Kalki Avatar: The One Yet to Come

At the end of Kali Yuga, Lord Kalki will ride forth on a white horse, end adharma and usher in a new Satya Yuga.

Kalki is the tenth avatar of Lord Vishnu, who according to the Puranas is yet to appear at the end of Kali Yuga. The twelfth canto of the Shrimad Bhagavatam describes how, as Kali Yuga advances, truthfulness, mercy, forgiveness and memory will steadily decline, rulers will behave like robbers, and wealth alone will decide a person's worth.

When dharma has almost disappeared, the Lord will appear in the village of Shambhala in the house of a noble brahmin named Vishnuyasha. Riding the swift white horse Devadatta and holding a sword, Lord Kalki will travel across the earth and destroy the wicked who rule like thieves. After this the hearts of the people will become pure once more, and a new Satya Yuga will begin.

Kalki reminds us that the wheel of time is in the Lord's hands and that no darkness lasts for ever. Yet the scriptures also give hope for the present. The Shrimad Bhagavatam (12.3.51) says that although Kali Yuga is a storehouse of faults, it has one great virtue: simply by chanting the name of Krishna a person can become free from bondage and reach the Supreme. So devotees do not merely wait for Kalki; they take shelter of the holy name today.

Number

10

Yuga

End of Kali Yuga (future)

Form

Warrior on a white horse

Source

Shrimad Bhagavatam, Canto 12