Guru Gobind Singh's Depiction of Kalki Avatar in the Dasam Granth: A Tapestry of Myth, Theology, and Resistance

[indichawla]

Guru Gobind Singh’s portrayal of Kalki in the Dasam Granth is less prophecy and more parable. It describes a world in moral decline, where rulers grow corrupt, religion becomes hollow, and power turns arrogantechoes of our own time marked by inequality, ecological crisis, and authoritarianism.

Kalki’s the 10th Avtaar of Vishnu, downfall through ego warns that power without humility destroys itself, a lesson for modern leaders and nations alike. By narrating the story in the past tense, the Guru rejects passive waiting for a saviour; instead, he points to the Khalsa as the living Kalki, ordinary people called to resist tyranny and uphold justice.

In today’s polarised and fragile world, Guru Gobind Singh’s message is clear: do not wait for messiahs—become agents of divine justice yourselves. Maybe we can relate to today’s time, maybe not, but we need to be our judge and be our own messiah: my humble in-depth presentation

 

[indichawla]

My article, drawing on the teachings of Guru Gobind Singh, explores a recurring theme in human expectation: our tendency to place overwhelming hope in God or in the promise of a saviour. Just as Gpd Vishnu is said to manifest an avatar on a white horse to restore righteousness, we longed for a figure to eradicate corruption. But in our eagerness for salvation, the avatar began to adopt the trappings of divinity, presenting itself as more than mortal, more than accountable. Guru Gobind Singh cautioned that at the end of the day, the measure of true leadership and virtue lies not in the promises of miraculous deliverance but in the wisdom, courage, and responsibility we embody ourselves. As humans, we are capable of becoming our own messiah and not assume every man/political leader who brims of humnai (ego) to be our savior…The Guru's Kalki is not meant for a particular community but for all of humanity, tasked with ending oppression and allowing all people to worship one God freely. Guru Gobind Singh's brushstrokes, vivid, subversive, paint a world where divine light ignites human action, eternalising his mission: "Fight evil, remember the One."