#307 The Dharma Bull and its decline in the 4 Yugas
An excerpt from the Bhagavatam –
After he was crowned the grandson of Arjuna, King Parikshit lived upto the words of the rishis. He ruled his kingdom just as well as Yudhishthira had been doing. But there was great pain in the heart of the king since he saw the influence of Kali known to dominate our current times, Kali Yuga, increasing day by day. King Parikshit wanted to fight with Kali, destroy him and restore to the earth her past glory and beauty when his grandfather Arjuna ruled the earth.
Once, on the banks of the Sarasvati a bull was talking to a cow. The cow looked emaciated and she looked like she had lost her calf. Tears were flowing from her eyes. The bull was maimed. He was limping on just one leg. He went near her and said: “Why are you weeping? Why do you look so despondent? It seems to me it is a malaise of the mind. I can see that some intense pain is gnawing at your insides. Are you mourning the loss of someone very dear to you? Are you weeping because you cannot bear to see me with three of my legs broken? Are you weeping at the thought that shudras instead of kshatriyas will rule you in the days to come?
Are you sorry for the devas who will be denied their share of the havis in the yagnyas since yagnyas will not be performed anymore? O Mother Earth, are you sad because Indra will not wet you with rain hereafter? Are you sad about the decay of dharma? Are you dreading the future when men will no longer protect the women?; when parents will not be respected by their children? Are you sad because Goddess Saraswati will have to live in the homes of brahmins given to adharma?; or because brahmins will do menial service to their inferiors? Or are you mourning the fate of mankind which will be so immersed in paapa, the gratification of the senses, that it will never think of the Lord?
“I know why you are sad. The Lord has been with you and He removed the burden which was choking you. He destroyed adharma and relieved you. But when he went away Dharma went with him. That, I am sure, is the cause of your unhappiness.
Time, the arch enemy of all, has stolen your glory and the pain in your heart is because of the thoughts of the future. Am I right?”
The Earth raised her tear-filled eyes to the bull and said: “Lord Dharma, you know only too well what lies behind this pain of mine. Your questions only serve to make my wounds bleed anew. The Lord has left me, and I am pining for Him. The moment he went away Dharma left me and with it all the noble qualities for which I have been the home all these years. I am mourning for you and all that you once stood for.
The Lord Who was the home of all that is beautiful, good and pure, has left me and I am dreading the progress of Kali. In the form of Sri Krishna the Lord had placed His dear feet on me and He had walked on me. I was so beautiful then because He had sanctified me. I had become proud, perhaps, of my good fortune. To punish me He has left me and I do not know what I should do. The memory of those glorious days makes me weep.”
As they were thus speaking, out of nowhere, a lowly person who was dressed in the garments of a kshatriya approached the couple. He began to harass them. With a stick he was trying to break the one remaining leg of the bull. King Parikshit who was coming near the place in a chariot saw this terrible scene and hurried to the spot. He had his bow in his hand and his other hand was already in the quiver picking out an arrow.
The sight of the cow brought tears to his eyes. In a terrible voice he addressed the assailant:
“How can you behave like this? How is it possible for such injustice to take place in my kingdom? In the land which was once ruled by the great Yudhishthira? How could you pluck up courage enough to commit this atrocity when I am king?”
He comforted the cow and the bull and said: “Whoever you may be, you are rid of this sinner who has been harasssing you. I am going to kill him. Be rid of your fears. Poor bull, tell me who cut off your other legs?”
Dharma looked at him and said: “It is but fitting that a prince of the great Kuru House should speak thus. You are the descendant of those great men for whom the Lord Himself took up the role of a messenger of peace; the role of a charioteer. As for our condition, we do not really know who is really responsible for it. When I look around me I become faint with the many forms of dharma which people talk about.
There are the atheists who say: man himself is master of his fate. The gods have neither the power nor the right to influence the lives of men on the earth. Nothing governs a person except his Ego. There are some others who ascribe everything to the nine planets: the grahas. They say that fate and grahachara are but synonyms.
Some other talk about karma and say that karma is what matters: karma it is, which is responsible for everything. And again there are those who say that one’s good or bad fortune is the consequence of one’s own nature, Svabhava, and nothing else. There are still a few, very few, however, who maintain that there is a god who is beyond the ken of human thought and that He is responsible for everything. Consider, O king, all these views and you should yourself make up your mind as to who is responsible for this state of affairs. As for me, I really do not know!”
The king considered his words for a moment and spoke with a smile.
He said: “The shastras say that Naraka which is waiting for the perpetrator of adharma is meant also for him who mentions the name of the wrongdoer.
A truly righteous person will never betray the name of the sinner. You speak words befitting a person who knows the nuances of dharma. The more I think on it the more I am convinced that you are Dharma himself and no one else. Only you can trace so vividly the dearth of purity on the earth.
“It has been said that Penance (Tapas), Purity (Shaucha), Compassion (Daya) and Truth (Satya) are the four legs of Dharma.
Pride is responsible for the destruction of Tapas; indulgence and arrogance for the destruction of purity and daya.
In the Kali Yuga man can be said to practise dharma only by the observance of Truth and that is the one leg on which you are standing. This Kali is trying to kill truth and replace it with his weapon, untruth. I know why Mother Earth is weeping. She is comparing the golden age when the Lord walked on her with the days to come when sinners will rule over her. But be without fear. I am going to kill Kali.”
The king dropped his bow and taking up a sword in his hand he rushed towards Kali.
Kali shed his disguise and dropped at the feet of the king and begged for mercy.
Parikshit said: “You know that I will not hurt you now that you have fallen at my feet. I have been born in the family of Arjuna and I will not hurt the one who seeks my help. But you are a dear kinsman of Adharma and so, I command that you should no longer be here; you should not exist in the country where I rule. I cannot brook your presence. Once you are given a chance to stay, your many companions will join you: avarice, untruth, theft, unrighteousness, hypocrisy, quarrelsomeness and, in short, all that is ugly and hateful. I do not want any of you in my kingdom.”
Trembling with fear Kali said: “My lord, the entire earth is ruled by you.
Where can I go? God who created Dharma has also created Adharma which is but the shadow of good. I have to exist somewhere since I have been created. Tell me where I should go and I will obey you.”
The king thought over his words and said: “What you say is right. You can go and thrive where the name of the Lord is forgotten. You can go where there is gambling, drinking, lustfulness and the desire to kill.
Kali said: “Point out to me a single spot where all these are present and I will go there.”
“Gold”, said the king. “Gold will propagate greed, untruth, arrogance, lustfulness, ruthlessness and hatred. These five will be the places and so, gold, will be the place where you will be allowed to live.”
Kali went away from there to the places mentioned. The words spoken by Kali are worth studying. He says that he is also created by the Lord and so there is a purpose behind his creation. Kali is made to live in places where thoughts of Bhagavan are absent. The Lord Himself is forgotten. True enough.
But, as Kunti said, “Give us misfortunes all the time so that we may think of You.” Man is lost in the enjoyment of worldly pleasures. If he is a success in life he ascribes it all to himself and not to his good fortune. Never. However, if and when trouble comes, when man is in distress, then the mind becomes pliable.
Suffering melts the hardened core of the ego. When something is achieved the ego comes forward and takes the credit. But, when there is failure the ego must necessarily be pushed to the background and humility makes its appearance.
The ego surrenders itself completely admitting defeat and the Lord who is present in the heart always, but has been hidden by Avarana, shines resplendent.
It is when one is in trouble that thoughts of the Lord come to the mind and Kali meant this, perhaps, when he said that there is a purpose behind his creation. People will walk in evil paths and forget the Lord completely and Kali helps them in this. When they are hurt and challenged men will turn their minds towards the Lord and be saved. This is what Kali means when he says: “Adharma is but the shadow of Dharma.”
Although the Dharma bull is standing on only one leg in our times it is worth dwelling on the Yuga, the 4 legs of Dharma and why they are relevant to us-
The Vedic texts describe that the four legs of dharma are dominant in the four ages or yuga.
In the Satya Yuga, the rule of the gods when humans are most virtuous, the Dharma bull he has all four legs on the ground representing the strength of Dharma on earth,
Satya Yuga, or the Age of Truth, is the first and foremost of the four yugas, spanning 1,728,000 human years. Also known as the Golden Age, Satya Yuga is known as the age in which virtue reigned supreme, peace ruled the land, and dharma was upheld to the highest standard.
Each varna served their sanatana dharma dutifully. Brahmins studied the Vedas and Puranas with utmost devotion, Kshatriyas protected their subjects and kingdoms with sincerity, Vaishyas engaged in fair trade and honest business, and Shudras wholeheartedly served the other varnas. The varna system functioned flawlessly, without corruption or oppression.
During Satya Yuga, all were inclined toward wisdom and supreme knowledge, which they sought to learn through penance and devotion to God. Dharma was at the center of all activities, and the Vedas were regarded with utmost reverence.
Sages were incredibly powerful and strong, capable of living for thousands of years and rearing thousands of children. Every word they uttered had immense power and could decide the fate of even the gods themselves.
(Avataara – Matsya,Varaha, Kurma, Narasimha)
Tapas (Religious Austerities) – The time called Satya-yuga dominates in austerity—i.e. voluntarily inflicting discomfort on the body and mind to recognise that one is independent of the material world and develop the power of will that is necessary for the Dharma pursuit.
How do we relate to tapas now?
‘Tapas’ means effort and hard work related to worship or stepping out of one’s comfort zone to perform worship. Fasting, chanting for hours, meditating for hours, going on tirthayatra and most importantly aligning with Dharma can be looked upon as Tapas. While our bodies and minds naturally seek instant pleasure, true growth involves pushing the boundaries of our bodies and minds to eventually appreciate that we are more than the form.
Practising austerity helps us prioritize long-term fulfillment over immediate gratification through self-discipline and willpower. It requires temporary sacrifice and discomfort.
Why is this a ‘leg’ of dharma?
When we face our duties and responsibilities, we are often compelled to think of the long-term vs. the short-term. Should I do the bare minimum to get past the day or should I perform my responsibilities to the best of my ability? This requires us to step outside our comfort zone and make sacrifices in the short-run which will yield results in the long-run?
Tapas does not mean inflicting suffering on oneself, rather choosing how you want to push the boundaries of your will power such that you recognise your power and freedom to do what needs to be done, without being a slave to the comforts of one’s body-mind.
Treta Yuga, spanning 1,296,000 years, is the next yuga in the cosmic cycle. The Treta Yuga, while still dominated by Dharma, started showing the decline of dharma. The bull of dharma now stood on three legs, the fourth leg having been severed by papa.
The power of humans during Treta Yuga slightly diminished, as did their life span and penance. People grew more materialistic and less spiritual.
Brahmins and Kshatriyas became more concerned with fulfilling their desires rather than devoting themselves to the Vedas and their kingdoms respectively. Systems of law were derived during the Treta Yuga in order to keep society under control.
(Avataara- Vaamana, Parashurama, Rama)
Shaucham, Purity
The time called Tretā-yuga dominates in purity—it involves the strict performance of elaborate rituals (processes and procedures) without mistakes as well as meditations for clarity.
In the current times, at an external level, Purity means physical hygiene and organisation such that one performs one’s work with an efficient use of resources, effectively using the time one has.
At an internal level, Shaucham refers to mental and spiritual purity, achieved through clear thinking that prioritizes long-term benefits over immediate gratification. Chanting the Lord’s name, performing pujas and homas and practising Karma Yoga as a disposition in all areas of our lives helps with Shaucham.
This is not a one-time event but an ongoing process.
Just like one showers every day to remove the impurities collected during the day, the mind too requires a shower to rid itself of impurities of ragas and dveshas, cravings and aversions. The mind requires to shower and clear itself of hurt, guilt and resentment that we tend to pick up and hold onto during the day so that we may be happier, at peace which comes from living a life of Dharma. Often our samskaras of hurt and pain and our ragas and dveshas consume us such that we want to hurt the other and go against Dharma. Shaucham requires of us to master and not be a slave to our reactions but practise long-term thinking for greater good. This is in contrast to rushed, shortcut-driven methods that lead to messy outcomes.
Shaucham is considered the second leg of Dharma because a harmonious functioning of society requires us to trust each other ‘s intentions and actions. We can trust our family members, our colleagues at work and the many services that we pay for. The more we practise Shaucham through our thoughts and deeds we become people who are straightforward, dependable, trustworthy and noble.
Dvapara Yuga is the third yuga, spanning 864,000 years.
The decline of virtue and accumulation of papa became particularly pronounced during Dvapara Yuga. The bull of dharma now only stood on two legs.
Humans of this yuga weren’t as powerful as their ancestors. Disease and war was rampant. People became more selfish and greedy for power.
The varna system became a corrupt system in which the Brahmin and Kshatriya developed a sense of superiority and looked down upon other jaati-s. Families and blood relatives fought over material and worldly possessions. In fact, the famed Kurukshetra War of the Mahabharata took place because of a family dispute over political power.
(Avataara – Balarama, Krishna)
Daya (Kindness) –
The time called Dvāpara-yuga dominates in kindness by people performing acts of generosity and refining one’s personality because intense austerity and elaborate rituals are very hard to achieve for most people.
Kindness is the opposite of selfishness. Kindness is born of emotional strength and an opening of one’s heart to include others.
Kindness goes hand in hand with self-confidence. When a person works hard (is not afraid of austerity) and has clean intentions (shaucham) he or she naturally develops confidence, and with that confidence, comes kindness.
Selfish people cannot be kind because out of their insecurity, they are always worried about self-preservation. To them, kindness appears too risky, because by being kind they fear being cheated or manipulated by others.
The kind person invokes kindness in others, but the selfish person prompts others to become selfish.
Kindness and compassion is a leg of Dharma because we expand our hearts to include others. We grow in our generosity in offering our time, energy, wealth and abilities to further other’s goals and collective goals.
And finally,
Kali Yuga, the Age of Darkness, is the last of the four yugas and is the yuga in which we currently reside. Kali Yuga began approximately 5,000 years ago, on the very day that Sri Krishna returned to His Heavenly Abode.
The bull of dharma now stands on a single leg, having only a quarter of the virtue that existed in Satya Yuga. And by end of the Kali Yuga, the one remaining leg of the bull will also be severed by paapa.
Spanning 432,000 years, Kali Yuga is reigned by Kali, the asura of all evil and the personification of adharma. True to its namesake, Kali Yuga represents the accumulation of mankind’s adharma over the past three yugas. Human civilization deteriorates spiritually and morally during the Kali Yuga.
War, disease, crime, and corruption are widespread across all varnas.
Brahmins are no longer honored or learned,
Kshatriyas are no longer brave, Vaishyas are no longer fair in their dealings, and the varna system will fall apart.
Wealth is no longer measured in virtue, but rather in material possessions.
People involve themselves extensively in immoral behaviors.
Relations between families degrade completely; even fellow brothers will kill each other for material possessions.
Satyam (Trutfulness)
In the age called Kali-yuga truthfulness is the dominant form of Dharma because generosity, elaborate rituals, and austerities are very hard to perform.
Of course, the relative predominance of one of the legs of Dharma doesn’t mean the non-existence of the others. But the fact is that when the body and mind are weak, they cannot tolerate severe austerities.
When people are unable to perform complex tasks in a systematic manner, then the performance of yajña would be filled with many violations and short-cuts. When people are poor or feel poor, kindness and generosity is very hard and limited to a few rich people.
In the present age of Kali-yuga even truthfulness declines, and speaking the truth contributes to disagreement. To avoid misunderstanding, most people want to keep quiet, or offer false support to the misguided.
Being truthful to oneself, not having false hopes, being in touch with reality is our duty. Although we can be assisted in this by gurus, a teacher who offers the truth plainly may be disliked and challenged because of our strong need for validation. Most of us want validation more than we want the truth. In any case, kindness, austerity, and purity are all experienced as difficult.
While on the one hand it is a relief to know that the decline in Dharma that we are experiencing has been predicted, it also gives us hope that we have Sanatana Dharma as an anchor and framework for our choices and decisions.
The Dharma Bull is even greater than the deities themselves, working as an arbiter and judge between them, maintaining peace and order, he is the voice of reason and goodness among them.
May we all aspire to restore the Dharma Bull to his full strength, his four hooves on the earth, embodying Satyam, truth, Shaucham, purity, Daya, kindness and tapas, austerity.
Yatah Dharma tatah jayah
Where there is Dharma, there is victory.
