A piece of fiction written by Kalki many years ago remains relevant even today. Narakasura arrives in Chennai—much like Mahabali’s legendary return during Onam—to see if, in accordance with the boon granted by his father, Lord Vishnu, humanity has shed its demonic traits, falsehood, deceit, and cruelty.
What he witnesses leaves him utterly bewildered. He finds that not only Chennai, but cities across the globe, have expanded into realms of human existence far more hellish than the underworld itself. Narakasura had, in fact, reformed on the very first Deepavali; yet, here he stands, as perplexed as any of us.
He observes that the residents of Chennai have become demons far more vicious than he ever was. He looks for the city’s once-abundant ponds and lakes—or the sites where they once existed—and finds that the rivers have shrunk into mere trickles, while the streams, irrigation channels, drainage canals, and water bodies have all but vanished.
Narakasura is aghast to see how humans have reshaped the entire world to suit only their own preferences, destroying natural vegetation and trees, and rendering the environment uninhabitable for birds and other living creatures. He is deeply troubled to realize that the cruelty unfolding before him far surpasses the atrocities he himself once committed.
It is not just the cities; he is stunned to see forests razed and mountains stripped bare, their peaks blunted. He even witnesses the carving away of the Trisula Hill.
He laments the contrast: while his ancestors once carved into a mountain to build a temple, the people of today have hacked away at a mountain—temple and all—without a second thought. Narakasura said, "Humans have accomplished things beyond your imagination—things even I could never have imagined! They are truly ingenious! They’ve built dams, blocking mountains and valleys; and even if those dams break, they simply build them again. They have plundered everything—the riches of the oceans, the land, mineral deposits, rivers, and even the resources of the skies..."
"The last 100 to 150 years have been the most 'remarkable' in this regard.
Man has become a 'mighty god' capable of devouring entire mountains.
Moreover, more than 10,000 species across the globe have been wiped out entirely.
85% of the world's forests have been destroyed!"
Narakasura fainted and collapsed!
Later, he regained consciousness and sat up.
Narakasura said, "I had imagined something quite different. When my own father and mother came to slay me, I wondered if there could be anyone more wicked than I. Seeking a way to truly prove myself a son of Sri Hari, I asked my father for 'Deepavali'—a gift he, along with Mother Earth (Bhumidevi), granted, believing it would help me—and others like me—to mend our ways. I had hoped that this boon, bestowed by Satyabhama (Mother Earth) and the Lord of the Earth, would serve to protect this world. It seems, however, that I left behind only my wretched greed. Humans have clung tightly to that very greed, pushing the Earth—which the Lord had created and nurtured—to the brink of destruction... The Kali Yuga has truly reached its peak."
He continued, "Brother, do not linger here any longer. Come with me to the desolate depths of Naraka (hell). Once our penance there is complete, we may perhaps attain Sri Vaikuntha. Remaining here offers no hope of liberation. As foretold in the Vedas, the day of this Earth’s destruction is not far off. In any case, I shall journey to Satyaloka to see if there is any other path. Perhaps those holy souls who lived here during the Kali Yuga—who worked so hard to reform humanity, believing that the people of this Earth could change—might know of a way. But now, it is entirely in their hands!"
Narakasura added, "I was only waiting for your arrival. My task here can no longer be fulfilled. It was a mistake for me to come here, hoping to transform a humanity that has mistaken a city built for mere convenience—a fleeting, temporary construct—for something eternal, while all the while steering the world toward its own ruin. I had hoped that, by this fourth incarnation, I might complete my mission and return to Sri Vaikuntha as Jaya and Vijaya. But fate is powerful indeed! If you wish, let us go to Kailasa and ask Lord Parameshwara himself!" The two brothers set out toward Satya Loka. On the way, they also brought along the Sun God, Vrishabhanu...
Afterward, they traveled to Sri Vaikuntha, where they were joined by their father, Sri Hari, and together they proceeded to Kailasa.
In Kailasa, Lord Shiva remarked, "What shall we do with the Earth when only five billion years remain? Summon the holy beings from the other higher realms as well. Let us deliberate and reach a decision. The nuisance caused by the humans on Earth has truly become unbearable!!!"
https://www.everythingconnects.org/the-environmental-crisis.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_the_Earth_Stood_Still_(2008_film)
https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/speech/solutions-planet-crisis
https://www.greenpeace.org/india/en/story/12135/people-and-planet-over-fossil-fuel-economies-need-support-to-meet-climate-commitments/
https://www.greenpeace.org/india/en/press/12075/who-strengthens-air-quality-guidelines-greenpeace-response/
https://www.livescience.com/ghastly-future-global-crises.html
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2017/07/climate-change-earth-too-hot-for-humans.html
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/great-dying-permian-triassic-extinction-event-warning-humanity/
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210520-could-humans-really-destroy-all-life-on-earth
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