What is Yuga Dharma?
What is Yuga Dharma? If you separate the words and look at their meanings, Yuga implies a period of time i.e. Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dwapara Yuga and Kali Yuga whereas Dharma implies the code of rightful conduct.The Vedas mention that each Yuga has a particular Dharma. Through the process of this particular Dharma, a human being can achieve freedom from repeated birth and death. Let’s look at the Yuga Dharma for each age:
In the Satya Yuga (Golden Age), meditation on the Paramatma was the Dharma as people lived for an average of 1,00,000 years.
In Treta Yuga (Silver Age), opulent yagnas or sacrifices were the Yuga Dharma as people lived for an average of 10,000 years.
In Dwapara Yuga (Bronze Age), the Yuga Dharma was opulent temple worship as people lived for an average of 1000 years.
In Kali Yuga or the Iron Age, the chanting of the holy names is the Yuga Dharma as people live only for an average of 100 years.
Thus, we can see that the Yuga Dharma changes with each forthcoming Yuga. All the four Yugas combined form a Maha-Yuga. Thus, we can say that a Maha-Yuga encompasses different Dharmas.
In the Satya Yuga (Golden Age), meditation on the Paramatma was the Dharma as people lived for an average of 1,00,000 years.
In Treta Yuga (Silver Age), opulent yagnas or sacrifices were the Yuga Dharma as people lived for an average of 10,000 years.
In Dwapara Yuga (Bronze Age), the Yuga Dharma was opulent temple worship as people lived for an average of 1000 years.
In Kali Yuga or the Iron Age, the chanting of the holy names is the Yuga Dharma as people live only for an average of 100 years.
Thus, we can see that the Yuga Dharma changes with each forthcoming Yuga. All the four Yugas combined form a Maha-Yuga. Thus, we can say that a Maha-Yuga encompasses different Dharmas.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu introduces the Yuga Dharma
In the Kali Yuga, Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the devotee incarnate of Lord Sri Krishna appeared in the 15th century to introduce the Yuga Dharma i.e. chanting of the holy names of Lord Sri Krishna, especially the Hare Krishna Maha-Mantra.
He advised everyone to chant:
He advised everyone to chant:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said that chanting the Hare Krishna Maha-Mantra would help people purify themselves and award liberation easily. Knowing that people in Kali Yuga live short lives and are always disturbed, He recommended the process as the easiest path to realize God and achieve the state of sat-chit-ananda i.e. eternality, knowledge and bliss.
Though different forms of worship like temple worship and Vedic sacrifices are still followed, the chanting of the Holy Names is the most effective as per the great Acharyas and the Vedic scriptures.
Though different forms of worship like temple worship and Vedic sacrifices are still followed, the chanting of the Holy Names is the most effective as per the great Acharyas and the Vedic scriptures.
Glories of the Yuga Dharma
The glories of the Holy Names, whose chanting is the Yuga Dharma given in the scriptures and spoken by the Acharyas are as follows –
harer nāma harer nāma
harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva
nāsty eva gatir anyathā
harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva
nāsty eva gatir anyathā
In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, the only means of deliverance is chanting the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way.
Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita
Adi-lila 17.21
hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare
iti sodasakam namnam kali-kalmasa-nasanam
natah parataropayah sarva-vedesu drsyate
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare
iti sodasakam namnam kali-kalmasa-nasanam
natah parataropayah sarva-vedesu drsyate
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
So if a mantra has such power, why it should be secret? It should be distributed. People are suffering. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, “Chant this Hare Krsna mantra. Anyone who will hear . . . Even the birds and beasts will hear and they will be liberated.
Srila Prabhupada’s conversation with John Lennon and George Harrison
London, September 11, 1969
nama sankirtana deva tarakam brahma drsyate
hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare
hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare
Brahmanda Purana
6.59-60
"Brahmanda Purana, 6.59-60
The nama sankirtana of Hare Krishna maha-mantra delivers a complete revelation of all of spiritual reality.”
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harir eva samaradhyah sarva deve suresvarah
hari nama maha mantrair nasyatpapa pisacakam
hari nama maha mantrair nasyatpapa pisacakam
Padma Purana, Svarga Khanda 50.6
“All the grievous sins of one who worships Lord Sri Hari, the Lord of all lords, and chants the holy name, the maha-mantra, are removed.”
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hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare
sodasaitani namani dvatrimsad varnakani hi
kalau yuge maha-mantrah sammato jivatarane
varjayitva tu namaitad durjanaih parikalpitam
chandobaddham susiddhanta viruddham nabhyaset padam
tarakam brahma-namaitad brahmana gurunadina
kalisantaranadyasu sruti-svadhigatam hareh
praptam sri brahma-sisyena sri naradena dhimata
namaitad-uttamam srauta-paramparyena brahmanah
utsrjyaitan-maha-mantram ye tvanyat kalpitam padam
mahanameti gayanti te sastra-guru langhanah
tattva-virodha-sanprktam tadrsam daurjanam matam
sravatha pariharyam syadatma-hitarthina sada
hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare
sodasaitani namani dvatrimsad varnakani hi
kalau yuge maha-mantrah sammato jivatarane
varjayitva tu namaitad durjanaih parikalpitam
chandobaddham susiddhanta viruddham nabhyaset padam
tarakam brahma-namaitad brahmana gurunadina
kalisantaranadyasu sruti-svadhigatam hareh
praptam sri brahma-sisyena sri naradena dhimata
namaitad-uttamam srauta-paramparyena brahmanah
utsrjyaitan-maha-mantram ye tvanyat kalpitam padam
mahanameti gayanti te sastra-guru langhanah
tattva-virodha-sanprktam tadrsam daurjanam matam
sravatha pariharyam syadatma-hitarthina sada
hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare
Ananta-samhita, Narada Pancharatra
“Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare: This sixteen-name, thirty-two syllable mantra is the maha-mantra in the age of Kali by which all living beings can be delivered. One should never abandon chanting this maha-mantra and take to other so-called purificatory processes which are practiced by rascals, or engage in chanting other metrical compositions of the name of Krishna that are against the pure conclusions of the scriptures, or are filled with rasabhasa. About this divinely spiritual maha-mantra, which delivers one from material existence, the original guru, Lord Brahma, has said, kali-santararadi srutite, "The srutis have declared this mantra to be the best means of deliverance in the age of Kali''. Having all heard this from Brahma, the sons and disciples of Brahma, beginning with Narada, all accepted the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and, having meditated on it, attained perfection.”
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In the 20th century, HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada introduced the Yuga-Dharma i.e. chanting of the Hare Krishna Maha-Mantra to the entire world as predicted by the previous Acharyas and the Vedic scriptures. Through his writings, lectures, conversations, etc., he stressed on the importance of following the Yuga-Dharma with great determination to achieve ever-lasting peace and happiness.
ISKCON and the other Hare Krishna centers continue to propagate the chanting of the Hare Krishna Maha-Mantra in line with Srila Prabhupada’s instructions. You too can take advantage of this chanting and make your life successful.
ISKCON and the other Hare Krishna centers continue to propagate the chanting of the Hare Krishna Maha-Mantra in line with Srila Prabhupada’s instructions. You too can take advantage of this chanting and make your life successful.