Kalki Avatar : The Final Avatar Of Vishnu

Kalki Avatar (incarnation) is the tenth and final Avatar form of Lord Vishnu. He is yet to appear in the world. He will appear at the end of present Kali Yuga (Hindu mythological age). It is believed that Kalki Avatar will usher the Satya Yuga on earth again.

Kalki Avatar

Avatars of Lord Vishnu

In Hindu scriptures, the arrival of Vishnu or Supreme Godhead in the form of human or non-human beings is called Avatar.  God came to earth as Avatars at different Yugas for the purpose of redemption of sins, destruction of inequity and establishment of Dharma (religion).  Such appearances of Vishnu (Avatars of Lord Vishnu) and Divine Mother have been mentioned in Srimad Bhagavatam and Devi Bhagavatam. There are two types of Vishnu Avatars: Anshavatar and Purnavatar. 

Dashavatars Of Vishnu

The Garuda Purana mentions Dashavatars (ten incarnations) of Vishnu. Dashavatars are considered to be the main Avatars of Vishnu.

Dashavatars

   The number of incarnations is also said to be four, six, ten, sixteen, twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four and forty-nine. However, the Dashavatars of Vishnu are more common. These are: Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Bamana, Parashurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha and Kalki.

Twenty-four Avatars Of Vishnu

Lord Vishnu incarnated innumerable times on the earth. His twenty-four Avatar forms are also very popular in Hinduism. These are: Adi Purush, Four Kumars, Narada, Nara Narayana, Kapila, Dattatraya, Yajna, Rishava, Prithu, Dhanvantari, Mohini, Hayagreeva, Vyasa, Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narsimha, Bamana, Parashurama, Rama, Balarama, Krishna, Buddha and Kalki.

Objectives Of Kalki Avatar

The main objective of Kalki Avatar will be to re-establish Brahmanism by removing the ungodly, atheists and wicked people from the world.  Riding on a white horse with a naked sword in his hand, he will restore justice and truth in a world full of sin and inequity.  In this way Vishnu will appear as Kalki Avatar and will start Satya Yuga on earth again.

Difference Of Kalki Avatar From Other  Avatars

The stories of all the Avatars of Lord Vishnu are told with past tenses. That is, what he did  appearing in various forms of Avatar happened in the past. The only exception is Kalkideva or Kalki Avatar.  He is an Avatar of Kali Yuga. He has not yet appeared.  So what he will do when he will appear in the future, everything has to be said in the future tense.

Hindu Mythological Yugas

According to Hindu belief, Prajapati Brahma is the creator of the universe. The creation of Brahma is divided into four Yugas (mythological ages). These four Yugas (Satya, Treta Dwapara and Kali) are equal to one day of Brahma. At the end of every Yuga he goes to sleep. Then the creation process stops.

Lord Vishnu

Lord Vishnu appears as an Avatar (incarnation)  in every Yuga to save mankind from danger. According to Hinduism, the period of the Kali Yuga is 432,000 years, which according to the research of scholars  started from 3,102 BC. It’s only been 5,000 years now. According to that calculation, it is still too late for the Kalki Avatar to appear.  Again, Pandit Shri Yukteshwar Giri claims that even in this long period of 432,000 years, many short cycles of Kali Yuga exist.

Appearance of Kalki Avatar

The story of Kalki Avatar is narrated in Hindu Puranas. At the end of Kali Yuga, in a village of Shambhala, Kalki will be born as the son of a Brahmana named Vishnu Yasa and his wife Sumati. Actually he will be the tenth Avatar of Lord Vishnu. Sage Yajnavalkya himself will be the Acharya of Kalkideva as described in Agnipurana. In Padma Purana, the appearance story is different from that of Agni Purana. Padma Purana says that Kalki Avatar will come up from the sea on the back of a white horse.
According to the Brahmavaivarta Purana, Brahman Vishnu Yasa is Swayambhu Manu.  By his will Narayana would take birth three times as his son Ramachandra, Krishna and Kalkideva.  And these three times Swayambhu Manu would take birth in the form of Dasaratha, Basudeva and Vishnu respectively. Kalki Avatar is also mentioned in Kalki Purana, Ling Purana and Brahmanad Purana. It is said that Kalkideva will marry Padma, the daughter of King Brihadratha of the island of Simhale and his Queen Kaumudi.

The Story of Kalki Avatar In Srimad Bhagavatam

Vedic literatures also clearly mention the arrival of Lord Vishnu in the form of Kalki. We can easily understand it reading the following verses of Srimad Bhagavatam and their meanings.

athāsau yuga-sandhyāyāṁ

dasyu-prāyeṣu rājasu

janitā viṣṇu-yaśaso

nāmnā kalkir jagat-patiḥ

Meaning:
Then, at the juncture of two Yugas ( Kali Yuga and Satya Yuga), Lord Vishnu will be born as the son of Visnu Yasa in his Kalki incarnation.  At this time the rulers of the earth will be degraded by the plunderers.
[Srimad Bhagavatam:1.3.25]

śambhala-grāma-mukhyasya

brāhmaṇasya mahātmanaḥ

bhavane viṣṇuyaśasaḥ

kalkiḥ prādurbhaviṣyati

Meaning:
Lord Kalki will appear in the residence of the most eminent Brahmana of Sambhala village, the great soul Visnu Yasa.
[Srimad Bhagavatam:12.2.18]

aśvam āśu-gam āruhya

devadattaṁ jagat-patiḥ

asināsādhu-damanam

aṣṭaiśvarya-guṇānvitaḥ

vicarann āśunā kṣauṇyāṁ

hayenāpratima-dyutiḥ

nṛpa-liṅga-cchado dasyūn

koṭiśo nihaniṣyati

Meaning:
Lord Kalki, the Lord of the universe, will appear on earth riding his swift horse called Devadatta and with naked sword in hand and display the eight special qualities of Godhead.  He will kill innumerable thieves who have dared dress as kings. [Srimad Bhagavatam:12.2.19-20]

atha teṣāṁ bhaviṣyanti

manāṁsi viśadāni vai

vāsudevāṅga-rāgāti-

puṇya-gandhānila-spṛśām

paura-jānapadānāṁ vai

hateṣv akhila-dasyuṣu

Meaning:
After the killing of all the  kings who are hypocrites, the residents of the cities and towns will feel the gentle breezes carrying the most sacred fragrance of the sandalwood paste and other decorations of Lord Vasudeva, and their minds will thereby become transcendentally pure. [Srimad Bhagavatam:12.2.21]

teṣāṁ prajā-visargaś ca

sthaviṣṭhaḥ sambhaviṣyati

vāsudeve bhagavati

sattva-mūrtau hṛdi sthite

Meaning:
When Lord Vasudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appears in their hearts in His divine form of goodness, the remaining citizens will abundantly repopulate  the earth. [Srimad Bhagavatam: 12.2.22]

yadāvatīrṇo bhagavān

kalkir dharma-patir hariḥ

kṛtaṁ bhaviṣyati tadā

prajā-sūtiś ca sāttvikī

Meaning
When the Supreme Lord has appeared on earth as Kalki, the Guardian of religion, Satya Yuga will begin, and human society will bring forth progeny in the mode of goodness. [Srimad Bhagavatam: 12.2.23]

By Krishna Das