When Kali was about to be chastised by Maharaja Parikshit Kali

immediately took his shelter and begged for his life. He requested him
to allow him a place of residence. Maharaja Parikshit very cleverly gave
him four places to stay – places of Gambling, Meat eating, illicit sex and
intoxication. But Kali was not at all amused because he understood that
Maharaja Parikshit is playing smart because there was no such place
during the reign of Maharaja Parikshit. Thus, he asked for other places
also. Maharaja Parikshit on request gave him fifth place where there is
Gold.
But today we can see there is no scarcity of such places where Kali was
allowed to reside. What are the symptoms of Kali?
Symptoms of Kali from 12th canto.
Today we can read in newspapers. It is all filled with news which are not
befitting for any cultured society. Yes, indeed we are advancing and
progressing but in what? We are advancing in technology but also in
crimes of all types, suicides, anxiety, ailment related to stress and
depression, breaking relationships, people having shot temper. So many
things. We have fast cars but in morning we can see people with stress
running in those fast cars. We have metros but where is it carrying us
offcourse to office except weekends and I am sure offices these days are
not so much enlivening place to go. Then how is Metro an advancement.
Advancement means something leading to happy destination.
Why so many sad stories to read everywhere? Any action is impelled by
will and will comes from feeling and feeling comes from thinking and
thinking is based on some idea or notion and that idea is planted
through whatever information we obtain from knowledge acquiring
senses. These senses are the inlet and outlet are the working senses for
the mind. Inlet to make impressions and outlet for act based on those
impressions converted into desires. The formula is simple garbage in
garbage out. From where this garbage is coming. The knowledge
acquiring senses are eyes, ears, nose, tongue and touch. These are the
interactive layer between us and the outside world. We can see the
garbage action but then we need to see from where the ideas are being
implanted in mind. From outside world offcourse. Outside world? What
is the relation between showing naked woman and crime? What is the
relation between showing luxury cars and crime. What is the relation
between action movies where everyone is trying to fight for his ego and
crime?
The whole environment is agitating our mind and senses towards
materialism by promising that it is the way to happiness. The more you
can acquire the more you are happy. But they don’t come for free and
they don’t remain the ultimate for ever and they don’t remain for ever.
Ultimately, we don’t live forever. Our senses have limited capacity to
enjoy. But one who has experience of frustration in material enjoyment
still doesn’t leave hope because the media tells them that maybe you
haven’t tried this way of doing or that way of doing. Old wine in new
bottle. They don’t realize that they are just being fooled in the hands of
big business houses. They make sure that you feel depressed, empty,
incomplete, end of life if you don’t have their product at your home.
Sometimes agitation of senses is too much and a person is not able to
think what is right and wrong and he just wants to do it. Because he
wants to be happy and he takes to wrong means. He knows he will be
punished if he is caught but still he takes all the risk and we read so
many such stories in newspaper.
BG 2.61 “Dhyayato”…
Thus, we are being forced to meditate upon sense objects so much so
that from thing of utility they become object of obsession.
Sanga tesu upajayate – and this sanga leads us towards destruction.
We need to change the quality of meditation so that we don’t develop
the Kama. Or fall down in mode of passion.
Quality of meditation depends upon primarily what we hear, see, eat
and speak.
That’s why Sat sanga is required – Sat Sanga means which brings us out
of illusion. The illusion that we are this body and the whole and sole aim
of life is to feed the senses. Yes, feeding senses is required but
dovetailed with higher purpose.
Sensuality is just itching of agitated senses which when satisfied itches
more. Thus, we never come to the point of satisfaction as far as senses
are concerned. As far as soul is concerned food for soul is different from
food for body. Food for soul is love and love means living for someone
else’s satisfaction. Always absorbed in that person’s thought. Now
naturally we have a loving connection with our parents from birth no
matter how beautiful the child or parent is or how rich or poor. But a
child will run towards his mother. Every other relationship we fall into is
bound by some conditions. But ideally not with the parents. This is
natural. Similarly, for us the most natural loving relationship is with the
Supreme Lord because he is our eternal parent. And food for soul is this
loving reciprocation between Lord and Jivas. Due to misidentification
with the body caused by Asat Sanga we forget to feed the soul and we
are busy in overfeeding the senses. But by Sat Sanga we can again
regain our lost memory by the aid of hearing, seeing, speaking and
eating. Sat Sanga helps us in diverting our meditation from Asat to Sat
which gives us satisfaction and joy in due course of time. The more we
become situated in our true identity the more we can access the bliss of
being with Krishna. This may take time because we have been thinking,
feeling, willing and acting on sensual pleasures for millions of years.
SB 1.10.11 – 12
sat-saìgän mukta-duùsaìgo
hätuà notsahate budhaù
kértyamänaà yaço yasya
sakåd äkarëya rocanam
tasmin nyasta-dhiyaù pärthäù
saheran virahaà katham
darçana-sparça-saàläpa-
çayanäsana-bhojanaiù
The intelligent, who have understood the Supreme Lord in association
with pure devotees and have become freed from bad materialistic
association, can never avoid hearing the glories of the Lord, even though
they have heard them only once. How, then, could the Päëòavas
tolerate His separation, for they had been intimately associated with His
person, seeing Him face to face, touching Him, conversing with Him, and
sleeping, sitting and dining with Him?
Its not that society doesn’t know that birth, death, old age and disease
are real practical problems but they don’t have any solution for it.
Because they don’t have knowledge of soul and even if they do have a
little they don’t have the knowledge of its journey from one species to
another and how a soul can be free from all this messy situation.
Scientists are working day and night hard to stop aging but they have
failed.
On the other hand, Lord Krishna also tells us a way to become free from
all this mess he says
Janma Karma ca me divyam…
Anta kale ca mameva Smaran uktva kalevaram
Yam Yam vapi smaran bhavam

SB 3.25.25
satäà prasaìgän mama vérya-saàvido
bhavanti håt-karëa-rasäyanäù kathäù
taj-joñaëäd äçv apavarga-vartmani
çraddhä ratir bhaktir anukramiñyati
In the association of pure devotees, discussion of the pastimes and
activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very pleasing and
satisfying to the ear and the heart. By cultivating such knowledge
one gradually becomes advanced on the path of liberation, and
thereafter he is freed, and his attraction becomes fixed. Then real
devotion and devotional service begin.
CC Madhya 17.186
tarko 'pratiñöhaù çrutayo vibhinnä
näsäv åñir yasya mataà na bhinnam
dharmasya tattvaà nihitaà guhäyäà
mahäjano yena gataù sa panthäù
Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu continued, “‘Dry arguments are
inconclusive. A great personality whose opinion does not differ from
others is not considered a great sage. Simply by studying the Vedas,
which are variegated, one cannot come to the right path by which
religious principles are understood. The solid truth of religious
principles is hidden in the heart of an unadulterated, self-realized
person. Consequently, as the çästras confirm, one should accept
whatever progressive path the mahäjanas advocate.’”
SB 3.25.20
prasaìgam ajaraà päçam
ätmanaù kavayo viduù
sa eva sädhuñu kåto
mokña-dväram apävåtam
Every learned man knows very well that attachment for the material is
the greatest entanglement of the spirit soul. But that same attachment,
when applied to the self-realized devotees, opens the door of liberation.