December 21, 2012-Will it be the end of the world? By Lachman Balani

Lachman Balani 

Many columnists around the world are feverishly writing about the imminent end of the world as it was predicted by the Mayans. TV channels are also hosting shows and airing documentaries about it. Social media abounds with blogs, facebook posts and tweets pertaining to it.  Even at several ongoing holiday season cocktail and dinner parties, the topic of conversation invariably turns to December 21, 2012, when supposedly the Mayan Armageddon is set to be unleashed.

 However,  according to the Hindu Shastras (scriptures), Kalyug, one of the four eras in which we currently are, still has a long way to go, about 427,000 years!

There are several interpretations of the four different yugs in the hindu scriptures. I am briefly outlining only one here.

The yugs are said to succeed each other almost endlessly. After the perfect first era, Satyug, a decline marks the second era, Tretayug. Further decline brings about the third era, Dwarparyug, and after which comes the final and dark Kalyug, a time of wickedness, when human beings kill other human beings. At the end of this last cycle a Divine Being is said to take birth and reestablish righteousness, thus beginning a new Satyug.

In Satyug, virtue reigns supreme and is depicted by the Dharma ( that which upholds, supports or maintainsthe  regulatory order of the universe  )   bull standing on all four legs of righteousness.

In Tretayug, the cosmic energy of the universe is ¾ virtuous and ¼ comprised of sin- The Dharma bull stands on 3 legs.

In Dwarparyug, the cosmos is filled half with virtue and half with sin. The Dharma bull stands on two legs.

In Kalyug, the cosmos is ¼ virtuous and ¾ full of sin. The Dharma bull stands on one leg.

These four ages, ranging from a high golden age of enlightenment to a dark age of misery follow a timeline ratio of 4:3:2:1, where Satyug comprises of 1,728,000 years, Tretayug of 1,296,000 years, Dwaparyug of 864,000 years and Kalyug of 432,000 years. Scholars say we are 5000 years into the Kalyug age which leaves us with 427, 000 years to go before Lord Vishnu, a Supreme Deity in the Hindu pantheon of Gods synonymous to Zeus(Greek Mythology) or Odin (Teutonic mythology), shows up in the avatar of Kalki leading to the end of the age. The main reason is to destroy the wicked, to restart the slate of creation anew and to restore the purity of conduct in people's lives. This avatar will come riding hard on a white horse with a drawn sword blazing like a comet- hence the speculation by many that asteroids will smash into the earth tolling the death knell for us all. Many Hollywood movies have also been made depicting this style of Ragnarok (meaning ‘Doom of the Gods’ in Norse mythology), including one starring Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler, aptly named ‘Armageddon’!

At any rate, according to Hindu cosmology, the end of this Kalyug epoch heralds the renaissance of another better age, Satyug, and not the end of life as we know it. I can live with that.

So everybody, happy holidays and a prosperous New Year!

StarBuzz, Toronto