The COVID-19 pandemic became the ultimate stress test. It exposed fragilities and caused immense suffering, yet it also revealed humanity’s finest strength: cooperation. Vaccines were developed at unprecedented speed through scientific ingenuity and global collaboration—an achievement without historical parallel.
IN the Bhāgavata Purāṇa, time is not described as a straight line rushing endlessly forward. It is portrayed as a cycle—of creation, preservation, dissolution, and renewal—governing the cosmos, nature, and human society alike. What rises must pause, what expands must correct itself, and what forgets must eventually remember. Civilisations, like living organisms, grow through such rhythms.
The movement of stars and planets reflects the same understanding. Their paths are circular and precise, yet their consequences are never identical, because the world below is never static. When familiar cosmic patterns return, they do not recreate the past; they shape new outcomes suited to new conditions. Evolution, whether personal or civilisational, occurs when cycles meet readiness.
The first twenty-five years of the twenty-first century unfolded in precisely this manner. Far from being merely an age of machines, this period marked a civilisational shift—one in which mythology and modernity, technology and ethics, law and governance, science and ancient wisdom advanced in rare parallel. Humanity did not only become more connected; it became more aware.
Dr. Shailendra Srivastava, IPS (Retd.)
Former Director General of Police, Madhya Pradesh
MSc., Ph.D., MCA, LL.B., M.A.
A Planet Awakens
Never before in human history have science, ancient knowledge systems, and governance moved so closely together. Digital connectivity expanded at a planetary scale. Legal awareness deepened. Governance became more transparent and participatory. Environmental sensitivity entered the centre of public policy. At the same time, interest in mythology, astrology, yoga, and Indic wisdom returned across the world—not as nostalgia, but as relevance.
This convergence was not accidental. It reflected what Indian thought describes as kāla-paripāka—the ripening of time.
The Mythological Arc: Humanity’s Search for Order
Mythology has always been humanity’s earliest language for understanding complexity. In the last quarter-century, it returned not as belief, but as insight.
The metaphor of Samudra Manthan, the churning of the ocean, feels strikingly contemporary. In that ancient narrative, chaos precedes clarity, poison emerges before nectar, and endurance is required before balance is restored. The modern world experienced a similar churn—technological disruption, pandemics, climate stress, and information overload. Yet from the same turbulence arose innovation, cooperation, and ethical reflection.
Equally resonant is the figure of Narad Rishi—not a creator of events, but a catalyst of awareness. Narad moves freely, communicates relentlessly, and accelerates consequences by circulating information. In an age of social media, global journalism, and digital diplomacy, this archetype feels uncannily modern. Information today shapes outcomes as decisively as authority once did.
Ideas such as Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam—the world as one family—have quietly moved from scripture into diplomacy, climate negotiations, and global health cooperation.
Astrology: The Logic of Long Cycles
Astrology has always viewed time as cyclic, not linear. Planetary movements repeat with mathematical certainty, yet their consequences differ because societies are never static. Astrology therefore does not impose fate; it reveals timing, tendency, and consequence.
The last twenty-five years display clear celestial signatures.
Rahu-like energies expressed themselves through artificial intelligence, virtual realities, biotechnology, and digital identities.
Jupiter-like influences coincided with the expansion of ethics, law, education, and rights-based consciousness.
Saturn-like forces asserted themselves through institutional reform, accountability, data governance, and environmental responsibility.
Ketu-like tendencies appeared as detachment from excess—minimalism, sustainability, and inward reflection gained global appeal.
Together, these long cycles trace a simple progression:
innovation → understanding → responsibility.
Technology: Power with Purpose
Technology has been the most visible force of this era, but its deeper success lies in democratisation, not spectacle. Mobile connectivity placed knowledge in every hand. Artificial intelligence entered daily life. Governance, commerce, and communication became digital.
The COVID-19 pandemic became the ultimate stress test. It exposed fragilities and caused immense suffering, yet it also revealed humanity’s finest strength: cooperation. Vaccines were developed at unprecedented speed through scientific ingenuity and global collaboration—an achievement without historical parallel.
Digital public infrastructure further transformed governance. When technology was guided by ethics and policy, it strengthened democracy, reduced inequality, and enhanced transparency.
Law and Governance: Where Dharma Met Democracy
Law evolved from being merely punitive to becoming empowering—protecting dignity, privacy, the environment, and the vulnerable. Governance shifted from command to partnership, from opacity to accountability.
At the same time, Mother Earth began to speak more clearly. Climate change, biodiversity loss, extreme weather events, and pandemics reminded humanity that nature is not an infinite resource, but a living system that responds to excess and neglect. Sustainability, renewable energy, conservation, and climate governance moved from margins to mainstream.
This awakening echoed an ancient understanding: the Earth is not property to be exploited, but a mother to be protected and respected.
The Rise of the Conscious Individual
Perhaps the most profound change of this quarter-century has been internal. As life accelerated, individuals sought balance. Yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, mythology, and astrology gained global respect—not as dogma, but as tools for clarity in a hyper-stimulated world.
This inward turn does not signal retreat. It signals maturity.
Conclusion: A Civilisational Turning Point
The Bhagavata Puraṇa reminds us that when human action loses balance, nature responds—and when balance is restored, harmony returns. The first twenty-five years of this millennium have been such a moment of reckoning.
Technology surged ahead. Governance was tested. Mother Earth responded. Humanity paused, reflected, and recalibrated.
The positive arc is unmistakable. We are moving toward conscious technology, ethical governance, sustainable development, and global cooperation.
The first quarter of this millennium does not mark the age of machines.
It marks the age of mindful humans.
If this trajectory continues, history may remember these years not merely for innovation, but for the moment civilisation learned to move forward with awareness rather than speed.
