The future of Earth has been told in 15 predictions, written, 5,000 years
ago by sage Vedvyasa. The believable part of these predictions are that
they appear accurate. While this secret in these 15 predictions may
appear to be disturbing, there is still one bright spot for all of us, which is
mentioned at the end.
Prediction 1
Religion, truthfulness, cleanliness, tolerance, mercy, duration of life,
physical strength and memory will all diminish day by day because of the
powerful influence of the age of Kali. SB 12.2.1 sri-suka uvaca tatas canu-
dinam dharmah satyam saucam ksama daya kalena balina rajan
nanksyaty ayur balam smrtih.
Prediction 2
In Kali Yuga, wealth alone will be considered the sign of a man's good
birth, proper behaviour and fine qualities. Law and justice will be applied
only on the basis of one's power. SB 12.2.2 vittam eva kalau nṝṇāḿ
janmācāra-guṇodayaḥ dharma-nyāya-vyavasthāyāḿ kāraṇaḿ balam eva
hi.
Prediction 3
Men and women will live together merely because of superficial attraction,
and success in business will depend on deceit. Womanliness and
manliness will be judged according to one's expertise in sex, and a man
will be known as a brahmana just by his wearing a thread. SB 12.2.3
dāmpatye 'bhirucir hetur māyaiva vyāvahārike strītve puḿstve ca hi ratir
vipratve sūtram eva hi.
Prediction 4
A person's spiritual position will be ascertained merely according to
external symbols, and on that same basis people will change from one
spiritual order to the next. A person's propriety will be seriously
questioned if he does not earn a good living. And one who is very clever at
juggling words will be considered a learned scholar. SB 12.2.4 lińgaḿ
evāśrama-khyātāv anyonyāpatti-kāraṇam avṛttyā nyāya-daurbalyaḿ
pāṇḍitye cāpalaḿ vacaḥ.
Prediction 5
A person will be judged unholy if he does not have money, and hypocrisy
will be accepted as virtue. Marriage will be arranged simply by verbal
agreement, and a person will think he is fit to appear in public if he has
merely taken a bath. SB12.2.5 anāḍhyataivāsādhutve sādhutve dambha
eva tu svīkāra eva codvāhe snānam eva prasādhanam.
Prediction 6
A sacred place will be taken to consist of no more than a reservoir of
water located at a distance, and beauty will be thought to depend on
one's hairstyle. Filling the belly will become the goal of life, and one who is
audacious will be accepted as truthful. He who can maintain a family will
be regarded as an expert man, and the principles of religion will be
observed only for the sake of reputation. SB 12.2.6 dūre vāry-ayanaḿ
tīrthaḿ lāvaṇyaḿ keśa-dhāraṇam udaraḿ-bharatā svārthaḥ satyatve
dhārṣṭyam eva hi dākṣyaḿ kuṭumba-bharaṇaḿ yaśo 'rthe dharma-
sevanam.
Prediction 7
As the earth thus becomes crowded with a corrupt population, whoever
among any of their social classes shows himself to be the strongest will
gain political power. SB12.2.7 evaḿ prajābhir duṣṭābhir ākīrṇe kṣiti-
maṇḍale brahma-viṭ-kṣatra-śūdrāṇāḿ yo balī bhavitā nṛpaḥ.
Prediction 8
Harassed by famine and excessive taxes, people will resort to eating
leaves, roots, flesh, wild honey, fruits, flowers and seeds. Struck by
drought, they will become completely ruined. SB 12.2.9 śāka-mūlāmiṣa-
kṣaudra- phala-puṣpāṣṭi-bhojanāḥ anāvṛṣṭyā vinańkṣyanti durbhikṣa-kara-
pīḍitāḥ.
Prediction 9
The citizens will suffer greatly from cold, wind, heat, rain and snow. They
will be further tormented by quarrels, hunger, thirst, disease and severe
anxiety. SB12.2.10 śīta-vātātapa-prāvṛḍ- himair anyonyataḥ prajāḥ kṣut-
tṛḍbhyāḿ vyādhibhiś caiva santapsyante ca cintayā.
Prediction 10
The maximum duration of life for human beings in Kali Yuga will become
50 years. SB 12.2.11 triḿśad viḿśati varṣāṇi paramāyuḥ kalau nṛṇām.
Prediction 11
Men will no longer protect their elderly parents. SB 12.3.42 na
rakshishyanti manujah sthavirau pitarav api.
Prediction 12
In Kali-yuga men will develop hatred for each other even over a few coins.
Giving up all friendly relations, they will be ready to lose their own lives
and kill even their own relatives. SB 12.3.41 kalau kakinike 'py arthe
vigrihya tyakta-sauhridah tyakshyanti ca priyan pranan hanishyanti
svakan api.
Prediction 13
Uncultured men will accept charity on behalf of the Lord and will earn their
livelihood by making a show of austerity and wearing a mendicant's dress.
Those who know nothing about religion will mount a high seat and
presume to speak on religious principles. SB 12.3.38 sudrah
pratigrahishyanti tapo-veshopajivinah dharmam vakshyanty adharma-jna
adhiruhyottamasanam.
Prediction 14
Servants will abandon a master who has lost his wealth, even if that
master is a saintly person of exemplary character. Masters will abandon
an incapacitated servant, even if that servant has been in the family for
generations. Cows will be abandoned or killed when they stop giving milk.
SB 12.3.36 patim tyakshyanti nirdravyam bhritya apy akhilottamam
bhrityam vipannam patayah kaulam gas capayasvinih.
Prediction 15
Cities will be dominated by thieves, the Vedas will be contaminated by
speculative interpretations of atheists, political leaders will virtually
consume the citizens, and the so-called priests and intellectuals will be
devotees of their bellies and genitals. SB 12.3.32 dasyutkrishta japanned
vedah pashanda-dushitah rajanas ca praja-bhakshah sisnodara-para
dvijah.
Despite all of these dark prophecies, there is one good quality in this age
of Kali yuga: kaler dosha-nidhe rajann asti hy eko maha gunah kirtanad
eva krishnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet "Although Kali-yuga is an
ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: simply by
chanting the names of Krishna, one can become free from material
bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom." (Source:
Srimad Bhagavatam 12.3.51).
