Kalki Avatar too is an important incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu is yet to take this Avatar. As per mythological texts, Kalki incarnation will take place in the last phase of Kali Yuga. Right now the first phase of Kali Yuga is going on based on Yuga calculation.
When is Kalki Jayanti celebrated
The festival of Kalki Jayanti is celebrated on the Shashti Tithi of Shukla Paksha of Shravan month. According to the scriptures, the tenth incarnation of Lord Vishnu will take place in the last phase of Kali Yuga and will be known as Kalki Avatar. This incarnation will be in the Sandhi period of Kali Yuga and Satyuga, which will consist of 64 forms of art.
Kalki avatar time
According to mythology, Shri Vishnu’s will incarnate as Kalki at Sambhal in Moradabad district of Uttar Pradesh. He will be born to a Brahmin couple named Vishnuyasha. Lord Vishnu will ride on a white colored horse in the Kalki Avatar. He will end all evil by riding on the horse. He will destroy the sinners and protect religion once again.
The 24th verse of the 12th Skanda in Srimad Bhagavad Gita talks about Shri Vishnu’s Kalki Avatar. According to this, Lord Vishnu will be born as Kalki when Jupiter, Sun and Moon are together in Pushya Nakshatra. As per mythological beliefs, Satyuga will commence only after Lord Vishnu incarnates in the Kalki Avatar.
Why does Lord Vishnu take this Avatar?
Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya Glanirbhavati Bharata
Abhythanamadharmasya Tadatmanam Srijamyaham
Paritranaya Sadhunang Vinashay Cha Dushkritam
Dharmasangsthapanarthay Sambhabami Yuge Yuge
In this verse given in the Gita, Shri Krishna says, Whenever there will be a loss of Dharma on this earth and Adharma will increase, I will be born on this earth. I will take birth in every age to protect gentlemen and sages, I will ensure the destruction of wrong people and sinners and ensure the establishment of Dharma. This has been the main essence of every incarnation of God. Lord Shri Narayan is hence incarnated in every age to eliminate the sufferings of the world and to establish goodness once again.
What are the ten Avatars of Vishnu?
Shri Vishnu took a total of 10 different Avatars in different forms. These Avatars are a symbol of his Leela. He took these Avatars in every age to save all the devotees and protect religion. The various forms of Lord Vishnu are described in detail in the Vedas-Puranas. There are 24 Avatars of Lord Vishnu, out of which ten Avatars were the most important. His main incarnation was the Matsya Avatar. The 10 dominant Avatars were as follows:
Lord Vishnu incarnates as a fish and protects the earth when it gets submerged in water. In the Koorm Avatar, Lord Vishnu holds the mountain on his back at the time of Samudra Manthan. The Devas and Asuras churn the sea and obtain fourteen gems because of this. In the Varah Avatar, Lord Vishnu protects the earth by killing a demon named Hiranyaksha. Lord Vishnu also protects his devotee Prahlada by killing Hiranyakashipu in Narasimha Avatara.
In Vamana Avatar, Lord Vishnu measures three Lokas with three steps and protects the Devas from King Bali. In Treta Yuga, Lord Vishnu kills Ravana in the form of Rama and establishes the win of good over bad. In Dwapar Yuga, he destroys Kansa in the form of Krishnavatar and protects religion.
Lord Vishnu destroys sinners by taking the Parshuram Avatar and finally as per mythological scriptures, he will incarnate in Kalki Avatar at the end of Kali Yuga. He will take this Avatar to eradicate the suffering of people by ending sinners. Thus Lord Vishnu protects religion in all ages and frees people from the hands of the oppressors.
The difference of opinion related to Kalki Avatar
Among the various incarnations of God, this is the most disputed and full of confusion. This Avatar has remained a question mark as there has not been a unanimous opinion on Kalki Avatar a unanimous opinion able to make it completely unanimous opinion. Some believe the Avatar has already taken place, others believe that it will take place at the end of Kalyug. According to the Kalki Purana, Lord Vishnu will incarnate in Kalki form in Kali Yuga. God will then start the golden age once again. A description of the Kalki Avatar is also found in the Skanda Purana.
In some religious texts and prose, the description and praise found for Kalki Avatar is such that it indicates that this Avatar has already been incarnated. According to the Vayu Purana, Lord Vishnu was born in Kalki Avatar at the final stage of Kali Yuga. In this, Dattatreya, Vyas, Kalki, are praised and are called the incarnations of Vishnu. The description of Kalki is found in the Matsya Purana of Dwapara and Kali Yuga of the Matsya Purana. According to poets Jayadev and Chandidas, Kalki’s incarnation have already taken place. Similar evidence is also found in the Buddhist and Jain texts which are related to Kalki. Description of an emperor known as Kalki is found in the Jain Puranas. According to which, Kalki emperor’s reign took place thousands of years after the death of Mahavira.
So there are several differences of opinion with regards to Vishnu’s Kalki Avatar. At times it may not be possible to conclude anything based on arguments and devotion. Ramamyan’s this Chopai describes this situation aptly “जेहिके जही पर सत्य स्नेहु सो तेहि मिलेयी ना कछु सन्देहु”
How did Kalyuga arrive?
The beginning of Kalyuga is believed to have started since the time of King Parikshit. There is a legend behind this, according to which, once the king was passing through his kingdom and on the way he sees a very well built person hitting a cow and an ox. The bull was very beautiful, it was white and had only one leg. The cow was also beautiful like Kamadhenu.
Seeing the condition of both those animals, King Parikshit scolds the well built man for persecuting the weak animals. The king then decides to punish the man. The man starts trembling with fear, falls to the feet of the King and asks for forgiveness.
At the same time, the bull comes back to its original form which is religion and the cow too comes back to its original form as earth. Both of them share their woes with the king. The well built man represented the Kalyug.
Emperor Parikshit, on requesting Kali Yuga’s pardon, gives his life and orders him to leave. In this way, the Kali Yuga says that the whole earth belongs to you and at this time my presence on earth is in accordance with time, because the copper is over and I have to come.
On Kali Yuga’s insistence, emperor Pratishit forgives him, grants his life and asks him to leave. In response, Kali Yuga says that he has nowhere to go as the entire earth belongs to Emperor Pratiskshit. Moreover, as Dwapara Yuga is over he cannot leave as it’s his time.
On this, the King, after much consideration, gives Kali Yuga a place to live between gambling, drinking, adultery, violence and gold. At that very moment, Kali Yuga is established forever in these places and Kali Yuga arrives on the earth. Kalki the incarnation of Lord Vishnu will end this Kalyug.