ever-changing and dynamic. He/she is surrounded by a wreath of success / the achievement of a goal. This circle shows the cyclical nature of life. To quote an old Smashing Pumpkins song, the end is the beginning is the end….

In the corners are four figures who also appear in The Wheel of Fortune, symbolising the elements in harmony.

The central figure has one leg up in the air, reminding me of Lord Shiva in ancient Indian stories. Also referred to as the Lord of Dance (not to be confused with the Lord of the Dance, i.e. Michael Flatley), Shiva is a classic symbol of balance, walking the two paths between spiritual life and material life / desires. I thought of him the instant I saw Gimmi in 'Re-Creation', which I'll discuss that below. (I mean, look at all those arms...but even besides that....)

Ancient Indian traditions have this idea of different yugas, or eras. There are four of them, each one shorter than the last. When all four come to an end, Shiva does a special dance so powerful that it shatters the material universe...clearing a path for the universe to be created anew and the whole cycle to begin again. This process goes on eternally.

(Incidentally, we are currently said to be living through the last yuga in the cycle, the Kali yuga, when people are at their weakest and live shorter lives. But don't worry - there are about 427,000 years left of this yuga.)

Many traditions say Brahma is the creator god, after Shiva cleans the slate. Others, though, give Shiva the role of creator, too - specifically describing him as destroying in order to create again.

Hence in 'Deflagration' Plagg reminds Tikki that 'you and I are one', and in 'Re-Creation', when we see Plagg and Tikki in their ultimate forms, they make similar statements. Gimmi is not one or the other - Gimmi is their unified state. Reality = the constant ebb and flow of life and death, creation and destruction...like when Gabriel makes his wish and reality is collapsed and recreated. His wish is Shiva's dance. Constance is an illusion.

I think it's really interesting how when Gabriel 'dies', we never actually see a body. 'That's just because it's a children's show!' Yeah, maybe...but it's a children's show full of esoteric imagery, too. When Gabriel 'dies' he simply floats up and becomes a bunch of glowing light, returning to the energetic source of everything. Even basic physics tells us that energy never goes away. It simply...transforms. In a weird way...Gabriel's still floating around in some form, in the end. (Now there's a creepy thought.)

By the way, if you've noticed the placement of the Gabriel figure on my card...yeah. I didn't choose that. My reference image was a screenshot from 'Re-Creation'. I'm certain Gabriel's positioning was on purpose, to illustrate that is he but one humble emanation of the Creatrix (a feminine source of life - and with all that pink, I'm sure Gimmi is meant to be something like this, too).

And can I just note that I love the way Gimmi's head is surrounded by the atomic model. You may have gathered from other posts that I was less than satisfied with that S5 finale...but everything about Plagg, Tikki and Gimmi was fantastic.

[astrovastukosh]

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👉Two genders: Male and female. 👉Two phases: Shukla Paksha and Krishna Paksha. 👉Two worships: Vedic and Tantric (Puranokta). 👉Two Ayan: Uttarayan and Dakshinayan. 👉Three Gods: Brahma, Vishnu, Shankar. 👉Three Goddesses: Maha Saraswati, Maha Lakshmi, Maha Gauri. 👉Three worlds: Earth, Sky, Underworld. 👉Three Gunas: Satvagun, Rajogun, Tamogun. 👉Three states: solid, liquid, and air. 👉Three levels: beginning, middle, end. 👉Three stages: childhood, youth, old age. 👉Three creations: God, Demon, Human. 👉Three states: awake, dead, unconscious. 👉Three tenses: past, future, present. 👉Three Nadis: Ida, Pingala, Sushumna. 👉Three evenings: morning, afternoon, evening. 👉Three powers: will power, knowledge power, action power. 👉Char Dham: Badrinath, Jagannath Puri, Rameshwaram, Dwarka. 👉Four Munis: Sanat, Sanatana, Sanand, Sanat Kumar.

👉Four Varnas: Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra.

👉Four Niti: Sama, Daam, Dand, Bhed.

👉Four Vedas: Sama Veda, Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Atharva Veda.

👉Four Women: Mother, Wife, Sister, Daughter.

👉Four Yugas: Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dwapar Yuga, Kalyuga.

👉Four Times: Morning, Evening, Day, Night.

👉Four Apsaras: Urvashi, Rambha, Menaka, Tilottama.

👉Four Gurus: Mother, Father, Teacher, Spiritual Guru.

👉Four Animals: Aquatic, Terrestrial, Aerial, Amphibious.

👉Four living beings: Andaj, Pindaj, Swedaj, Udbhij. 👉Four voices: Omkar, Akaar, Ukar, Makar. 👉 Four Ashrams: Brahmacharya, Grahastha, Vanaprastha, Sanyas. 👉Four foods: food, drink, lehya, choshya. 👉 Four efforts: Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha. 👉Four instruments: Tat, Sushir, Avandva, Ghan. 👉Five elements: Earth, Sky, Fire, Water, Air. 👉Five Gods: Ganesha, Durga, Vishnu, Shankar, Surya. 👉Five senses: eye, nose, ear, tongue, skin. 👉Five actions: taste, form, smell, touch, sound. 👉Five fingers: thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger, little finger.

👉Five worship treatments: fragrance, flower, incense, lamp, offering.

👉Five nectar: ​​milk, curd, ghee, honey, sugar.

👉Five ghosts: ghost, vampire, Vaital, Kushmanda, Brahmarakshas.

👉Five tastes: sweet, charkha, sour, salty, bitter.

👉Five airs: Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana, Samana.

👉Five senses: eye, nose, ear, tongue, skin, mind.

👉Five banyan trees: Siddhavat (Ujjain), Akshayavat (Prayagraj), Bodhivat (Bodhgaya), 👉Vanshivat (Vrindavan), Sakshivat (Gaya).

👉Five leaves: Mango, Peepal, Banyan, Gular, Ashoka. 👉Five daughters: Ahilya, Tara, Mandodari, Kunti, Draupadi. 👉 Six seasons: Winter, Summer, Rainy, Autumn, Spring, Autumn. 👉 Six parts of knowledge: Education, Kalpa, Grammar, Nirukta, Chhanda, Astrology. 👉 Six Karmas: Devpooja, Guru worship, self-study, restraint, penance, charity. 👉 Six vices: lust, anger, pride, greed, attachment, laziness. 👉Seven verses: Gayatri, Ushnik, Anushtup, Vrhati, Pankti, Trishtup, Jagti. 👉Seven vowels: Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni. 👉Seven notes: Shadaj, Rishabh, Gandhar, Madhyam, Pancham, Dhaivat, Nishad. 👉Seven Chakras: Sahasrara, Ajna, Vishuddha, Anahata, Manipur, Swadhisthana, Muladhar. 👉Seven times: Sun, Mon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn. 👉Seven soils: Cowshed, stable, elephant shed, royal gate, Bambi soil, river confluence, pond. 👉Seven continents: Jambudweep (Asia), Plakshadweep, Shalmaliweep, Kushdweep, Kraunchadweep, Shakadweep, Pushkardweep

👉 Join "Astro Vastu Kosh" now to get firsthand information about such interesting and informative "Sanatan Dharma, Astrology, and Vastu Shastra" 👈

[metalcultbrigade]

Today it’s the 20:th anniversary of the Lemuria and Sirius B albums!

After the Deggial album we started to write on a follow up, which would eventually result in Lemuria/Sirius B. But after writing a few songs I got a completely different idea and wanted to do a Nordic concept album, so I shelved the album I was working on and instead wrote most of Secret Of The Runes in a month time and we recorded that album instead. Later we would return to work on Lemuria/Sirius B. But what was originally intended to be one album had now grown to enough material for three albums. So pretty much the same story as with the Leviathan trilogy.

We though recording three albums in one go would be too heavy and if we did them one by one, it would have been too time demanding and I thought we would always have material for future albums in the loop ahead of us. So we did a compromise where we would record Lemuria and Sirius B together and push the third album into the future. The way we divided the songs was that we put the more straight forward and heavy/power metal songs on Sirius B, the more progressive/adventurous songs on the coming third album and whatever left would be Lemuria. But after the recordings, we would swap a few songs between Lemuria and Sirius B, so they didn’t become as style wise diverse as originally intended. For instance the Kali Yugas were intended for Lemuria. And the song Lemuria was intended for Sirus B, but I thought Lemuria was a great album title, so I swapped that song. There was one more song swapped, if my memory serves me right it was Abraxas.

Instead of recording the planned third album after all the touring was done, I changed plans again and we did Gothic Kabbalah instead. The remaining songs intended for a third album in a trilogy with Lemuria and Sirius B would instead become scattered in different directions:

Kings of Edom, Land of Kanaan, Kali Yuga III, The Shells are Open, Din and Children of the Stone ended up on Sitra Ahra.

One song would end up on Beloved Antichrist and be slightly rewritten to become the scene ”Signs are here”.

Two songs would be incorporated into Gothic Kabbalah. One song was Der Mitternachtslöwe, which had a different vocal line in the chorus, but was replaced with a new melody suggestion by Mats Levén. The second song was essentially the beginning of Adulruna Rediviva (the first 4:50 min) and the ending (final 2:18 min), which I decided to merge with another song we wrote specifically for Gothic Kabbalah.

So if you compile those songs to one disc (or play list), you get a good idea of how the third album of the trilogy was originally intended to sound.

BUT... there where were actually two other songs, ”Serpent Messiah” and ”Thunder Perfect Mind” which were recorded for Sitra Ahra, but were left out in the end. I plan to do some kind of leftover compilation some day (like there were leftovers from Theli and Vovin released on A’arab Zaraq Lucid Dreaming” and Crowning of Atlantis.)

[santmat]

Stages of Meditation: Couplets About Meditation Practice, By Swami Santsevi Ji Maharaj

"Begin meditation with internally chanting or repeating the Guru-mantra-incantation (the charged words given by the Guru). And then try to visualize the radiant form or image of the Satguru in the still darkness of the inner sky (with eyes closed)*. Follow that with focusing your attention at the seat of the soul within, i.e. at the Third Eye or the Inner Eye or the Til Dwaar, by making the two streams of consciousness in your two eyes converge in a Point."

"When the two currents of consciousness meet in a Point, Divine Light appears within. Then, practice Surat Shabd Yoga (Yoga of Divine Sound) i.e., try to shift your attention to listening to the Divine Sounds or myriads of melodies (Anahad Naad) ringing inside. Listening to the Divine Sound destroys all the agitations and fickleness of the mind."

"Ascending beyond or transcending myriads of sounds, try to identify and tune in to the Quintessential Unstruck Melody, called "Saar Shabd" or "Anaahat Naad" which alone is capable of taking you and merging you into oneness with the Supreme Lord; this is the ultimate emancipation or liberation."

*NOTES: "In Kali Yuga, no spiritual activity would be successfully performed except the contemplation of the Swarup (Form) of the Sat Guru, Simran of Naam (Repetition of the Holy Name) and Dhyan of Naam (contemplation of the Holy Name) [Meditation of the Inner Light and Sound]." ("Last Words of Soami Ji Maharaj")

One begins the meditation with simran of Holy Names, then one adds visualizing the form of one's master (Sant Satguru), contemplating the Light(s) and inner visions. Then comes inner Sound. Sound becomes the focus. Beyond all these… there is God, described as being Formless, beyond Light and Sound, sometimes referred to as Anami (Nameless, Soundless, Ocean of Love, Lord of the Soul).

[hiding1ntheforest]

Dark Ages: Apocalypticism, Aeons and Chaos in Paganism

Something that has always fascinated me about the study of religion is the common themes among many of them, especially the various forms of polytheism. Of course, many forms of paganism share the same origin point but it’s nonetheless incredible that so many cultures, some of which have never even interacted, share the same perspectives and similar myths. One of these common themes is that of the cyclic nature of our existence. In paganism, we are constantly going through the process of creation and destruction on a loop. We emerge from a great primeval void, chaos, before transitioning to a period of development and sophistication. In some cases, the process of this cycle is much more distinct, such as the Satya Yuga to the final Kali Yuga in Hinduism. For others, the cycles are less clearly defined. Among the North, our reality was built from the generative substance of the Ginnungagap. Out of this chaos though before its return, the Gods bring order, truth, and beauty. This blog post will explore the significance of birth and rebirth or creation and destruction, the concept of cosmological chaos, as well as “end of the world” events in paganism.

Chaos

The creation of the world is an important aspect to any religion. Germanic paganism explains this from the beginning with the Ginnungagap, or the “yawning void.” This void is first introduced in Gylfaginning, where sparks from Muspellheim enter the void and are then dispersed throughout the many realms of existence. In the Voluspa, we learn that Woden and his brothers built the world from the material of the Ginnungagap. Among the Anglo-Saxons, the word “dwolma” refers to chaos and can be linguistically traced to the Old Saxon word “dwalm” which means confusion. This may illustrate the void possessing the matter which will construct all life. Additionally, some scholars believe that the term Ginnungagap has its origins in Old High German with more mystical connotations. This strongly parallels the perspective of the ancient Egyptians. Like our Germanic ancestors, the Egyptians believed that all life was created from cosmological chaos. Similar to Ginnungagap, this chaos was an empty void; nothingness with the ability to create. They also believed that it was watery, an idea tied to the primeval waters of Nun. Again, water as the prima materia is a widespread philosophy. Aristotle wrote that Thales argued for water being the progenitor of all things. Later, the alchemists claimed that mercury was the prima materia and also referred to it as sacred water. This may be compared to the mercurial force of Woden creating the world from nothingness. I won’t delve into this too much in this post, but it’s clear that ancient polytheists recognized that the potential for all life was conceived out of mystic primordial emptiness by the creator.

The End of the World

If you’re following this blog, then I’m sure you have heard of Ragnarok. Ragnarok, or “the twilight of the Gods”, is essentially the apocalypse of Norse paganism. It should be noted that Ragnarok is specifically attested among the Northern Germanic peoples. Despite this, the return to primordial chaos is certainly rooted in the Indo-European faith, so it is likely that all of the Germanic peoples had some idea of this. Etymologically, the word Ragnarok is very interesting. The first half of the word, “Ragna,” is in reference to the Gods. The second half may be derived from either “Rok” or “Rokkr.” The term “Rok” is striking because it means origin. This may suggest that return to primordial chaos and this will be further propounded by the myth itself. We get the word twilight in the phrase “twilight of the Gods” from “Rokkr.” The word “Ragnarokkr” is found in Lokasenna, though the term “aldarrok” is found in Vafthrudnismal, and this roughly translates to “end of an age.” This also indicates the recognition of metaphysical ages among the Norse. The tale of Ragnarok can be found in Voluspa. Roosters from all over crow and many jotnar begin to approach. The hound Garmr breaks loose. As a result, humanity begins to degrade. It is said that brothers go to war with one another, familial betrayal occurs, as well as lust and violence growing rampant. Ragnarok commences with Heimdall blowing the Gjallarhorn. The Gods then go to battle against the jotnar with the aid of different creatures. The battle results in many of the Gods being killed. Odin is swallowed by the great wolf Fenrir, though is later avenged when his son Vidarr stabs the beast in the heart. Thor slaughters Jormungandr but soon dies from the serpent’s venom. Finally, Freyr is killed by a jotunn called Surtr. The sun blackens and the heavens go up in flames. The Earth is then submerged beneath the sea. As a result of the battle, the Earth soon remerges from the sea and the surviving Gods congregate together. The Earth begins to revive as vegetation grows. We also learn that the brothers Hodr and Baldr will return along with Njord. Two humans, Lif and Lifthrasir will have survived Ragnarok and repopulate the Earth. Again, we can draw parallels between Ragnarok and the return of the primordial waters in Egypt. Chaos will return after the mighty serpent Apophis defeats the sun God Ra, swallowing up the Earth while the creator grows too old and weary to reinstate order. This serpent is associated with natural disasters as well as general disorder and we come across many myths in which the Gods must reckon with Apophis. Moreover, Ra must encounter Apophis every night during his journey to Duat, the underworld. Apophis is extremely similar to the serpent Jormungandr who plays an important part in Ragnarok and the myths as a whole. This serpent is also associated with the water and engulfs the Earth by biting its tail, much like Apophis who swallows it whole. The Gods, specifically Thunor, are frequently disturbed by this serpent. Most importantly, Ragnarok or any apocalyptic event in paganism does not depict the end of the world, but rather a return to the beginning. Woden created the Earth using the body of the jotunn Ymir, meanwhile many of the Gods die due to the jotnar. There is no end- only birth, death and rebirth.

The Yugas

One cannot discuss apocalypticism without talking about the Yugas, specifically Kali Yuga. It may seem that discussing Hinduism does not fit in with this article or this account’s theme as a whole but seeing that it is the Indo in Indo-European, as well as its comparison to metaphysical ages, I feel it’s still important to mention. The four Yugas all together span 4,320,000 years. Each Yuga is a multiple of the other, with the longest being Satya Yuga at 1.7 million years and the shortest being Kali Yuga at 432,000 years. There’s a lot of debate among Hindu thinkers on which Yuga we’re in now, but many believe that we are in the Kali Yuga. If I may interject my opinion, I believe they likely aren’t far off when you take a look at the world. Satya Yuga is often referred to as the Golden Age and overall the greatest time for human civilization. Truth, religiosity, morality, and beauty are at its peak. The first manifestation of Vishnu appears with Mastyadeva. Mastyadeva must battle the demon Hayagriva who attempts to steal the Vedas from Brahma. The Vedas are crucial because with the degradation of the Vedas follows the degradation of civilization. This decline begins to show during Treta Yuga. Truth and religiosity slowly begins to slip. Some humans grow physically weaker while some elevate to almost a godlike status due to enlightenment. Dwapar Yuga, also called the Bronze Age, shows an increase in materialism, violence and lust. The forces of good and evil are at a tie. The Vedas are divided into four. This is also when Krishna recites the Bhagavad Gita which is very important to the coming age. Kali Yuga is the Iron Age. It is the last age before the cycle repeats. The family unit deteriorates, humanity is divided and the Earth is polluted. Out of Kali Yuga, the next Satya Yuga emerges and the continual cycle repeats once more.

Conclusion

The cycle of life, death and rebirth are central to any form of paganism. Across the globe, many different cultures have their own conceptions and myths revolving around this cycle that share common themes and principles. Whether it be the Ginnungagap or primordial waters of Nun, all things come from a dark cosmic emptiness. Moreover, we all must return to that place of nothingness. Among the Norse, Ragnarok resets the universe while the world’s order slowly disintegrates due to an aging creator according to the Egyptians. Perhaps the most popular example of this life-death-rebirth loop is that of the Yugas among Hinduism. From East to West, we are chained to this mystical sequence.

[narasimhabhakti]

It is quite well known that Hinduism teaches the existence of four Yugas or Ages which together comprise the Maha-Yuga or “Great Age,” which is itself but an extremely minuscule and fleeting part of the entire Maha-Kalpa, the life cycle of the manifested Universe.

The names and durations assigned to the Yugas are as follows:

1st – Satya Yuga (also called Krita Yuga) – Golden Age – 1,728,000 years

2nd – Treta Yuga – Silver Age – 1,296,000 years

3rd – Dvapara Yuga – Bronze Age – 864,000 years

4th – Kali Yuga – Iron Age – 432,000 years

Total: 4,320,000 years (The Maha-Yuga)

According to Hindu tradition, we are currently in the Kali Yuga, which is said to have begun around 5,000 years ago with the death of Krishna, the great divine Teacher and Reformer who is the central figure of the Bhagavad Gita, and for whom there is evidence that he really once lived on Earth.

In the teachings of Theosophy, H. P. Blavatsky informs us in “The Secret Doctrine” that “The year of the Kaliyuga is said to have begun between the 17th and 18th of February in the year 3102 B.C.” (Vol. 2, p. 435) and clarifies that in fact “the instant of the beginning of Kali-Yuga” was “2h. 27m. 30s. a.m. of February 16th” of that year, 5,124 years ago as of 2022 (Vol. 1, p. 662).

It’s easy to work out that the Kali Yuga still has 426,876 years remaining, an almost unimaginably lengthy period of time!

But how literally are we to take these numbers? In his article titled “Cycles,” William Quan Judge shows the hidden numerical code present in the figures of the Yuga chronology.

The Satya Yuga is said to last for 1,728,000 years. Add 1+7+2+8 and the result is 18.

The Treta Yuga is said to last for 1,296,000 years. Add 1+2+9+6 and the result is 18.

The Dvapara Yuga is said to last for 864,000 years. Add 8+6+4 and the result is 18.

The Kali Yuga is said to last for 432,000 years. Add 4+3+2 and the result is 9.

Add 18+18+18+9 and the result is 63. Add those two numbers, 6 and 3, together, and the result is 9. Multiply 6 by 3 and the result is 18. Add that 1 and 8 together and the result is 9. This is undoubtedly of great significance but its real meaning has not been revealed, neither by Mr Judge nor by HPB nor by any of the Masters.

In his important book “The Ocean of Theosophy” (p. 126) Mr Judge writes that, “At the present time we are in a cycle of transition, when, as a transition period should indicate, everything in philosophy, religion and society is changing. In a transition period the full and complete figures and rules respecting cycles are not given out to a generation which elevates money above all thoughts and scoffs at the spiritual view of man and nature.”

Whilst the above figures from the chronologies of exoteric Hinduism are generally used and mentioned in the Theosophical teachings, HPB makes this statement in “The Secret Doctrine” Vol. 2, p. 67:

“Such computations as are given in Manu and the Puranas [Note: These ancient Hindu texts are the main source for the figures of the durations of Yugas, Manvantaras, Pralayas, Kalpas, etc.] – save trifling and most evidently intentional exaggerations – are, as already stated, almost identical with those taught in esoteric philosophy.”

So within those figures there are indeed some “exaggerations,” she says, albeit – for whatever reason – “intentional exaggerations” but on the whole the figures are “almost identical” with those accepted by the Gupta Vidya or Secret Doctrine or Esoteric Philosophy of the Brotherhood of Masters of Wisdom. The fact that they are almost identical and thus not identical is good reason for Theosophists to not focus on or present these numbers as if they are literal, unquestionable, wholly accurate, absolute facts, which has unfortunately been the approach in many cases. But as the true figures or numbers are not given to the public, it appears the exoteric Hindu ones are considered by the Masters to be “close enough” to use, provided that one remembers that they are not the real, literal thing. As will be seen below, HPB says the figures given for the Yugas are only “an approximate duration.”

We also have these words from “The Secret Doctrine”:

“It had been declared from the first and has been repeatedly asserted since that no Theosophist, not even as an accepted chela – let alone lay students – could expect to have the secret teachings explained to him thoroughly and completely, before he had irretrievably pledged himself to the Brotherhood and passed through at least one initiation, because no figures and numbers could be given to the public, for figures and numbers are the key to the esoteric system.” (Vol. 1, p. 164)

“The figures belonging to the Occult calculations cannot be given – as the Masters have many times declared – outside the circle of pledged chelas, and not even these can break the rules.” (Vol. 1, p. 170)

“We are not given the figures of the Great Kalpa, and are not allowed to publish those of our small Yugas, except as to the approximate duration of these.” (Vol. 1, p. 206)

“We are not taught figures which are and will remain secret with the Masters of Occult Science, as justly stated in “Esoteric Buddhism.”” (Vol. 2, p. 251)

Another good reason for not categorically “nailing it down” is because a surprisingly little known article by HPB lifts the veil to some degree on the true esoteric system, revealing that there are in fact seven Yugas, a truth which should have already presented itself to the intuition of the student of Theosophy, who knows well that all manifestation is of a septenary nature and that the golden key to understanding the mysteries of the Universe is to apply the law of correspondence and analogy. It is also made clear in “The Secret Doctrine” and elsewhere that the Hindu system as a whole (i.e. not merely on the subject of the Yugas but on virtually every subject) is generally a fourfold system, rather than sevenfold, and that while the fourfold approach can make things simpler and easier to grasp, it is not the complete truth of things but rather a condensation or compression of the sevenfold reality.

Instead of passing through the Golden Age, Silver Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age (“an age BLACK WITH HORRORS” – “The Secret Doctrine” Vol. 1, p. 645) and then starting the fourfold cycle all over again by somehow jumping from the darkest depths of the Iron Age into a new Golden Age, it appears that the Maha-Yuga actually follows the same type of involutionary and evolutionary arc as the seven rounds of the seven globes of our planetary chain. There is a gradual arc of descent, beginning at a pure, high, but relatively unconscious and unintelligent state, which eventually reaches the very lowest point to which it can go, after which there is a gradual arc of ascent, back up the same scale through which it had descended, but this time with the invaluable addition of acquired consciousness, intelligence, and soul experience. This is described as “the shadowy arc” and “the luminous arc.”

This information comes from a brief article by HPB published in January 1884 under the title “Premature and Phenomenal Growths”. One might not expect an article with such a title to contain such an important key but this is all the more reason why – as the articles on this site frequently emphasise – we should always pay very close and studious attention to everything HPB has written, for there is not one single unimportant or irrelevant sentence or paragraph in all the many thousands of pages of her writings.

Towards the end of that article, which is published today in the first volume of “H. P. Blavatsky Theosophical Articles” by Theosophy Company for the United Lodge of Theosophists, she quotes the text of what she calls “a prophecy in certain Asiatic old books.” Its content and style can be seen to be of the exact same type as the many esoteric commentaries quoted from a few years later throughout the two volumes of “The Secret Doctrine,” particularly in the second volume which is titled “Anthropogenesis.”

We have put in bold the sentence which most relates to this present subject:

“And as the fourth (race) was composed of Red-yellow which faded into Brown-white (bodies), so the fifth will fade out into white-brown (the white races becoming gradually darker). The sixth and seventh Manushi (men?) will be born adults; and will know of no old age, though their years will be many. As the Krita, Treta, Dvapara and Kali (ages) have been each decreasing in excellence (physical as well as moral) so the ascending – Dvapara, Treta, and Krita will be increasing in every excellence. As the life of man lasted 400 (years in the first, or Krita Yuga), 300 (years in Treta), 200 (years in Dvapara) and 100 (in the present Kali age); so in the next (the 6th Race) (the natural age of man) will be (gradually increased) 200, then 300 and 400 (in the last two yugas).”

This is clear enough – there is a Krita Yuga, a Treta Yuga, a Dvapara Yuga, a Kali Yuga, and then another Dvapara Yuga, another Treta Yuga, and another Krita Yuga, which closes the sevenfold cycle. This has been illustrated in the diagram at the top of this article.

One thing which is curious about the above quote is that it equates the Sixth Root Race with the ascending Dvapara Yuga or Bronze Age. This is curious seeing as “The Secret Doctrine” states in several places that the Kali Yuga will not come to an end until the end of the Sixth Root Race, meaning that the next Yuga would not begin until around the start of the Seventh Race.

Could it be, therefore, that really the Kali Yuga will end before our Fifth Root Race comes to an end?

Raghavan Iyer believed so. In his article “Involution” (first published in the December 1982 issue of “Hermes” by the Santa Barbara Lodge of the United Lodge of Theosophists) he states, “. . . the present Kali Yuga. This yuga . . . will indeed end before the completion of the present Fifth Root Race, and be followed by an ascent through the yugas towards the Satya Yuga.” Due to HPB’s “Premature and Phenomenal Growths” article being so little known, this statement would probably be considered by many as “untheosophical” whereas in fact it is completely in line with the esoteric prophecy translated therein by HPB. Iyer – apparently the only Theosophical writer to have noticed or at least commented upon the doctrine of the Seven Yugas – continues: “The four yugas may be understood in terms of a descent from the most golden age to the most decadent, followed by a reascent to a golden age that represents a spiralling spiritual advance over the starting-point of the cycle.”

Interestingly, the event known as the “Coming of Maitreya” or “Coming of the Kalki Avatar” and which HPB always speaks of as being due at the end of the Kali Yuga and its coincident close of the Sixth Root Race and start of the Seventh (see Maitreya in The Light of Real Theosophy) is indicated in her “Theosophical Glossary” entry for “Maitreya Buddha” to be due instead “during the seventh (sub) race” rather than Root Race. Why “sub” is there in brackets and why that expression is not elaborated upon by her is unknown; most likely it is because no more can be revealed than this at this present time but it should hopefully make us realise that many things may not be as “cut and dried” as we would like them to be, hence the importance of our guarding against dogmatic assertions. That “Glossary” expression could however be further evidence that the Kali Yuga is indeed going to draw to a close by, or during, the seventh sub-race of this present Fifth Root Race.

Almost nothing about how the Yugas (whether four or seven in number) relate or correspond to the Seven Root Races is divulged in the Theosophical literature, with perhaps the most notable exception being the implication in “The Secret Doctrine” Vol. 2, p. 147, that the Dvapara Yuga or Bronze Age (which preceded our Kali Yuga) began around the start of our Fifth Root Race. We would all surely admit that even if we had been given more information on these points, we would not know what to do with it.

Yet although we cannot say for definite exactly how long the Kali Yuga or any Yuga actually lasts, nor at which precise point in the Races it will end, one thing which is made very clear and definite throughout the Theosophical literature is that the closing of the first 5,000 year cycle of the Kali Yuga would be an extremely serious, important, and momentous event in the evolution of humanity. There are many references to this in many places. In “Letters That Have Helped Me” (p. 97) William Judge writes, “The present cycle, which closes Nov. 17th, 1897 – Feb. 18th, 1898, is one of the most important of any that have been.”

It is, however, only the first 5,000 years of the Kali Yuga that have come to a close, not the Kali Yuga itself.

The idea popular in the New Age Movement that the entire Kali Yuga has finished and that we are already in the Golden Age or Satya Yuga, or that the Golden Age began in 2012, is not only unphilosophical but has no basis or foundation in anything at all other than the imaginations and fantasies of psychics and “lightworkers.”

Such wishful thinking is of course entirely understandable but it will not truly help anyone. As HPB once wrote, “Has the “last age” – the Age of Iron, or Kali Yuga – closed since then? Quite the reverse, since it is shown to be in full sway just now, not only because the Hindus use the name, but by universal personal experience. … Is it this age of ours that is the promised “Golden Age” – in which neither the venom of the serpent nor of any plant is any longer lethal, and in which we are all secure under the mild sway of God-chosen sovereigns? The wildest fancy of an opium-eater could hardly suggest a more inappropriate description, if it is to be applied to our age or to any age since the year one of our era.”

On p. 377 of the first volume of “The Secret Doctrine,” HPB remarks that “It is curious to see how prophetic in almost all things was the writer of Vishnu Purana when foretelling to Maitreya some of the dark influences and sins of this Kali Yug.” She then quotes from this ancient Hindu scripture known as the Vishnu Purana, which in describing the development of the Kali Yuga says amongst many other things:

“Wealth and piety will decrease until the world will be wholly depraved. Property alone will confer rank; wealth will be the only source of devotion; passion will be the sole bond of union between the sexes; falsehood will be the only means of success in litigation; and women will be objects merely of sensual gratification. ….. External types will be the only distinction of the several orders of life; ….. a man if rich will be reputed pure; dishonesty (anyaya) will be the universal means of subsistence, weakness the cause of dependence, menace and presumption will be substituted for learning; liberality will be devotion; mutual assent, marriage; fine clothes, dignity. He who is the strongest will reign; the people, unable to bear the heavy burden, Khara bhara (the load of taxes) will take refuge among the valleys. … Thus, in the Kali age will decay constantly proceed, until the human race approaches its annihilation (pralaya). … When the close of the Kali age shall be nigh, a portion of that divine being which exists, of its own spiritual nature … shall descend on Earth … (Kalki Avatar) endowed with the eight superhuman faculties. … He will re-establish righteousness on earth, and the minds of those who live at the end of Kali Yuga shall be awakened and become as pellucid as crystal.”

In the first of the two booklets titled “Conversations on Occultism,” Mr Judge presents a conversation between himself (as “Student”) and HPB (as “Sage”) under the title “The Kali Yuga – The Present Age.” In this, the Sage says, “There is one thing peculiar to the present Kali-Yuga which may be used by the Student. All causes now bring about their effects much more rapidly than in any other or better age. A sincere lover of the race can accomplish more in three incarnations under Kali-Yuga’s reign than he could in a much greater number in any other age. Thus by bearing all the manifold troubles of this Age and steadily triumphing, the object of his efforts will be more quickly realized, for, while the obstacles seem great, the powers to be invoked can be reached more quickly.”

The Student asks, “Even if this is, spiritually considered, a Dark Age, is it not in part redeemed by the increasing triumphs of mind over matter, and by the effects of science in mitigating human ills, such as the causes of disease, disease itself, cruelty, intolerance, bad laws, etc.?”

To this comes the answer: “Yes, these are mitigations of the darkness in just the same way that a lamp gives some light at night but does not restore daylight. In this age there are great triumphs of science, but they are nearly all directed to effects and do not take away the causes of the evils. Great strides have been made in the arts and in cure of diseases, but in the future, as the flower of our civilization unfolds, new diseases will arise and more strange disorders will be known, springing from causes that lie deep in the minds of men and which can only be eradicated by spiritual living.”

This particular dialogue ends with the question, “Are there any causes, other than the spread of Theosophy, which may operate to reverse the present drift towards materialism?”

The Sage replies, “The spread of the knowledge of the laws of Karma and Reincarnation and of a belief in the absolute spiritual unity of all beings will alone prevent this drift. The cycle must, however, run its course, and until that is ended all beneficial causes will of necessity act slowly and not to the extent they would in a brighter age. As each student lives a better life and by his example imprints upon the astral light the picture of a higher aspiration acted in the world, he thus aids souls of advanced development to descend from other spheres where the cycles are so dark that they can no longer stay there.”

But the present situation is not as gloomy as one might imagine, for there are cycles within cycles, and – Theosophy says – there is great potential for a type of golden age within the Dark Age of the Kali Yuga. Such a golden age will not be the Satya Yuga but rather something else. It results from the fact that the Aquarian Age, the New Age of Aquarius, began very shortly after the 20th century began, just a few years after the second sub-cycle of the Kali Yuga was ushered in. This zodiacal or astrological Age of Aquarius will last for around 2,160 years. But that is another subject and explored in another article.

~ BlavatskyTheosophy.com ~

One thought on “The Seven Yugas”

George Muttathil

SEPTEMBER 29, 2014 AT 2:00 PM

[blessed1neha]

The ultimate purpose of chanting the holy names of Krishna!

The ultimate purpose of chanting the holy names of Krishna is to please the transcendental senses of Lord Krishna, for He is the supreme enjoyer. The happiness of Krishna is the happiness of a pure devotee. In the words of Srila Prabhupada

A pure devotee has no way of sensing happiness except by seeing that Kṛṣṇa is happy in every respect.- Sri Chaitanya Charitamrta, Antya Lila 20.52

Anything performed purely for Krishna’s sense gratification is known as Yajna- ahaṁ hi sarva-yajñānāṁ bhoktā -Bhagavad Gita 9.24. And the best yajna for this age of kali-yuga is Sankirtana Yajna- yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ- Srimad Bhagavatam 11.5.32

If Krishna is pleased, He will cast His merciful glance on us. Once Krishna becomes merciful, Natavara Krishna will then descend to dance on our tongue. This is when we get the opportunity to host Shuddha Nama on our tongue.

hare kṛṣṇeti mantra-pratīka-grahaṇaṃ soḍaśa-nāmātmanā dvātrīṃśadaksareṇa

mantreṇoccair-uccāritena sphuritā kṛta-nṛtyā rasanā jihvā yasya sah.

When the sixteen names and thirty-two syllables of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra are loudly vibrated, Kṛṣṇa Himself dances on one’s tongue.-Baladeva Vidyābḥuṣana’s Stava-mālā-vibhūṣaṇa-bhāśya

As a side-effect of chanting the holy names or, in other words, when Krishna begins dancing on our tongue, all our sinful propensities get destroyed at their root, just as the venomous tongues of Kaliya Naga were subdued by the dancing Krishna.

In this way, Krishna mercifully places in our purified hearts the seed of Krishna Prema, which is the only worth-pursuing goal of human life.

[iskconraichur]

*Yugadi, Ugadi* Ugadi, the New Year for the people living in the Indian Deccan area celebrate the arrival of spring season. This is the time of the year when the entire nature appears to be drowned in the festive spirit and their lies the spiritual significance of Ugadi. Like the new leaves, new buds, fresh breeze and bright sunlight, the Ugadi festival also symbolizes the birth of a new era. It is celebrated on Shukla Paksha of the first month Chaitra of the Hindu calendar and also the first season, Vasanta –Ritu Spring). Yugadi... "Yugasya Adih" means the beginning of the era. Vasudha (Earth) completes her annual cycle of orbiting around the sun and begins a new cycle. Similarly, Earth's satellite Moon also begins its orbit around Earth afresh. 1. Bhagavad Gita 10.35 bṛhat-sāma tathā sāmnāṁ gāyatrī chandasām aham māsānāṁ mārga-śīrṣo ’ham ṛtūnāṁ kusumākaraḥ Of the hymns in the Sāma Veda I am the Bṛhat-sāma, and of poetry I am the Gāyatrī. Of months I am Mārgaśīrṣa, and of seasons I am flower-bearing *Spring* (Ugadi) 2. Lord Brahma started creation on this day - Chaitra suddha padhyami or the Ugadi day. 3. Maharshi Vedavyasa describes this event with the words "Yesmin Krishno divamvyataha, Tasmat eeva pratipannam Kaliyugam". Kali Yuga began on February 17/18 at midnight in 3102 BCE 4. People traditionally gather to listen to the recitation of the religious Panchangam (almanac) of the new year, and the general forecast of the year to come. This is called the 'Panchanga Sravanam', an informal social function where an elderly and respected person will read the almanac. 5. The eating of a specific mixture of six tastes, called Ugadi Pachhadi -Neem Buds/Flowers for its bitterness, signifying Sadness -Jaggery and ripe banana pieces for sweetness, signifying Happiness -Green Chilli/Pepper for its hot taste, signifying Anger -Salt for saltiness, signifying Fear -Tamarind Juice for its sourness, signifying Disgust -Unripened Mango for its tang, signifying Surprise 6. people look forward to a literary feast in the form of Kavi Sammelanam. Many poets come up with new poems written on subjects ranging - from Ugadi - to politics to modern trends and lifestyles. 🛕🚩🍵🍥🍲🍱🥗🍚 Offer Mandir Nirman seva Offer Maha Abhishek Offer Annadanam Offer Flowers Offer Go-daan for Goshala ಮಹಾ ಅಭಿಷೇಕ್ ಅರ್ಪಿಸಿ ಅನ್ನದಾನವನ್ನು ಅರ್ಪಿಸಿ ಹೂವುಗಳನ್ನು ನೀಡಿ ಗೋಶಾಲಾಗೆ ದಾನವನ್ನು ಅರ್ಪಿಸಿ Deposit donations @ https://rzp.io/l/donateforiskconraichur ISKCON Canara bank account 0519101043190 IFSC CNRB0000519 Join us with family, friends & get blessed by Lordships Sri Radha Shyamachandra, Gaura Nitai, Srila Prabhupada 🌼 - in service of Lord Sri Krishna & Humanity ISKCON Raichur team www.iskconraichur.com

[songedunmatindhiver-iii]

Millenial Hymn to Lord Shiva

Earth no longer

hymns the Creator,

the seven days of wonder,

the Garden is over —

all the stories are told,

the seven seals broken

all that begins

must have its ending,

our striving, desiring,

our living and dying,

for Time, the bringer

of abundant days

is Time the destroyer —

 In the Iron Age

 the Kali Yuga

 To whom can we pray

 at the end of an era

 but the Lord Shiva,

 the Liberator, the purifier?

Our forests are felled,

our mountains eroded,

the wild places

where the beautiful animals

found food and sanctuary

we have desolated,

a third of our seas,

a third of our rivers

we have polluted

and the sea-creatures dying.

Our civilization’s

blind progress

in wrong courses

through wrong choices

has brought us to nightmare

where what seems,

is, to the dreamer,

the collective mind

of the twentieth century —

this world of wonders

not divine creation

but a big bang

of blind chance,

purposeless accident,

mother earth’s children,

their living and loving,

their delight in being

not joy but chemistry,

stimulus, reflex,

valueless, meaningless,

while to our machines

we impute intelligence,

in computers and robots

we store information

and call it knowledge,

we seek guidance

by dialling numbers,

pressing buttons,

throwing switches,

in place of family

our companions are shadows,

cast on a screen,

bodiless voices, fleshless faces,

where was the Garden

a Disney-land

of virtual reality,

in place of angels

the human imagination

is peopled with foot-ballers

film-stars, media-men,

experts, know-all

television personalities,

animated puppets

with cartoon faces —

 To whom can we pray

 for release from illusion,

 from the world-cave,

 but Time the destroyer,

 the liberator, the purifier?

The curse of Midas

has changed at a touch,

a golden handshake

earthly paradise

to lifeless matter,

where once was seed-time,

summer and winter,

food-chain, factory farming,

monocrops for supermarkets,

pesticides, weed-killers

birdless springs,

endangered species,

battery-hens, hormone injections,

artificial insemination,

implants, transplants, sterilization,

surrogate births, contraception,

cloning, genetic engineering, abortion,

and our days shall be short

in the land we have sown

with the Dragon’s teeth

where our armies arise

fully armed on our killing-fields

with land-mines and missiles,

tanks and artillery,

gas-masks and body-bags,

our air-craft rain down

fire and destruction,

our space-craft broadcast

lies and corruption,

our elected parliaments

parrot their rhetoric

of peace and democracy

while the truth we deny

returns in our dreams

of Armageddon,

the death-wish, the arms-trade,

hatred and slaughter

profitable employment

of our thriving cities,

the arms-race

to the end of the world

of our postmodern,

post-Christian,

post-human nations,

progress to the nihil

of our spent civilization.

But cause and effect,

just and inexorable

law of the universe

no fix of science,

nor amenable god

can save from ourselves

the selves we have become —

 At the end of history

 to whom can we pray

 but to the destroyer,

 the liberator, the purifier?

In the beginning

the stars sang together

the cosmic harmony,

but Time, imperceptible

taker-away

of all that has been,

all that will be,

our heart-beat your drum,

our dance of life

your dance of death

in the crematorium,

our high-rise dreams,

Valhalla, Utopia,

Xanadu, Shangri-la, world revolution

Time has taken, and soon will be gone

Cambridge, Princeton and M.I.T.,

Nalanda, Athens and Alexandria

all for the holocaust

of civilization —

 To whom shall we pray

 when our vision has faded

 but the world-destroyer,

 the liberator, the purifier?

But great is the realm

of the world-creator,

the world-sustainer

from whom we come,

in whom we move

and have our being,

about us, within us

the wonders of wisdom,

the trees and the fountains,

the stars and the mountains,

all the children of joy,

the loved and the known,

the unknowable mystery

to whom we return

through the world-destroyer, —

 Holy, holy

 at the end of the world

 the purging fire

 of the purifier, the liberator!

Kathleen Raine

[tirupatitourpackages]

Tirupati Through the Ages: From Mythology to Modern-Day Pilgrimage

Tirupati, nestled in the foothills of the Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh, is a destination steeped in spiritual significance and ancient history. Over centuries, it has transformed from a site of mythical importance to one of the most visited pilgrimage destinations in the world. This article explores Tirupati’s journey through the ages, tracing its roots in mythology, its historical evolution, and its role as a modern-day spiritual hub.

The Mythological Beginnings

The story of Tirupati begins in ancient Hindu scriptures and Puranas. According to mythology, Lord Vishnu descended to Earth as Lord Venkateswara to save humanity from the trials of the Kali Yuga. The seven hills of Tirumala are said to represent the seven heads of Adisesha, the serpent on whom Vishnu reclines.

The Tirumala Temple, dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, is believed to be a self-manifested deity (Swayambhu). The legend of his marriage to Padmavati Devi and the origin of the famous Tirupati laddu prasadam are deeply rooted in these stories.

Historical Evolution of Tirupati

The earliest recorded mention of Tirupati dates back to ancient Tamil literature and inscriptions from the Pallava dynasty (6th century CE). Successive dynasties, including the Cholas, Vijayanagara Empire, and Nayaks, contributed to the temple’s development, making it a masterpiece of Dravidian architecture.

The Vijayanagara rulers, particularly Krishnadevaraya, played a pivotal role in enhancing the temple complex. They introduced several rituals and donated vast treasures, many of which are still preserved in the temple’s treasury.

The Modern-Day Pilgrimage Experience

Today, Tirupati stands as a beacon of faith for millions of devotees who flock to the temple annually. The management of the temple by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) ensures that the spiritual sanctity and administrative efficiency are maintained.

Modern amenities, including online Darshan booking and special Seva options, have made pilgrimage more accessible. Platforms like Tirupati Balaji Package offer comprehensive travel packages, simplifying the journey for devotees traveling from across India, including cities like Bangalore, Chennai, and Hyderabad.

Pilgrimage Highlights: Mythology Meets Modernity

Alipiri Mettu and Srivari Mettu: These sacred footpaths reflect the penance of devotees climbing the hills, just as ancient pilgrims did.

Tirupati Laddu: The prasadam’s recipe remains a well-guarded secret, signifying the unbroken tradition from ancient times.

Daily Sevas: Rituals like Suprabhatam, Thomala Seva, and Archana continue to honor centuries-old traditions while adapting to modern needs.

Why Tirupati Continues to Thrive

Tirupati’s enduring appeal lies in its ability to blend the past with the present. The devotion remains timeless, while advancements in infrastructure cater to modern-day pilgrims. From budget-friendly travel packages to luxury tours, platforms like Tirupati Balaji Package make it easier than ever to experience the divinity of this sacred destination.

Plan Your Pilgrimage Today

Whether you are drawn by the mythical legends or the serene spirituality of Tirupati, this destination promises a transformative experience. For hassle-free travel and Darshan arrangements, visit Tirupati Balaji Package and let your spiritual journey unfold with ease.

[laikaflash]

Etymology of the Three Treasures

Or: Why were these magic weapons kept in a Buddhist temple named after eras of Hindu cosmology? Well, at least they are in the English localization of Soulcalibur, and consequently, the rest of the series. Bear with me as I overthink some plot devices in a fighting game! First, I’ll give a refresher on which one is what. In clockwise order from the above image from Soul Calibur VI:

The sword: Krita-Yuga is actually the titular Soul Calibur, the antithesis of the evil sword Soul Edge.

The mirror: Dvapara-Yuga has the power to purify anything corrupted by evil energies.

The rod: Kali-Yuga can absorb any type of energy, be it good or evil.

Note the hyphenation.

These are named after three of the four eras (yugas) of the Yuga cycle. The broad strokes of each one in chronological order, and in order of diminishing spirituality, are as follows (at least in Vaishnavism, to be clear):

Krita Yuga, “the accomplished age”. A synonym for Satya Yuga, “the age of truth”. This is believed to be when mankind lived in perfect harmony with the Dharma, which is symbolized by a bull on four legs which stand for austerity, cleanliness, mercy, and truthfulness (source: Vedabase). The Golden Age, if you will.

Treta Yuga, “the age of three” is mentioned here for completeness’ sake. The aforementioned attributes (the symbolic legs) began to dwindle by one.

Dvapara Yuga, “the age of two”. This refers to the two remaining pillars of religion: mercy and truthfulness as people continued to stray further from the Dharma.

Kali Yuga, “the age of strife”. Named for the asura Kali, not to be confused with the goddess Kālī. This is believed to be when vice and sin are at their highest, and the Dharma is on its last leg. It is prophesied that Kalki, the final incarnation of Vishnu, will end the era with a fiery sword and usher in a new Satya Yuga, beginning the cycle anew.

As I’ve said, this is the theme the English localization went with. Before I get into the Japanese names, I want to point out that I can see the logic behind it. In story, Kilik wields the Kali-Yuga rod, which absorbed a considerable amount of powerful energy from Soul Edge itself, i.e. the Evil Seed. In that same moment, he himself is also possessed by the Evil Seed, which is only contained by the mirror Dvapara-Yuga. In a sense, the Dvapara-Yuga is the last thing between him and the Kali-Yuga, and by extension, his own destruction. The Krita-Yuga, Soul Calibur itself, is the very weapon built to destroy Soul Edge and bring an end to the chaos wrought by the evil sword. The fact that some of Soul Calibur IV’s endings show it ultimately intends to do this by freezing the world in crystal notwithstanding. On the other hand, I think there’s a reason one of the designers intended to convey “a merciless apathy” with regard to Elysium: eschatological figures with swords mean business. (I’m probably applying that retroactively.)

The other thing is that game canon has it that Soul Calibur tends to appear wherever someone is wreaking havoc with Soul Edge. Suffice it to say that it would pick up different names somewhere along the way. Soul Edge is at some points called “the Sword of Salvation” and the “Hero’s Sword”, but it’s clear that these are products of wishful thinking. That was the theory I was working from in the first place; I still think it holds.

The timeline in New Legends of Project Soul places the following at ~800 A.D.: “An elderly man known only as Edge Master gathers the three powerful artifacts once used by a Briton king. He stores them for safekeeping in Ling-Sheng Su Temple.” This is some 300 years after the same timeline mentions the same weapons went missing. I’d imagine that they had to have ended up in India at some point in the intervening years before Edge Master made it to China. While the same timeline all but outright says that Soul Calibur was Excalibur, where the other two figured in that is anyone’s guess.

So, what are the three treasures’ names in the original Japanese? I’ve belabored my other points long enough, so once again:

The sword: Gouhouken (護法剣), literally, “demon-dispelling sword” or possibly “sword in defense of Buddhist doctrine”.

The mirror: Mappoukyou (末法鏡), literally “mirror of the Latter Day of the Dharma”.

The rod: Meppoukon (滅法棍), literally “extremely [powerful] rod” or possibly “rod of the of the law of destruction”.

It didn’t take me long to understand where the localizer(s) were coming from because this as concise as I can get. That and the latter two are just daring me to mix them up when left as is. Maybe tying them to a theme made the names easier to remember. Only one of these is named after one of the Three Ages of Buddhism, and it’s the one that corresponds to the Kali Yuga! Specifically, Mappou, or Mòfǎ in Chinese, it is the third age which lasts for 10,000 years, during which the Dharma declines; at that age’s end, the Maitreya will restore the Dharma through his teachings. (Pure Land Buddhism holds this era to include the present day. Incidentally, in my research on the Yugas, I found quite a few sites with similar ideas about the Kali Yuga. Boy, does that feel familiar...)

A little tangent about the mirror’s design: note how the metal clasps resemble the ends of a vajra, a legendary weapon significant to both Buddhism and Hinduism. In Sanskrit, vajra means both “diamond” and “lightning bolt”, hence its symbolism of indestructibility and spiritual power. Naturally, it’s a major symbol of Vajrayana Buddhism, wherein the lightning stands for enlightenment. (This likely plays into the Himalayan setting of the Proving Grounds stage.) It’s not for nothing that Kilik’s victory animation in SC6 after a critical finish ends with him in a meditative pose, reciting this mantra: “Om vajra dharma Kilik.” I may as well note that his name comes from the Japanese pronunciation of the Sanskrit hrih, variously translated as “conscientiousness” or “self-respect”, one of the virtuous mental factors in Buddhism. The mantra in the Japanese is “On basara daruma Kiriku”. Here’s the latter in Soulcalibur V. Swap out his name for hrih and you have the heart mantra of the thousand-armed Avalokiteśvara. Or it could be related to the bodhisattva Vajradharma. Maybe both?

While in modern Japanese, meppou (滅法) is often used to mean something absurdly powerful, I ended up scrambling to make sure I wasn’t missing anything because I was somewhat literally reading that as “to destroy dharma”. (In my defense, “dharma” is one way of reading the second character.) I suspect the rod’s name may be an allusion to the concept of zesshoumeppou (是生滅法), the law of creation and destruction; in essence: impermanence.

I don’t have a lot to say about the name Gouhouken; the “demon-dispelling” meaning does suit Soul Calibur.

What’s more, the collective name Three Treasures (Sanbou, 三宝) comes from the practice of taking refuge in Buddhism. Generally, this is expressed by reciting a short formula; the metaphorical treasures are the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha (the monastic community as a whole). This may also be called the Triple Gem or something similar, depending on whom you ask.

And I thought I would just be picking up from where I left off in this short post, but if I’m honest, I just think it’s all really interesting.

Remember that the night the Evil Seed possesses Kilik is the darkest point of his life. He was the one chosen to wield Kali-Yuga, which coincides with some poor mad lad (who just wanted his dad back) picking up the wrong sword in Spain, unleashing a surge of evil magic on the world. The only thing that saved him from being a bloodthirsty monster was his sworn sister Xianglian putting the Dvapara-Yuga on him—at the cost of her own life. Again, without the mirror, Kilik would have been unable to regain his self-control, and the Kali-Yuga would effectively become another Soul Edge. Then he wakes up at Edge Master’s grotto with major survivor’s guilt, and his training begins in earnest.

Kilik’s arc in the new timeline emphasizes his struggle to balance and master his cursed side, culminating in him using it to defeat Inferno (with Xianghua delivering the final blow with Soul Calibur). Although the Dvapara-Yuga shatters in the battle, the main story ends on a hopeful note. He may not be completely rid of Soul Edge’s curse, but he leaves the Astral Chaos with full control of himself and one sacred mirror shard to remember it by. Whether he will try to follow in Edge Master’s footsteps this time remains to be seen.