[Advaita-l] Previous Kali Yugas in Shastras?

[V Subrahmanian]

On Thu, Jun 14, 2018 at 1:21 PM, Kalyan via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> // an innumerous amount of Kalki avataras
> that have already descended, yet we have no stories about them.//
>
>
> On a related note - why are horses and chariots mentioned in the vedas,
> but there is no mention of cars, buses and trains?
>
> Why does kalki have to come on a horse and carry a sword in kali yuga when
> he could have used a tank and a gun?
>

This is a question I was planning to ask in this thread:  In the previous
avatara-s we have accounts of Rama, Krishna, etc. having descended in the
forms described.  Krishna is said to have been with four hands most of the
time. He wore the kireeta, etc. That was not considered odd in those
settings. There are statements that some contemporaries recognized them as
avataras. Supposing the yet to happen Kalki avatara comes in the described
horse-mounted form, with sword, kirita, etc. how will the people take it?
One might say: the kalki avatara is set to be at the end of Kali yuga and
by that time, several thousands of years from now, the settings might
change and Kalki, with his horse, kireeta, etc. will not be seen as an odd
man out.

My answer is: The talk of avataras is to be taken symbolically. When the
individual requires to be instructed, a Guru is identified. That is the
avatara. 'Achaaryam Maam jaaneehi' ('Know the Acharya to be Me') said
Krishna to Uddhava in the 11th canto of the Bhagavatam. That is the avatara
for that individual. Or if the society/nation requires protection from
enemy forces, there might come a great warrior/general/administrator who
would take the lead and provide redress. That person will be the avatara.

Also, the Bhagavatam itself speaks of several avataras; the 10 are only
spoken of as main or predominant. Krishna says in the Gita 4th chapter;
bahuuni mey vyateetaani janmaani tava cha arjuna...' [countless births have
passed of Mine and yours, Arjuna..].  So, countless will come in the future
too.

regards
subbu

>
>
> Regards
> Kalyan
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