Kalki

For other uses, see Kalki (disambiguation).

Kalki
Member of Dashavatara
Raja Ravi Varma's portrayal of Kalki
AffiliationVaishnavism
WeaponNandaka or Ratnamaru (Sword)
MountDevadatta, either a manifestation of Garuda or divine horses[1][2][3]
FestivalsKalki Jayanti[4]
Genealogy
ParentsVishnuyashas (father),[9] Sumati (mother)[10]
SpousePadmavati[5] and Ramā[6]
ChildrenJaya and Vijaya (From Padmavati) (Upapuranas)[7] Meghamala and Balahaka (From Rama) (Kalki Purana)[8]

Dashavatara Sequence
PredecessorBuddha

Kalki (Sanskrit: कल्कि), also called Kalkin,[1] is the prophesied tenth and final incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. According to Vaishnava cosmology, Kalki is destined to appear at the end of the Kali Yuga, the last of the four ages in the cycle of existence (Krita). His arrival will mark the end of the Kali Yuga and herald the beginning of the Satya Yuga, the most virtuous age, before the ultimate dissolution of the universe (Mahapralaya).[1][2]

In the Puranas, Kalki is depicted as the avatar who will rejuvenate existence by ending the darkest period of adharma (unrighteousness) and restoring dharma (righteousness). He is described as riding a white horse named Devadatta and wielding a fiery sword.[2] The portrayal of Kalki varies across different Puranas, and his narrative is also found in other traditions, including the Kalachakra-Tantra of Tibetan Buddhism[11][12][13] and Sikh texts.[14]

  1. ^ a b c J. L. Brockington (1998). The Sanskrit Epics. BRILL Academic. pp. 287–288 with footnotes 126–127. ISBN 90-04-10260-4.
  2. ^ a b c Dalal 2014, p. 188
  3. ^ "Kalki-Purana-english.PDF".
  4. ^ "Kalki Jayanti; rituals and significance". mpchang. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  5. ^ The Purāṇas. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. 1986. ISBN 9783447025225.
  6. ^ A Sanskrit-English Dictionary. Clarendon. 1872.
  7. ^ Studies in the Upapurāṇas. Sanskrit College. 1958.
  8. ^ Center Vedic om Aditya
  9. ^ a b "Manifestation of Viṣṇu as Buddha and Kalki [Chapter 16]". November 2021.
  10. ^ a b A Companion to Indian Mythology: Hindu, Buddhist & Jaina. Thinker's Library, Technical Publishing House. 1987.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference Lopez2015p202 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference Perry2017p220 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference Dahla2006p90 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference Rinehart2011p29 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).