Sree Krishna, the Lord of Love

by Baba Premananda Bharati

At this stage will be born in the village of Sambhalpur in India a Brāhman of great spiritual force, named Vishnujashā, and in time will become the father of the coming Incarnation of Vishnoo, one of the most powerful incarnations—Kalki. The Lord Kalki will rapidly grow into youth and spiritual power. At his mere mental call will come to him countless vehicles, armours, all kinds of weapons of war and soldiers. He will then lead them to battle against all the Mlechhas, robbers and tyrants, all over the world, who will fall shouting in agony before his mammoth sword. After extirpating them all, the hold will establish once again perfect order and harmony on the surface of the earth. After ruling the world as Emperor and infusing into humanity the spirit of highest spirituality, Kalki will make over the charge of the earth to the Brāhmans and disappear after entering a most beautiful forest.

Here will commence the Junction period of coming Golden Age. During this period, covering 144,000 lunar years, all germs of vice, crime and sin will be destroyed and men will become engaged in spiritual practices and ceremonials. The earth will be adorned with beautiful forests and gardens, buildings, lakes, reservoirs, and temples of God and many are the sacred ceremonies that will be constantly performed on her surface. Everywhere will be visible holy Brāhmans, saints and anchorites. The four stages of life which before were filled with rogues will now be filled by pious, honest and truthful men. The deep-rooted bad instincts and associations will then be driven out of the minds of all people. All the crops will grow plentifully in their proper seasons. All people will be employed in charitable acts, religious sacrifices, and in performing spiritual duties. The Brāhmans will again be absorbed in holy meditations, satisfied and serene; the Kshatriyas will exhibit their valor; the kings rule the world with justice and mercy; the Vaishyas carry on trade and agriculture; the Sudras serve the three upper castes with loving service.

This purifying process of humanity will be carried on all through the 144,000 years bringing about the highest spiritual, mental and physical development. From the shortest stature to which the human body will be decreased, it will gradually, through this long process of time and culture, be increased once again to the height of 21 cubits or 31 1/2 feet. With the height of the body will be reached the height of spiritual perfection. All, all men and women will once again enjoy the blessings of predominant Sattwa within Nature and roam upon the earth in the Garden of Eden with their vision turned inwards into the soul of things, their body clad with the sky, their hearts filled with ecstasy, their thoughts centered upon God. We all who are now walking the earth, had walked in the last Golden Ago and formed members of that godly fraternity of Adams and Eves and shall do so in the coming Golden Age, unless we develop higher soul-consciousness and, before the end of the present Kali, transfer ourselves to any the upper four spheres or to the highest beyond the universe—Golaka—the abode of Absolute Love, to dwell with our only Lover and Beloved—Krishna.

SECTION XI. MANWANTARA OR THE DELUGE.

The next larger cycle of time is called the Manwantara or the Deluge. When the Divine Cycle has revolved 71 times it brings about a cataclysm. The oceans surge up and cover the entire earth with its waters, even the highest peaks of the Himalayas being submerged, and remain so for the period of 71 Divine Cycles. This world-wide natural catastrophy occurs periodically, owing to more and more increased accumulation of the sins of humanity, who, along with all living beings and vegetation are thus destroyed by submersion. The only man saved is the most virtuous and spiritual man of the time, who becomes the Manoo elect, that is, the spiritual governor of the next Cycle which extends between the time of the reappearance of land after the Deluge to the next Deluge. This period is called Manwantara, the period between two Manoos. The account of the Deluge as given in the Old Testament of the Bible has been taken from minute accounts recorded in the Alatsya (Fish) Purana and the condensed facts about them given in all the Purānas as well as the Mahābhārata. Only, the Bible version is distorted in some particulars.

Since the beginning of the present Kalpa creation, six Manwantaras, each ending with the Deluge, have passed away. We are just now living in the seventh of which twenty-seven Divine Cycles have rolled away and we are now living in the Iron Age of the twenty-eighth. Many millions of years therefore have gone by since the last Flood. Towards the end of the Kali Yuga of the last Manwantara, mankind became filled with the utmost corruption. But there was, according to the Mahābhārata and the Bhāgavat Purana, one man, by the name of King Satyavrata, whom this spirit of corruption failed to touch. He was almost as pure and spiritually powerful as Brahmā, the Creator, while he was possessed of uncommon physical beauty. He was engaged in spiritual austerities and meditation in a holy forest on the top of the Himalayan mountains for many hundred years. One day, while he was sitting in contemplation on the bank of the river Cheerinee, a little fish leapt out of the water into his hands. He threw it back into the river but the fish, to his surprise, spoke and begged the king to protect him from a large fish coming to devour him. Satyavrata out of compassion took the fish into his hands again, went home and placed it in a water-pot. He tended him as his own offspring. The fish gradually grew so big that he had to be taken to a large pond, but after a few years the pond could no more hold the fish, so large had it become. The King wondering at this unprecedented growth suspected the fish to be Vishnoo Himself. The fish begged Satyavrata to put him into the holy Ganges which he did by his Yoga power. In time, however, the fish growing still larger, he had to be taken to the ocean. The King exhibited his yoga-power again by carrying that huge fish to the ocean.

As soon as he was thrown into the sea, the phenomenal Fish smiled and thus addressed the King, "O thou kind one! Thou hast saved and protected me in every way, but I will leave nothing undone to return this kindness. Now, listen! The time has come for one of the great events of the world. The destruction of the earth is at hand. On the seventh day from this, the earth shall be swallowed up by the waters, from which thou canst not be saved except through me. A large ark shall come to thee into which thou must get with the seven Rishis (Illumined Beings) of the Great Bear who shall help and bear you company. Take thou also all kinds of seeds of all trees, plants, shrubs and creepers, as also pairs of all animals and creeping things on this boat and wait for me. I will soon appear there, bedecked with horns. Do not doubt my words, but do as I tell thee."

The strange Fish then disappeared as Satyavrata said, "So shall it be." He then did just as the Fish had told him. When the ark came, he went aboard with the Seven Rishis of the Great Bear and seeds and animals and waited in anxious contemplation of the Divine Fish which soon appeared as he had promised, bedecked with horns and high as a hillock. He made salutation to him and tied the ark to his horns with a strong heavy rope, whereupon the Fish pulled the ark with great speed and began to play upon the bosom of the ocean.

Then the ocean heaved with huge waves and the waters roared. It all looked as if the ocean was performing a wild dance. The ark was then tossed and whirled about with great force, and soon not a trace of land or sign of any direction was visible. Earth and sky seemed one vast expanse of water under which all men and beasts and birds and vegetation were drowned and destroyed. The Fish and the ark and Satyavrata with the Seven Rishis and the seeds and animals alone existed. The Divine Fish drew and preserved the ark for many years on the surface of the deep.

Long, long time after, when the waters subsided and the highest peak of the Himalayas made itself visible, the Fish drew the ark to it and said in a pleasant voice, addressing the Rishis, "O ye illumined ones! Bind the boat for a while to this mountain-peak," which the Rishis did. In commemoration of this event, this peak of the Himalayas is still called the "Boat-Binding Peak."