Krsna came again as Lord Caitanya to teach us the path by which to cross the ocean of Kali−yuga: Just before the beginning of Kali−yuga−or, in other words, at the end of Dvapara−yuga−Lord Sri Krsna appeared and left His instructions in the form of Bhagavad−gita, in which He asked all living entities to surrender unto Him. Since thebeginning of Kali−yuga, however, people have practically been unable to surrender to the lotus feet of Krsna, and therefore, after some five thousand years, Krsna came again as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu just to teach the entire world how to surrender unto Him, unto Sri Krsna, and thus be purified... Kali−yuga is full of contamination. This is described in the Srimad−Bhagavatam (12.3.51)
kaler dosa−nidhe rajann
asti hy eko mahan gunah
kirtanad eva krsnasya
mukta−sangah param vrajet
This age of Kali is full of unlimited faults. Indeed, it is just like an ocean of faults (dosa−nidhi). But there is one chance, one opportunity. Kirtanad eva krsnasy mukta−sangah param vrajet: simply by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra, one can be freed from the contamination of Kali−yuga and, in his original spiritual body, can return home, back to Godhead. This is the opportunity of Kali−yuga. When Krsna appeared, He gave His orders, and when Krsna Himself appeared as a devotee, as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He showed us the path by which to cross the ocean of Kali−yuga. That is the path of the Hare Krsna movement. When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared, He ushered in the era for the sankirtana movement. It is also said that for ten thousand years this era will continue. This means that simply by accepting the sankirtana movement and chanting the Hare Krsna maha−mantra, the fallen souls of this Kali−yuga will be delivered. After the Battle of Kuruksetra, at which Bhagavad−gita was spoken, Kali−yuga continues for 432,000 years, of which only 5,000 years have passed. Thus there is still a balance of 427,000 years to come. Of these 427,000 years, the 10,000 years of the sankirtana movement inaugurated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu 500 years ago provide the opportunity for the fallen souls of Kali−yuga to take to the Krsna consciousness movement, chant the Hare Krsna maha−mantra and thus be delivered from the clutches of materialexistence and return home, back to Godhead. Chanting of the Hare Krsna maha−mantra is potent always, but it is especially potent in this age of Kali. Therefore Sukadeva Gosvami, while instructing Maharaja Pariksit, stressed this chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra.
kaler dosa−nidhe rajann
asti hy eko mahan gunah
kirtanad eva krsnasya
mukta−sangah param vrajet
"My dear King, although Kali−yuga is full of faults, there is still one good quality about this age. It is that simply by chanting the Hare Krsna maha−mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom." (S.B. 12.3.51)