Acharya Prashant explains that time is not an external, objective reality but is synonymous with human consciousness. He clarifies that the four yugas—Satya, Treta, Dvapara, and Kali—are not historical epochs found in a calendar but are actually states of mind. When saints refer to the current age as Kali Yuga, they are addressing the ignorant ego, which inherently resides in darkness and falsehood. Therefore, for a person living in deep ignorance, it is Kali Yuga, while for a devotee at peace with the Lord, it is Satya Yuga. These ages can change from moment to moment based on one's level of consciousness. He further elaborates on the allegory of the chariot and the charioteer mentioned in the scriptures. The charioteer represents the inner driving force or the center of the mind, while the chariot represents the gross physical system or the body. In Satya Yug, righteousness is the charioteer leading to contentment; in Kali Yug, falsehood is the charioteer, leading to a state of 'fire' or suffering. The speaker emphasizes that the 'seed' mentioned in the transcript refers to the ego tendency, which can either be the source of suffering or the seed of liberation depending on how one utilizes their life. Acharya Prashant warns against using 'absolute' arguments to justify staying in a lower state of consciousness. While it is true that only the Truth is absolute and all yugas are relative states of mind, some states are more conducive to liberation than others. He compares this to temperature; while water doesn't boil at 0 or 99 degrees, being at 99 degrees makes the jump to boiling much easier. One must strive for the highest quality of mind, Satya Yug, to eventually transcend the mind and time altogether and merge into the ultimate reality, referred to as Shiva.
