The text “Start of Kali Yuga” features in B.Ed. 1st Year’s General English book (Tribhuvan University). It is based upon a Hindu legend. Kali Yuga in Hindu philosophy refers to the age when evil prevails over righteousness.
According to the legend, when King Yudhishtira was performing Ashwamedha yagna, two farmers came to him begging him to settle a dispute. One farmer had bought a piece of land from the other farmer. While plowing the land for cultivation, he found a pot of gold. Thinking it belonged to the former owner of the land, he went to him to return it. But the former owner refused to take it saying that the gold didn’t belong to him anymore for he had already sold the land. Seeing the generosity of the two farmers Yudhishtira was impressed but he didn’t know how to settle the dispute. He sought the counsel of Lord Krishna, who suggested him to keep the gold with him and ask the farmers to come again after three months. When the farmers returned after three months, their hearts had already been overtaken by greed, and they were fighting to possess the gold. It was the indication of the start of Kali Yuga.
There is a second story too. At the end of the Ashwamedha yagna, when the Rishis were about to leave, a mongoose came and rubbed the one side of its body against the ashes of the yagna, but no change occurred. Three months ago, when it had rubbed its other side of the body upon the leaf on which a poor family had given their food at the cost of their own life to their guest, its skin had changed to gold. While that small generous act of the poor family was able to change the mongoose’s skin to gold, the remains of the great Ashwamedha yagna couldn’t have the similar effect, because the yagna was more about royal power than charity. It was another indication of the start of Kali Yuga. Hence, the title of the text “Start of Kali Yuga” is justified.
Ramrowriter 