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Kali Yuga is the last of the four ages in Vedic cosmology, marked by a decline in dharma (righteousness) and an increase in ignorance, materialism, and suffering. It is described in scriptures like the Srimad Bhagavatam and the Mahabharata as an age where deception, hypocrisy, and spiritual degradation dominate. However, it is also said to offer a unique opportunity for liberation through the practice of bhakti yoga (devotion to God).

The Sankirtan Movement, popularized by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1534), is a spiritual movement centered around the congregational chanting (sankirtan) of the Hare Krishna mantra:

“Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare,
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, an incarnation of Lord Krishna, emphasized nama-sankirtan (chanting of the holy names) as the most effective means of attaining spiritual liberation in Kali Yuga. This is based on scriptures like the Brihan-naradiya Purana, which states:

“Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam,
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā.”

(Only the holy name, only the holy name, only the holy name of Hari—there is no other way, no other way, no other way in this age of Kali.)

The movement, later carried forward by the Gaudiya Vaishnavas, reached a global audience in the 20th century through Srila Prabhupada, who founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in 1966.

In summary, while Kali Yuga is considered spiritually challenging, the Sankirtan Movement provides a direct and accessible path to enlightenment through the chanting of the holy names, which is said to purify the mind and awaken divine love.