Let us look at one such incidence from the Vanparva of Mahabharata. Many thousand years ago, asur Vrittasura grew in might and power and, with the help of Kalakeyas, began harassing the devs and beings on earth. The Lord of devas, Indra, then with the sacrifice of Rishi Dadhichi acquired the vajra to annihilate Vrittasur. Seeing the fall of the invincible Vrittasura, the Kalakeyas were frightened and hid themselves in the ocean. They would come out of the hideout at night and kill noble men and destroy ashrams. Once again, Indra approached a sage, this time Muni Agastya for protection. Muni Agastya accepted their request and neared the ocean accompanied by hermits and devas. As all watched, Muni Agastya with his yog bal and shakti, brought the great ocean in his palms and drank it all up, exposing the asurs. While a large number of these asurs were killed by devas, many took refuge in the Paataal Loka (the nether world).

Whenever asurik forces dominate over devik forces, there is devolution. When the reverse happens there is growth and evolution. The dominance of these forces decides the characteristics of a yuga, the beings that inhabit the earth in that time span, the condition of humanity and of dharma. When Agastya Muni drank the ocean, at that time, he prophesied that these asurs will resurface again on earth in the kaliyug...

We are now in kaliyug and if you look around, you will find the prophecy of Agastya Muni coming true. Just open the newspaper in the morning, you will find innumerable incidences of crime, theft, treachery, exploitation, deceit, corruption, rapes, killing of animals, destruction of forests, increasing levels of pollution, deteriorating condition of our planet. Or just walk out on the road, if your lungs can withstand the toxicity in the air, you will see cows feeding on plastic and garbage, strays being run down by cars, people spitting on the road, shopkeepers selling spurious products... The world today is brimming with asurs…and asuric vritti predominates the men of today.