Kalkin

In Hinduism, Kalkin (meaning "eternity" or 'time"; also rendered as Kalki or Kalika) is the tenth and final Avatar of the Preserver God Vishnu. Kalki's arrival will mark the end the current epoch, the Kali Yuga, (The Age of Darkness and Destruction). The origins of the name probably lie in the word Kalka which refers to "dirt", "filth" or "foulness" and hence denotes the idea that Kalkin is the "Destroyer of Foulness" or "The Annihilator of Ignorance". In Hindi kal ki avatar means "tomorrow's avatar". As could be expected, the mythology of Kalki is surrounded by much eschatological imagery. Kalki is often referred to as "the white horse", and is commonly depicted as Vishnu mounted upon a such an animal wielding a scimitar. Divergent etymological derivations have been made suggesting the name Kalkin derived from the term for white horse. The name Kalki is often a metaphor for "Eternity" or "Time". The term Kalki is also an important one in the Buddhist tradition of Kalachakra, where it is related to many prophesied enlightened rulers.

Myth and Depiction

In Sanskrit, avatara means "descent", though the term has been extended through centuries to take cosmological implications, referring to the descent of the divinity into manifestations of the mundane form. Although several gods within Hinduism are said to have had avatars, such as Shiva, the term is most ubiquitously related to Vishnu, the sustainer of life in the Hindu trinity. Vishnu is said to have had ten incarnations, or dasavatara: 1) Matsya, a fish; 2) Kurma, a turtle; 3) Varaha, a boar; 4) Narasingha, a lion-man, 5) Vamana, a little person, 6) Parasu Rama, a primitive man, 7) Rama, a noble man, 8) Krishna, a mentally superior man, 9) Buddha, a spiritually enlightened man, and finally 10) Kalkin, the horse. Kalki is the only one of the avatars who has not yet arrived, and thus his arrival is highly anticipated by Vaishnavites, followers of Vishnu.

Due to Kalkin's pending arrival, he is the most mysterious of the avatars. As with the prophecies of many traditions there are many diverse beliefs and depictions as to when, how, where and why he will appear, as well as speculations as to the Divine purpose his descent will aim to fulfill. Most common accounts declare Kalki will arrive on earth intent on eradicating the reign of evil on the Earth. First he will vanquish the demon Kali, then reconcile all opposites, and then renew the processes of the Dharma (Paths of Virtue) and Creation. Ultimately, he will establishing a reign of righteousness upon the earth.

The popular image of the Avatar is that of a rider upon a white horse, which some sources name as Devadatta (God-given). Commonly, the horse is described as having wings. Kalki himself is described as being a "yantra-manava", or a machine-man. He brandishes a flaming comet-like sword, which is sometimes interpreted as a symbol for "discernment", or Wisdom, in that it slices away the bonds of lies and foulness, and liberates souls by piquing their awareness of truth and beauty.

Origins of the Kalki prophecy

One of the earliest mentions of Kalkin is in the Vishnu Purana, which is thought to have originated around the 7th Century C.E. Here, the Kali age is described in detail, as a time when all virtue has departed the world. This is due mostly to the invasion of India by barbarian outsiders, or Mleccha. Women, children and cows will be slaughtered with regularity. People will live for the accumulation of materials above everything else, and intimate relationships will degrade to loveless objectification as the earth approaches its destruction. The Vishnu Purana states:

When the practices taught by the Vedas and the institutes of law shall nearly have ceased, and the close of the Kali age shall be nigh, a portion of that divine being who exists of his own spiritual nature in the character of Brahma, and who is the beginning and the end, and who comprehends all things shall descend upon earth: he will be born as Kalki in the family of an eminent Brahmin of Shambala village (...) By his irresistible might he will destroy all the Mlecchas and theives, and all whose minds are devoted to iniquity. He will then reestablish righteousness upon earth (Vishnu Purana, IV: 24).

Kalki is also mentioned in the the Agni Purana, whichs draw upon the Vishnu Purana to again describe the future before Kalkin where ignorance will abound, with men marrying outside their caste, Vedic sacrifices being eschewed, and barbarians occupying India. A later work, the Kalki Purana, provides further exposition of the expectations and predictions of when, where, and why Kalkin will come. Here, Kalkin successfully battles the demon Kali as well as his minions, the twin brothers Koka and Vikoka, thereby liberating the world from their grasp. This work celebrates the defeat of traditions that are deemed heretical for not adhering closely enough to the traditions of the Vedas, such as Buddhism and Jainism.

Kalki In Buddhism

In the Buddhist Kalachakra tradition the legend of Kalkin has a greater association with the Buddha avatar, who initiates the first king of Shambhala, King Suchandra. In Buddhism, this avatar is generally called Kulika, and he is the ruler of the mythical Kingdom of Shambhala, where the whole of society is enlighted and the Kalachakra tantra is widely practiced. Followers of Tibetan Buddhism have preserved the Kalachakra Tantra, and initiation rites based upon it are a prominent part of the Tibetan traditions. In the Kalachakra Tantra Kalki (or Kalaki, or Kulika) is declared to be a title or name given to at least 25 future rulers of Shambhala. The aims and actions of some of these are prophesied in portions of the work and some identify the 25th Kalki as the Maitreya Buddha, the Buddha of the future who brings about world-wide enlightenment. It has been theorized that the Kalki Purana may have been written as a Hindu response to these Buddhist prophecies within the Kalachakra Tantra.

The Kalkin Within

Drawing on symbolic and metaphoric interpretations of the Buddhist Kalachakra, Shambhala, and Bodhisattva traditions at least as much as the Hindu prophecies, there have arisen interpretations of the Kalki legends which do not necessarily apply the designation "Kalkin" to any particular person. In such interpretations "Kalki" is seen primarily as an archetypal symbol of spiritual repose and vigor which can be manifest in any given person. Kalkin is often thought of as a "beautiful life essence", impelling people to follow diverse and harmonious paths of virtue, rather than following the paths of destruction and narrow minded presumptions. To those who embrace this view the term Kalki can refer to an attitude or quality of awareness manifest in enlightened people, who perceive beyond the illusions of the physical world (or "maya").

In such interpretations everyone who is enlightened enough to follow the ways of ultimate honesty and ultimate love can be declared to be an honorable manifestation of Vishnu in his form as Kalki, the destroyer of foulness. However, no one person can be declared to be the ultimate manifestation of God, or the ultimate teacher for all people. For anyone to think that their own way is the only way for all, and that all others must be scorned, shunned, denigrated and vilified is itself one of the worst and most dangerous confusions that afflict many who are spiritually weak, ignorant, cowardly and vain. Therefore, the quality of "Kalkin", in defeating such urges is one of openess and tolerance.

Each person who is wisely charitable, "riding the white horses" of fate's flow, and wielding the deceit destroying "sword" of honesty can become a "Kalki" — a destroyer of such foulness as could dwell within themselves first and foremost, that they may more ably assist others in destroying the capacities for evil within themselves. In doing so, one can end the metaphorical Kali Yuga within themselves, no matter how long it may persist in others, and a Satya Yuga of wisdom begins within their life, enabling them to help others to find their own unique paths towards enlightenment, and into their own ranges of contentment.

Modern variations

Some Theosophists and New Age speculators have declared the Kalki prophecies and those of the Maitreya Buddha of Buddhism, might actually refer to one and the same individual. Similarly, these commentators and others have noted striking similarities of the Kalki prophecy to the rider on the white horse introduced in Revelation 19:11 who defeats the Antichrist. In such interpretations the sword of Kalki is equated to the two-edged sword that proceeds from the mouth of this apocalyptic figure, and is often symbolically interpreted to be the swordlike effectiveness of words of truth against all manner of lies and deceptions. Kalki is also said to do battle with the twin demons Koka and Vikoka, similar to Gog and Magog who will attack the utopia established by the rider on the white horse at the end his thousand year reign on earth as described in Revelations 20:7-8.

The bleakness of the Kalki Purana has lead some to link Kalkin with themes of violence and tragedy. Some believe the Kalki prophecies, among others, referred to Adolph Hitler, due in part to Hitler's fascination with Aryan myth and mysticism. Author Gore Vidal, used the Kalkin name and typology for the character of a millenarian religious leader in his 1978 novel entitled Kalki. Fittingly, this novel provides a depressing satire on modern society and human motivations, exploring the consequences of complacency and delusion, deceitfulness, and jealousy (1978).

Just like Vidal's titular character, several leaders of relatively small religious movements in the recent times have claimed to be Kalkin, or else have been declared so by their followers. For example, Sri Kalki Bhagavan who is the leader of the Golden Age Foundation, also called the Oneness movement, is considered by some to be the Kalki Avatar. Meher Baba, a guru of Persian descent, also stated that he was Kalkin. American guru Adi Da, founder of the Adidam religious movement, has claimed to be the Kalki Avatar, briefly changing his name to "Da Kalki" from 1990 to 1991. Cosmologist Patrizia Norelli-Bachelet contends that Sri Aurobindo, Indian nationalist and guru, was the ninth of the Hindu Line of Ten, and that he was reborn as Kalki, the Tenth. Some adherents of the Bahá'í Faith have interpreted the prophecies as having referred to their prophet Bahá'u'lláh. However, none these claims have received support or recognition mainstream in mainstream Hinduism.

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Knappert, J. Indian Mythology. London: Diamond Books, 1995. ISBN 0261666541
• Moor, Edward. The Hindu Pantheon. New Delhi: Cosmo Publications, 2000. ISBN 81-7755-029-2
• Wilson, H.H. Vishnu Purana Calcutta: Punthi Pustak, 1961.

See also

• Kalki Purana
• Kali (Demon)
• Koka and Vikoka
• Shambhala
• Kalachakra
• Suchandra

External links

Interpretations of the Kalki Avatar

• Kalki, or Sri Kalki Bhagavan, the founder of the Golden Age Foundation in India, is considered to be the living Avatar capable of giving enlightenment.
• Kalki Avatar, the Coming Prophet (Essay by Swami Amar Jyoti)
• Kalki in Indian Mythology 1 2
• Various views on Kalki
• Religious Policies of the 25 Kalki rulers
• Kalki Temple in Jaipur
• Buddha & Kalki
• A Theosophical Interpretation: "Kalki Maitreya"
• Theosophical Glossary
• Kalki, The Last Avatar
• Hindu Prophecies: Translations from the Kalki Purana
• A Hindu rebuttal of the idea that Muhammad was Kalki
• Comments on the Kalki Purana
• Messianic Themes in traditions of Northwest India
• The History of the Kalachakra Tantra
• The Archives of Alexander Berzin - Kalachakra Section
• Averted apocalypse: Hitler, Stalin, Mao and Gandhi/Kalki
• Translations from the Kalki Purana and similarities with Biblical and other prophecies
• The All Merciful God who has descended on Earth to save Mankind and our Planet
• Perspective on Kalki

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