Editing Kalki (section)

==Description==
===Hindu texts===
Kalki is an ''avatara'' of Vishnu. [[Avatar]] means "descent", and refers to a descent of the divine into the material realm of human existence. Kalki appears for the first time in the ''[[Mahabharata]]''.<ref name="Hiltebeitel2011p104" />

The [[Garuda Purana]] lists [[Dashavatara|ten incarnations]], with Kalki being the final one.<ref>{{cite book|title=India through the ages|url=https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada|last=Gopal|first=Madan|year= 1990| page= [https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada/page/73 73]|editor=K.S. Gautam|publisher=Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India}}</ref> He is described as the incarnation who appears at the end of the Kali Yuga. He ends the darkest, degenerating, and chaotic stage of the Kali Yuga to remove ''[[adharma]]'' and ushers in the [[Satya Yuga]], while riding a white horse with a fiery sword.<ref name="Dalal2010p188" /><ref name="Doniger1999p629">{{cite book| author1=Wendy Doniger|author2=Merriam-Webster, Inc|title=Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZP_f9icf2roC&pg=PA629 |year=1999|publisher=Merriam-Webster|isbn=978-0-87779-044-0|page=629}}</ref> He restarts a new cycle of time.<ref>{{cite book|author=Ludo Rocher|editor=Ralph M. Rosen|title=Time and Temporality in the Ancient World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=It9KMklf4R4C&pg=PA91|date=22 March 2004|publisher=UPenn Museum of Archaeology|isbn=978-1-931707-67-1|pages=91–93}}</ref> He is described as a Brahmin warrior in the Puranas.<ref name="Dalal2010p188" /><ref name="Doniger1999p629" /> It is mentioned in the Puranas that the immortal [[Chiranjivi]]s will assist him in various stages of his life.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-26 |title=7 Chiranjeevis: The Immortals Who Will Assist Kalki In Ending Kali Yuga |url=https://www.timesnownews.com/spiritual/7-chiranjeevis-the-immortals-of-hinduism-who-will-assist-kalki-in-ending-kali-yuga-article-111290266 |access-date=2024-06-29 |website=Times Now |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Kalki_avatar_idol_in_rani_ki_vav_patan.jpg|thumb|Statue of Kalki's incarnation on a wall of [[Rani ki vav|Rani Ki Vav]] (The Queen's Stepwell) at [[Patan, Gujarat|Patan]], [[Gujarat]], [[India]]]]

A minor text named [[Kalki Purana]] is a relatively recent text, likely composed in [[Bengal]]. Its dating [[floruit]] is the 18th-century.{{sfn|Rocher|1986|p=183 with footnotes}} Wendy Doniger dates the Kalki Mythology containing ''Kalki Purana'' to between 1500 and 1700 CE.<ref>{{cite book |first=Wendy |last=Doniger |year=1988 |title=Textual Sources for the Study of Hinduism |page=5 |publisher=Manchester University Press |isbn=978-0-7190-1867-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KtZRAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA5}}</ref>

In the ''[[Kalki Purana]]'', Kalki is born into the family of Vishnuyashas and Sumati, in a village called [[Shambala]],<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kirk |first=James A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aUwqAAAAYAAJ |title=Stories of the Hindus: An Introduction Through Texts and Interpretation |date=1972 |publisher=Macmillan |isbn=978-0-02-563230-1 |pages=239 |language=en}}</ref> on the thirteenth day during the fortnight of the waxing moon. At a young age, he is taught the holy scriptures on topics such as ''[[dharma]], [[karma]], [[artha]], [[jñāna]],'' and undertakes military training under the care of the [[Parasurama|Parashurama]] (the sixth incarnation of Vishnu).<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/the-kalki-purana-english |title=The Kalki Purana— English |pages=28}}</ref> Soon, Kalki worships [[Shiva]], who gets pleased by the devotion and provides him in return a divine white horse named Devadatta (a manifestation of [[Garuda]]), a powerful sword, whereby its handle is bedecked with jewels, and a parrot named Shuka, who is an all-knower; the past, the present and the future.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/the-kalki-purana-english |title=The Kalki Purana— English |pages=33–34}}</ref> Other accessories are also given by other [[Deva (Hinduism)|devas]], [[devi]]s, [[Hindu saints|saints]], and righteous kings. He fights an evil army and in many wars, ending evil, but does not end existence. Kalki returns to Shambala, inaugurates a new ''[[Yuga]]'' for the good, and then goes to [[Vaikuntha]].{{sfn|Rocher|1986|p=183 with footnotes}} In the ''Kalki Purana'', there is a mention of a [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] city whose residents don't adhere to ''dharma'' (not worshipping the [[Deva (Hinduism)|devas]], [[Pitrs|ancestors]], and not upholding the varna system), which Kalki fights and conquers.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/the-kalki-purana-english |title=The Kalki Purana— English |pages=146,172}}</ref>

The ''[[Agni Purana]]'' describes Kalki's role:<ref>{{Cite book |last=Parmeshwaranand |first=Swami |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6F0ZIBIL2ZAC&pg=PA138 |title=Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Puranas |date=2001 |publisher=Sarup & Sons |isbn=978-81-7625-226-3 |pages=138 |language=en}}</ref>

{{Blockquote|text=Kalki, as the son of Viṣṇuyaśas, (and having) Yājñavalkya as the priest would destroy the non-Aryans, holding the astra and having a weapon. He would establish moral law in four-fold varṇas in the suitable manner. The people (would be) in the path of righteousness in all the stages of life.|title=''[[Agni Purana]]''|source=Chapter 16, Verses 8 - 9}}
The ''[[Devi Bhagavata Purana]]'' features the [[Deva (Hinduism)|devas]] hailing Vishnu, invoking his Kalki avatara:<ref>{{Cite book |last=Basu |first=Baman Das |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=12kSkNpBx-sC&pg=PA1029 |title=The Srimad Devi Bhagwatam (vols.2 Set) |date=2007 |publisher=Cosmo Publications |isbn=978-81-307-0559-0 |pages=1029 |language=en}}</ref>

{{Blockquote|text=When almost all the persons in this world will turn out in future as Mleccas and when the wicked Kings will oppress them, right and left, Thou wilt then incarnate Thyself again as Kalki and redress all the grievances! We bow down to Thy Kalki Form! O Deva!|title=''[[Devi Bhagavata Purana]]''|source=Chapter 5}}
===Buddhist texts===
[[File:The 25 kings of Shambhala.jpg|alt=The 25 Kalki, who are Kings of Shambala, are surrounding a Yidam (meditation deity), located in the middle. The first top two middle rows has seated representations of Tsongkhapa, dressed in orange/yellow. This originates from the scriptures that are part of the Indo-Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhist tradition.|thumb|The central figure is a [[Yidam]], a meditation deity. The 25 seated figures represent the [[Kings of Shambhala|25 Kings Of Shambhala]]. The middle figure in the top row represents [[Je Tsongkhapa|Tsongkhapa]], who is in the top two middle rows. This comes from the scriptures that is part of the [[Tibet|Indo-Tibetan]] [[Vajrayana|Vajrayana Buddhist Tradition]].]]
In the Buddhist Text ''[[Kalachakra|Kalachakra Tantra]]'', the [[Kings of Shambhala|righteous kings]] are called Kalki (Kalkin, lit. chieftain) living in [[Shambhala|Sammu]]. There are many Kalki in this text, each fighting barbarism, persecution and chaos. The last Kalki is called "Rudra Cakrin" and is predicted to end the chaos and degeneration by assembling a large army to eradicate a barbarian army.<ref name="Lopez2015p202" /><ref name="Perry2017p220" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Urban Hammar. - Studies in The Kalacakra Tantra - A History of The Kalacakra in Tibet and A Study of The Concept of Adibuddha, The Fourth Body of The Buddha and The Supreme Un-Changing PDF {{!}} PDF {{!}} Tibetan Buddhism {{!}} Vajrayana|url=https://www.scribd.com/document/456921039/Urban-Hammar-Studies-in-the-Kalacakra-Tantra-A-History-of-the-Kalacakra-in-Tibet-and-a-Study-of-the-Concept-of-Adibuddha-the-Fourth-Body-of-the|access-date=2021-10-06|website=Scribd|language=en}}</ref> A great war, which will include an army of both Hindus and Buddhists, will destroy the barbaric forces, states the text.<ref name="Lopez2015p202" /><ref name="Perry2017p220" /><ref name="Dahla2006p90">[a] {{cite book|author=Björn Dahla|title=Exercising Power: The Role of Religions in Concord and Conflict|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i_rWAAAAMAAJ|year=2006|publisher=Donner Institute for Research in Religious and Cultural History|isbn=978-952-12-1811-8|pages=90–91}}, '''Quote:''' "(...) the Shambala-bodhisattva-king [Cakravartin Kalkin] and his army will defeat and destroy the enemy army, the barbarian Muslim army and their religion, in a kind of Buddhist Armadgeddon. Thereafter Buddhism will prevail.";<br>[b] {{cite book|author=David Burton|title=Buddhism: A Contemporary Philosophical Investigation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=phddDgAAQBAJ&pg=PT193 |year=2017|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-351-83859-7|page=193}}<br>[c] {{cite book|author=Johan Elverskog |editor=Anna Akasoy|display-editors=etal|title=Islam and Tibet: Interactions Along the Musk Routes|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZfWXIfbynwYC&pg=PA293 |year=2011|publisher=Ashgate Publishing |isbn=978-0-7546-6956-2|pages=293–310}}</ref> This is most likely borrowed from Hinduism to Buddhism due to the arrival of Islamic kingdoms from the west to the east, mainly settled in [[Tibet|West Tibet]], [[Central Asia]] and the [[Indian subcontinent|Indian Subcontinent]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Newman|first=John|date=2015|title=Buddhism in Practice|series=Princeton readings in religions |url=https://library.villanova.edu/Find/Record/554047/TOC|page=203|publisher=Princeton Univ. Press |edition=Abridged}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Sopa|first=Lhundub|title=The Wheel of Time: Kalachakra in Context|url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/258363.The_Wheel_of_Time|pages=83 to 84, with note 4}}</ref> According to Donald Lopez – a [[professor]] of [[Buddhist studies|Buddhist Studies]], Kalki is predicted to start the new cycle of perfect era where "Buddhism will flourish, people will live long, happy lives and righteousness will reign supreme".<ref name="Lopez2015p202" /> The text is significant in establishing the chronology of the Kalki idea to be from post-7th century, probably the 9th or 10th century.<ref name="JIN2017p49">{{cite book|author=Yijiu JIN|title=Islam|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q-PzDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA49|year=2017|publisher=BRILL Academic|isbn=978-90-474-2800-8|pages=49–52}}</ref> Lopez states that the Buddhist text likely borrowed it from Hindu vedic texts.<ref name="Lopez2015p202">{{cite book|author=Donald S. Lopez Jr.|title=Buddhism in Practice |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zaC4CgAAQBAJ&pg=PA202 |year=2015|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=978-1-4008-8007-2|pages=202–204}}</ref><ref name="Perry2017p220">{{cite book|author=Perry Schmidt-Leukel|title=Religious Pluralism and Interreligious Theology: The Gifford Lectures |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ir3zDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT221 |year=2017|publisher=Orbis|isbn=978-1-60833-695-1|pages=220–222}}</ref> Other scholars, such as Yijiu Jin, state that the text originated in Central Asia in the 10th-century, and Tibetan literature picked up a version of it in India around 1027 CE.<ref name="JIN2017p49" />

===Sikh texts===
The Kalki incarnation appears in the historic [[Sikh]] Texts, most notably in [[Dasam Granth]], a text that is traditionally attributed to [[Guru Gobind Singh]].<ref name="Rinehart2011p29">{{cite book |first=Robin |last=Rinehart |year=2011 |title=Debating the Dasam Granth |pages=29–30 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-975506-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=58AVDAAAQBAJ}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=W.H. |last=McLeod |year=2003 |title=Sikhs of the Khalsa: A history of the Khalsa Rahit |pages=149–150 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-565916-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HIrXAAAAMAAJ}}</ref> The ''[[Chaubis Avtar|Chaubis Avatar]]'' (24 incarnations) section mentions Sage Matsyanra describing the appearance of Vishnu incarnations to fight evil, greed, violence and ignorance. It includes Kalki as the twenty-fourth incarnation to lead the war between the forces of righteousness and unrighteousness.<ref>{{cite book|author=Purnima Dhavan|title=When Sparrows Became Hawks: The Making of the Sikh Warrior Tradition, 1699-1799|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-7HJ5idB8_QC |year=2011|publisher=Oxford University Press, USA|isbn=978-0-19-975655-1|pages=1 55–157, 186 note 32}}</ref>