A CONTEMPORARY CONVULSIVE TREND !

 Kaliyug is almost reaching its zenith ! At least that is the general feeling among Hindus who have grown up learning about the four yugas. But alas this fourth cycle , the age of sin and strife has completed just 5123 years with 426, 877 years before it is predicted to be finally over

These statistics have been stated by Wikipedia and are certainly not reassuring for the human race. Though it is we , Indians who believe in it , yet Kaliyug is a world-wide phenomenon considering the ongoing wars , duels , conspiracies and misdemeanours.
Social fabrics are falling apart, morals are at an all-time low , and there is  a sense of discontentment   disillusionment and disbelief that  prevails amongst the old , the young and even the new budding generation. 
Spiritual masters though encashing this distressed lot,  are constantly trying to spread good will providing valuable inputs of living life well and peacefully. Our age-old practice of "DHYAN" or meditation has become widely popular with a sizeable number of people across the globe practising it in the quest to derive some peace , solace and that ever elusive transient phase called happiness. Our masters are repeatedly drilling into us that we just need to be in the present , to live life fully each day and be happy with all that we have and are blessed with.
Yet its like everything is falling on deaf ears !!

Being a sexagenarian ( in my late sixties )when I go down memory lane and reminiscence about my innocent  childhood , the triflest things that brought a broad smile on our faces , our disciplined parents leading by example and thus becoming our role models  and the economical    prudent    uncomplicated life styles , I am compelled to think that probably half a century back Kaliyug was still in a nascent stage !
The exceptional pace of its upsurge and its burgeoning growth has made it evident that it is here to stay with us till Doomsday for that is where we are being led to. Well its all going as per our sages had predicted !
Hindu mythology   though full of exceptions is replete with ideal behavioural norms and morals
The great bard ,Tulsidas 's Ramcharitmanas which categorically states the filial duties and  responsibilities as well as talks of ideal behaviour which one should have towards parents , elders  ,  among brothers  , is like a gospel in every household esp in North India  ,  staunchly revered and  deified .  In other parts of this diverse nation other Gods are propitiated and other religious and sacred texts are followed . However  ,  the ideals and societal norms propogated are unfortunately losing their impact on the worshippers. We are becoming increasingly religious , almost fanatical to some extent  but not advancing spiritually .
Our ancient texts   The Vedas, The Puranas   The Upnishads   unfortunately not popularised or propogated among the masses are treatises on ethics . We have read and idolised  about Eklavya , Shrawan Kumar , Savitri  and Satyavaan   Dhruva and the likes  through the popular Panchatantra stories and the more fortunate ones through their grandma's tales but their context is lost to the contemporary new ideals and visions

What has gone amiss today despite our rich legacy ?Why have we started ignoring   disrespecting and becoming indifferent to it ? Many will have ready answers and solid arguments to these questions but that does not negate the denigrating , nose - diving ethical and abominable behavioural patterns of the present times.
We are an agitated dissatisfied lot today. Lust and avarice are uppermost in our minds
Wealth and all the ensuing  luxuries also fail to provide us that coveted peace of mind
Acquiring wealth is a symbol of success and highest achievement. And all of us are into this rat race. The ever - widening gap between pelf and penury is creating havoc .
      One of the many detrimental ,outrageous and uncouth unfortunately widely rampant feature is the use of expletives. This is prevalent among all ages  , cultures , languages and countries.
Abusive language is always used in rage , perturbation and anxiety . It releases all the harmful secretions possible in the body thus causing extreme damage to our bodies
What to talk of the damage done to the mind
for it is irreversible causing agony to the self and others . But that comes later .....the users feel that firstly the use  of abuses is cathartic for one vents out one' s irritation   irrascibility  and frustration easing them for a while and secondly the impact and thrust of communicating becomes more powerful with their use .
Using abusive and foul language is nothing new ....it was there in the past too. Only it was HEARD less .It was supposed to be blasphemous and lowly to use them .
        Going back to my reminiscences as I entered adulthood and was on the threshold of starting my career as a college  teacher I was aghast to hear these immodest expletives being used by young students also !!  I felt like admonishing them for their rude conduct but their jeering faces changed by earlier decision. That was shattering for me but then I too became thick- skinned and almost oblivious of this fast - growing and accepted mode of conversation.
I pondered and solaced myself thinking that a child is not born with such disrespectful codes of conduct....it is what they hear all around them , their own parents , elders  that makes them emulate their role models ....some even may not be knowing the actual meaning of these terms.
    A few decades back Using foul language was a prerogative and privelege of the males . It was and ofcourse is as if their rightful claim .
Elders never uttered bad words infront of their children or elders . It was supposed to be unmannerly and giving a bad example. 
The bad words used were then of a milder version too!!!
However  we  soon got rid of this ARCHAIC  inhibition so much so that  the female species became familiar with them and started using them brazenly to the extent that now they cannot talk whether it is in English or Hindi or any dialect for that matter without freely using these expletives irrespective to whosoever they are talking to ! And the expletives are the harshest most explosive  and  loathsome ones which are certainly very provocative too.
The fact is that it is just not that those in an inebriated state who are using it ....that ofcourse is their fundamental human right acceptable to all and sundry for they are supposedly not in their senses and have the sanction to behave as ignominously as possible everywhere ! What is hard- hitting is that it has found a strong place in the language of all and sundry and the irony is that we are all readily accepting and tolerating this rudeness which is in vogue now

Like booze abuses using expletives are what we all readily share and delight in !
So now there are no reservations --male , female , educated  , illiterate   , the rich and elite , the Impoverished and indigent ....this is one thing that UNITES us and that  we  all have in COMMON !!
The Media is playing a hazardous role in popularising this alarming trend ...be it cinema , Ott platforms or the Idiot Box .
But why accuse just the Media ? We are all equally responsible ! I think this can be most aptly described in our National language as " कलियुग की पराकाष्ठा " !!



Where are we heading to ? Why are we abandoning our values and morals ? What morals are we passing on to posterity ? And finally are we really joyful doing that ??
The answer despite all arguments is a Big No !
So what is the solution ?
We cannot change our external stimuli ...what we can consciously and conscientiously endeavour to do is to change ourselves .That will be in our own interest and for the welfare  of our  future generations .

Although we cannot imagine a return to a better age we can certainly improve our own selves for a better tomorrow ! Wishful thinking but hope we are able to realise it...the sooner the better !