“Karma Brahmeti, karma bahu kurviita”. Work is Brahma and as such do more and more and still more work. In the Vedas it is said that in this visible world, human beings attain Parama Puruśa in the form of action. Hence one should do more and more work. A person who is indolent, and fears work, and is completely seized by lethargy is only a burden to the earth. In the Vedas, there is mention of a special character Rohit. Rohit was a great scholar, but by constant perusal of the scriptures he had become a greatly indolent person by the end of his study. He even stopped moving. Such kind of inactive people cannot do any good work for society: rather they become a burden to society.

Rohit’s father was not learned, but he was wise. He advised his son, “Look Rohit, everything in this world has originated from action. What is action? Changing the position of objects is action. Whatever has happened in this universe has taken place by changing the position of various objects. Whatever beauty and attraction there is in this world, it is all due to the changing of position of different objects. When the human beings leave this world, this truth remains. The reason is that human beings do not remain in one state for a long time, nor are they able to do so. One who has become old thinks, ‘Well, I am old, it is better I should leave the world.’ Afterwards, though, when something of this world attracts him again, he says, ‘Well, I should continue living in this world for a few more days.’ Behind this attraction of the world, the science of action is at work. Hence, one who fears work and wants to keep away from work is an inanimate and inactive entity. Whether such people remain or not on this earth matters little”. So Rohit’s father said to him, “When a person works tirelessly, so much so that the perspiration flows from head to toe, their entire body becomes beautiful. Those people have no equal in the world. Even Indra, the king of the gods, longs for the friendship of such a person”.

One who has lost the dharma of movement is virtually dead. The real nature of a living being is dynamicity. Staticity is the sign of death. Hence one who has lost the dynamicity, one’s rhythm of forward movement degenerates, gradually losing one’s human qualities. Ultimately they regress towards animality, steeped in vice. So don’t be like Jada-Bharata, like an inanimate object. The only aim of your life should be to move ahead. So go on working, fulfil your responsibilities by working, and continue working, even while dying.

The fortune of a person who is sleeping also sleeps. Here “sleeping” does not mean sleeping in the worldly sense. Its real meaning is to remain drowned in darkness, that is, the physical body is of a human being, but his activities are not like those of a human being. Even the psychic thoughts are not like those of a human being. When a person arises from sleep, his or her fortune also arises. One who has risen up will find that one’s fortune has also stood up. And when a person begins to move purposefully towards one’s goal, one’s fate also begins to move. So don’t behave like a fool, Rohit. Go ahead, go ahead, go ahead. The sole mantra of your life should be to go ahead.

Kalih shayáno bhavati saiṋjihánastu Dvápara;
Uttiśt́han Tretá bhavati Krtaḿ sampadyate carań.

What are these “Yugas” – Kali Yuga, Dvápara Yuga, Tretá Yuga and Satya Yuga? The suffix “ghaiṋ” is added to the root Verb “Yuj” in Saḿskrta, and the word “Yuga” is formed. “Yuga” means a particular period of time. If one object nears another object, that is known as one yuga. The word “yuga” originates from the root-verb “yunj”, which means “critical juncture”, that is, a special change of time from one special period to another period. In Saḿskrta this is known as “Yugasandhi.”

Human history reveals that humanity has moved forward in this way. The first chapter of human history was the dark age the age of the shúdras; then came the Kśatriya (warriors) Age followed by the Vipra (intellectual) Age and finally the Vaeshya (capitalists) Age. Each of these transitions from the previous era to the next one was “yugasandhi.” In the same way, these four stages of human life – Kali, Dvápara, Tretá and Satya – are critical junctures.

Kali Yuga is described in the scriptures as the human condition when human life, human thoughts, human existence remain clouded with darkness so that all sense of discretion is lost, One in this state is described as sleeping. However when one’s consciousness is aroused so that one begins to feel what one should do, what is proper, what they have to do for the human society, this is known in the scriptures as Dvápara Yuga. When after arising from sleep and opening their eyes people look about themselves and think that they have to rise up, that they must not be inactive, that they have great responsibilities which have to be discharged properly, then this, in the language of the scriptures is known as Tretá Yuga. When they actually start moving ahead then this is known as Satya Yuga.

This is the explanation of Kali, Dvápara, Tretá and Satya Yuga. There are other explanations also but those are not acceptable since those are mythological and not connected with logic: and rationality. So Rohit’s father said, “Rohit, go ahead”. Likewise I say to you “Go ahead with your work – in this lies your good and also the good of the society. Not from today, but from this very moment, jump into the world of action and pave the way of your well-being”.