Kaliyuga & Benefits of Chanting the Names of God

“Once the four Pandavas (except Yudhishthira who was not present) asked Krishna:

"What is Kaliyuga and what will happen during Kaliyuga?"

Krishna smiled and said "Let me demonstrate to you, the situation of Kaliyuga." He took a bow and four arrows and shot them in four directions and ordered the four Pandavas to go and bring them back.

Each of the four Pandavas went in the four different directions to search for the arrows.

When Arjuna picked an arrow, he heard a very sweet voice. He turned around and saw a cuckoo singing in a spellbinding voice but was also eating flesh of a live rabbit which was in great pain. Arjuna was very surprised to see such a gory act by such a divine bird he left the place immediately.

Bhima picked arrow from a place, where five wells were situated. The four wells were surrounding a single well. The four wells were overflowing with very sweet water as if they were not able to hold water and surprisingly the well in the middle of these four overflowing wells was completely empty. Bhima was also puzzled at this sight.

Nakula was returning to the place after picking up the arrow. He stopped at a place where a cow was about to give birth. After giving birth the cow started licking the calf but continued to lick it even after the calf was clean. With great difficulty people were able to separate them and by that time the calf was injured badly. Nakula was puzzled by the behaviour of such a calm animal.

Sahadeva picked arrow which fell near a mountain and saw a big boulder falling. The boulder was crushing the rocks and big trees on its way down, but the same boulder was stopped by a small plant. Sahadeva was also amazed at this sight.

All the Pandavas asked the meaning of these incidents. Krishna smiled and started explaining...

"In Kaliyuga, the priests will have very sweet voice and will also have great knowledge but they will exploit devotees the same way cuckoo was doing with rabbit.

In Kaliyuga poor will live among rich, those rich will have enormous amount of wealth which will actually overflow but they will not offer a single penny to the poor same as the four wells didn't have a single drop of water for the empty well.

In Kaliyuga parents will love their children so much that their love will actually spoil them and will destroy their lives similar to the love shown by cow to her new-born calf.

In Kaliyuga people will fall in terms of character like the boulder from the mountain and they will not be stopped by anyone at the end only the name of God will be able to hold them from doom like the little plant held the boulder from further fall."

~ Uddhava Gita, Srimad Bhaagawatam.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, is situated in everyone's heart. He is also within your hearts. Therefore chant the glories of the Lord and always meditate upon Him continuously.

"One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street. One should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly."

A devotee should be very much careful to see whether his time is being spent unnecessarily. He should ask himself, "Am I now engaged in maya's service or Krsna's service?" This is a symptom of an advanced devotee. Nama−gane sada rucih: such a devotee is never tired of chanting, singing, or dancing. The word sada means "always," and ruci means "taste." A devotee always has a taste for chanting Hare Krsna: "Oh, very nice.

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

" This is taste. Of course, this taste takes time to awaken, but when Rupa Gosvami was chanting he was thinking, "I have only one tongue and two ears. What can I appreciate of chanting? If I could have millions of tongues and trillions of ears, then I could relish something by chanting and hearing."

"'Krsna is the origin of Lord Visnu. He should always be remembered and never forgotten at any time. All the rules and prohibitions mentioned in the sastras should be the servants of these two principles.'"

– Sri Caitanya caritamrta Madhya lila 22.113

Even if in the beginning one chants the Hare Krsna mantra with offenses, one will become free from such offenses by chanting again and again. Papa−ksayas ca bhavati smaratam tam ahar−nisam: one becomes free from all sinful reactions if one chants day and night, following the recommendation of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

– Srimad Bhagavatam 6.3.24

In "Bhagwat Gita" also Lord Krishna is saying to Arjuna:

"satatam kirtayanto mam
yatantas cha drdha-vratah
namasyantas cha mam bhaktya
nitya-yukta upasate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 14)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: Always chanting My glories, endeavouring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion."

Jai Shri Krishna