Nimi Questions the Yogendras: Varṇāśrama’s Purpose, Ritualism’s Fall, and Yuga-Avatāras with Kali-yuga Saṅkīrtana
कलिं सभाजयन्त्यार्या गुणज्ञा: सारभागिन: । यत्र सङ्कीर्तनेनैव सर्वस्वार्थोऽभिलभ्यते ॥ ३६ ॥
kaliṁ sabhājayanty āryā guṇa jñāḥ sāra-bhāginaḥ yatra saṅkīrtanenaiva sarva-svārtho ’bhilabhyate
บัณฑิตผู้รู้คุณและจับแก่นสารย่อมยกย่องกาลียุค เพราะในยุคนี้ เพียงด้วยสังกีรตนะเท่านั้น ก็เข้าถึงความสำเร็จสูงสุดแห่งชีวิตได้โดยง่าย
It is stated here that among the four ages — Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara and Kali — Kali-yuga is actually the best because in this age the Lord mercifully distributes the highest perfection of consciousness, namely Kṛṣṇa consciousness, very freely. The word ārya has been defined by Śrīla Prabhupāda as “one who is advancing spiritually.” The nature of an advanced person is to search for the essence of life. For example, the essence of the material body is not the body itself but the spirit soul that is within the body; therefore an intelligent person gives more attention to the eternal spirit soul than to the temporary body. Similarly, although Kali-yuga is considered to be an ocean of contamination, there is also an ocean of good fortune in Kali-yuga, namely the saṅkīrtana movement. In other words, all of the degraded qualities of this age are completely counteracted by the process of chanting the holy names of the Lord. Thus it is stated in the Vedic language,
This verse states that in Kali-yuga, saṅkīrtana—congregational chanting of the Lord’s names—alone can grant the full attainment of life’s highest goals.
Because despite Kali-yuga’s faults, it uniquely offers an easy and powerful method—saṅkīrtana—through which one can quickly achieve complete spiritual success.
Regularly chant the holy names (personally and with others), join kīrtana when possible, and make devotional sound a daily anchor for focus, purification, and remembrance of the Lord.