Moksha in modern times – The Hindu

A person who was born in Krita Yuga or Treta Yuga or Dwapara Yuga had the same goal that someone born in Kali Yuga has. The goal then was moksha and still is moksha, says Velukkudi Krishnan in a discourse. But the method of working towards that goal was different in those yugas. While one had to spend many years striving for moksha in Krita Yuga, it got easier with the subsequent yugas, with Kali having the easiest way of reaching the Lord’s feet.

In the earlier yugas, people spent many years of their life in meditation. They could be living in a forest, or in some isolated spot on a hill, or on the banks of a river, or near the ocean. Wherever they lived, they would do dhyana in silence. Solitude and silence are required for uninterrupted meditation. Conditions in other yugas were conducive for such solitary meditation. This kind of solitary worship is not possible in Kali Yuga, and certainly not in the modern era, with crowds converging everywhere, whether near a sea or a river. Given our preoccupations, we may not have control over our indriyas, which is necessary for meditation.

There are two ways of practising dharma. One way is to expect the support of others when you follow your dharma. Another way is to do your dharma without depending on anyone. These days we need the support of others when we do our dharma. To worship without being in the company of others, and to pursue dharma solitarily, requires focus, concentration and control of the mind, which very few in Kali Yuga possess. So, in Kali Yuga we do not indulge in tapas or meditation as in past yugas.

Temple worship is a great boon in Kali Yuga. We can focus our thoughts on the idol in a temple. We can organise visits to temples along with our families or with other devotees.