Kalki Mahavatar - The Tenth Avatar of Lord Vishnu

The Kalki Avatara will manifest himself on Shravan Shukla Shashti as destroyer of the wicked and liberator of the world, leading to the return of the Satya Yuga on earth.

In Hinduism, Kalki is the tenth and final Maha Avatara (great incarnation) of Vishnu who will come to end the present age of darkness and destruction known as Kali Yuga. The name Kalki is often a metaphor for ‘eternity’ or ‘time’. Kalka in Sanskrit refers to ignorance and hence denotes the "destroyer of darkness". Other similar derivations from Sanskrit - include one simply meaning "White Horse".

Popular images depict Kalki riding a white horse with wings known as Devadatta (God-given.) brandishing a sword in his right hand, intent on eradicating the corrupt debauchery of Kali Yuga. Others represent him as an amalgam of a horse’s head and a man's body.

The Prophecy

The age of Kali Yuga is said to start from the year 3012 B.C. after the disappearance of Lord Krishna. Lord Caitanya appeared 500 years ago when the Golden Age within Kali Yuga is said to begin and last another 10,000 years. When this era comes to a close the sages left on earth will be hunted down and disappear leading to the dominance of the evil influence of the Kali Era. Finally 432,000 years after the start of the age of Kali, Kalki Avatara will manifest as the tenth incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Kalki in the Sacred Scriptures

One of the earliest mentions of Kalki is in the Vishnu Purana dated after the Gupta Empire around the 7th century A.D. In the Hindu Trinity (the triad of deities, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva) Vishnu is regarded as the preserver of life and becomes manifest in the world in each period in successive avatars, balancing the processes of creation and destruction. Kalki is also mentioned in another of the 18 major Puranas, the Agni Purana. Agni, the god of fire in the Hindu pantheon symbolically represents the spiritual fire of life and the processes of transformation and draws upon the Vishnu Purana in its mention of Kalki. A later work, the Kalki Purana, is an extensive exposition of when, where, and why it is said he will come, and what he is expected to do. Having a militant perspective it celebrates the defeat of traditions that are deemed heretical. A few other minor Puranas also mention him.

The Agni Purana explains that when the non-Aryans who pose as kings begin devouring righteous men, Kalki, the son of Vishnuyasha, with Yajnavalkya as His priest and teacher, will destroy these non-Aryans with His weapons. He will establish moral law in the form of the fourfold varnas, or the suitable organization of society in four classes. After that people will return to the path of righteousness. (16.7-9) The Agni Purana also confirms that Hari, after giving up the form of Kalki, will go to heaven. Then the Krita or Satya Yuga will return as before. (16.10)

The Vishnu Purana also clarifies that, "When the practices taught in the Vedas and institutes of law have nearly ceased, and the close of the Kali age shall be nigh, a portion of that divine being who exists of His own spiritual nature, and who is the beginning and end, and who comprehends all things, shall descend upon earth. He will be born in the family of Vishnuyasha, an eminent brahmana of Shambhala village, as Kalki, endowed with eight superhuman faculties. By His irresistible might he will destroy all the mlecchas or thieves and all whose minds are devoted to iniquity. He will restore righteousness upon earth and the minds of those who live at the end of the Kali age shall be awakened. The men who are thus changed by virtue of that peculiar time shall be the seeds of human beings, and give birth to a race which will follow the laws of the Krita age or Satya Yuga, one of purity. As it is said, 'When the sun and moon, and the lunar asterism Tishya, and the planet Jupiter, are in one mansion, the Krita age shall return.” (Book Four, Chapter 24)

The Padma Purana predicts that Kalki avatara will be born in the town of Shambhala at the near end of the Kali Yuga from a brahmana, the incarnation of Svayambhuva Manu. Svaymabhuva performed austerities on the banks of the Gomati River and Lord Vishnu blessed him by being born to him as his three sons Rama, Krishna and Kalki in three lifetimes. “Lord Kalki will end the age of Kali and kill all the wicked mlecchas and thus, destroy the miserable condition of the world. Gathering all of the distinguished brahmanas, He will propound the highest truth and remove the prolonged hunger of the pious. The only ruler of the world that cannot be controlled, Kalki will be the banner of victory and adorable to the world.” (6.71.279-282)

The Shrimad Bhagavatam states, "At the end of Kali Yuga, when there exist no topics on the subject of God, even at the residences of so-called saints and respectable gentlemen of the three higher castes, and when the power of government is transferred to the hands of ministers elected from the lowborn shudra class or those less than them, and when nothing is known of the techniques of sacrifice, even by word, at that time the Lord will appear as the supreme chastiser.” (2.7.38). It further describes Lord Kalki's activities as follows: "Lord Kalki, the Lord of the universe, will mount His swift white horse Devadatta and, sword in hand, travel over the earth exhibiting His eight mystic opulences and eight special qualities of Godhead. Displaying His unequaled effulgence and riding with great speed, He will kill by the millions those thieves who have dared dress as kings." (12.2.19-20)

The Kalki Purana combines all of the elements from the above Puranas. It states the evil family of the demon Kali will spring from the back of Brahma and descend to earth and cause mankind to turn towards depravity. When man stops offering sacrifices to the gods, Vishnu himself will descend to rid the world of evil, reborn as Kalki to a noted Brahmin family in the city of Shambhala. As a young man mentored in the arts of war by Parashurama, the sixth incarnation of Vishnu, Kalki will set out across the world battling evil kings and false prophets. Finally defeating Kali and delivering the few saintly people from the present desperate misery of earth, Kalki will bring about the Satya Yuga. Having completed His mission and assuming his four-armed form He will return to heaven as Vishnu.

After all this is accomplished the cycle of the four ages Satya, Treta, Dvapar and Kali Yugas will continue to repeat itself along the same generic pattern of events.(Shrimad Bhagavatam,12.2.39).

Being discreet about whether we want to be debauches forcing Kalki to annihilate us or righteous and delight in the Lord’s divine company during Satya Yuga, we must make the choice accordingly.