Grandfather Bhishma told Yudhisthira — “Oh king, ‘Kali Yuga’ is like a sea of faults and vices; but it has one great quality. In this ‘Yuga’, only by the ‘Kirtan’ of Sri Krishna’s ‘Naam’, a person can free himself from all entanglements attain 'Paramatma'. Oh, the greatest of all men, if a man does ‘Kirtan’ of Vasudeva day and night, ‘Kali’ cannot create any obstacles in his path of ‘Dharma’ nor fasten him to woman or gold, nor oppress him with the sorrows of the ‘Samsara’; neither can it persecute him nor create any trouble.

Q. ‘Kali’s’ oppressions consist of wilful act against the dictates of the ‘Shastras’, not distinguishing between right and wrong to gain one’s end, not caring for virtue or sin, false boast and pride etc. Is it not so? 
A. Yes, ‘Kali’ is now performing its great ‘Tandava’ dance, nothing but ‘Naam’ can stop this ‘Tandava’.

Q. Is there any special place where Kali stays?
A. Yes, there is. Raja Parikshit gave ‘Kali’ four abodes for habitual living. They are — Gambling, which is a mine of falsehood, drinking, woman, and killing of animals. On being asked for one more, he gave gold. In gold exist all the five evils — untruth, pride, lust, anger and spite. A normal house-holder cannot give up ‘Suna’, wife and gold. He has to live with them.

Q. What is ‘Suna’?
A. ‘Suna’ is the place where living creatures are killed. The oven, pestle, broomstick, hammer, jar and wooden platform for sitting are such places. Unconsciously a person kills living creatures at these places and so he cannot go to heaven. Daily study of the ‘Vedas’, ‘Agni-hotra’ (worshipping the gods), offering oblations to ancestors, feeding animals and entertainment of guests — with these five ‘Maha-yajnas’ the sin derived from killing living creatures at the five ‘Sunas’ is destroyed. If one lives with one’s wife according to rules laid down by the ‘Shastras’ and is non-attached to gold and other possessions and can do every day the five ‘Mahayajnas’ mentioned above, he can escape from the clutches of ‘Kali’ which otherwise destroys for a person both this life as well as the next one.

Q. But everyone has to live with woman and gold. How can one escape them?
A. In case of a person who cannot follow the injunctions of the ‘Shastras’, a woman behaves like a tigress and after sucking his blood sends him to hell. In this world, at the beginning the bond of woman and gold seems pleasant but in the end, they are found to be oppressive bondages. For him, who cannot break the bondage of this chain, achieving ‘Shanti’ will remain an unfulfilled dream.

Q. The mutual attraction for man and woman seems to stem from their birth. What is the reason for it?
A. The two main ingredients of this world are ‘Purusha and ‘Prakriti’. There is no substance in this world where these do not co-exist. Human beings, animals and birds, trees and creepers, molecules and atoms, whatever is living or inert, are composed of these two. A man’s body is also divided in two parts. A man’s left eye, ear, nostril, hand and leg are feminine and the other half is masculine. ‘Sadhus’ say that only the nerve-system of the head goes from right to left and from left to right. Otherwise, all are divided half and half between masculine and feminine. When a man breathes through his right nostril, he gets masculine nature. In the same way, a woman’s right side is masculine and the left is feminine. With the desire to unite with each other, the love-lost man wants the woman and vice versa.

He, that is a mine of ‘Ananda’,
Whilst existing in his own self,
Suddenly desired to play with ‘Viswa-rupa’,
As if a ruby suddenly glittered.
From that radiant globe,
Flakes of radiance spread all around
The Nature-Queen awoke with a smile,
This was the first song of union. In union is birth, in union is life,
In union is its final end,
Union is the life of this world.

Attachment to woman is the bane of this ‘Samsara’. So long this attachment is not ended, a person would suffer from pangs of sorrow day after day.

Q. How can this thirst for union be quenched?
A. As long as one is conscious of one’s body and as long as he has breath, this thirst will continue.

Q. What do you mean by saying when there is no breath? Do you mean after death?
A. No, when the ‘Kundalini’ wakes up and rises from ‘Muladhar’ and goes to the ‘Sahasrara’ to form union with Siva, then the thirst will die.

Q. Is there no breathing at that time?
A. No; in the ‘Sushumna’, ‘Prana’ and ‘Apana’ join with ‘Nada’ and ‘Bindu’ and with them go to the ‘Chakra’ situated in the neck. Then there is no breathing. As long as the consciousness of one’s body is not made to disappear by the practice of constant ‘Samadhi’, the thirst for union with the other sex will not go.

Q. What you are saying relates to ‘Yoga’. Bu how many people can practise ‘Yoga’? A capable Guru, a suitable place, regular practice, food suitable for the purpose, relatives who will encourage the practice of Yoga — all these are required for achieving success in ‘Yoga’. But how many persons get all these? Please tell me if there is any other path.
A. That is why I am stressing that ‘Kali’s’ ‘Brahma Astra’ and ‘Pashupata- Astra’ are woman and gold. They are present everywhere. One cannot take one step in any direction without encountering them. It is with the help of woman and gold that ‘Kali’ has today become the undisputed monarch of this world. It is no exaggeration to say this. — In this terrible ‘Kali Yuga’, only those get fulfilment who are steadfast in ‘Hari-Naam’. ‘Kali’ cannot inflict any sorrows on them. ‘Kali’ cannot create any trouble for those who constantly sing the names Hari, Keshava, Govinda, Vasudeva, Jaganmaya (who pervades the universe). ‘Kali’ cannot place any obstacle in the path of those who sing ‘Hari-Naam’ and do ‘Hari-puja’ day and night. In the ‘Kali Yuga’, by ‘Hari Kirtan’ alone, one can earn all the merit which a person could get by ‘Dhyana’, ‘Yajna’ and ‘Puja’ etc. in ‘Satya’, ‘Treta’ and ‘Dwapar Yugas’ respectively. In doing ‘Kirtan’, no formalities are to be observed with regard to the place, the time and the persons doing the Kirtan.

— Therefore, in the ‘Kaliyuga’, to sing nicely Hari’s greatness is the real and ultimate ‘Dharma’. The ‘Sadhus’ of the other three ‘Yugas’ praise ‘Kali’ because in this ‘Yuga’. :—

- By ‘Hari-kirtan’ alone a person attains the ‘Param Pada’. People, who in ‘Satya’ and other ‘Yugas’ could not gain ‘Mukti’ (liberation), may succeed in attaining ‘Mukti’ in ‘Kali’ by ‘Hari-kirtan’ alone. I do obeisance to Kaliyuga which is the greatest of all Yugas, in which YugaHari-NaamaSankirtana has been publicly acclaimed.So, go on doing Kirtan without a pause —

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare,
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
Jai Ram, Jai Ram.