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Smart Quote of the Day, January 8, 2020

"…real religion is that which is given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, just as real law is that which is given by the government. No one can manufacture actual law at home, nor can one manufacture actual religion."

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This is a quote from Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.15.13

[This chapter of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled "Instructions for Civilized Human Beings," relates a conversation between the sage Narada and King Yudhisthira. Yudhisthira asks Narada—one of the primary authorities on Vedic knowledge—how a common man may achieve the perfection of life. Here Narada explains the differences between actual dharma, or duty, and various other kinds of activity.]

TRANSLATION

Religious principles that obstruct one from following his own religion are called vidharma. Religious principles introduced by others are called para-dharma. A new type of religion created by one who is falsely proud and who opposes the principles of the Vedas is called upadharma. And interpretation by one’s jugglery of words is called chala-dharma.

PURPORT:

To create a new type of dharma has become fashionable in this age. So-called svamis and yogis support that one may follow any type of religious system, according to one’s own choice, because all systems are ultimately the same. In Srimad-Bhagavatam, however, such fashionable ideas are called vidharma because they go against one’s own religious system.

The real religious system is described by the Supreme Personality of Godhead: sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja. The real religious system is that of surrender to the lotus feet of the Lord.

In the Sixth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, in connection with Ajamila’s deliverance, Yamaraja says, dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam: real religion is that which is given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, just as real law is that which is given by the government. No one can manufacture actual law at home, nor can one manufacture actual religion.

Elsewhere it is said, sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje: the real religious system is that which leads one to become a devotee of the Supreme Lord. Therefore, anything opposed to this religious system of progressive Krishna consciousness is called vidharma, para-dharma, upadharma or chala-dharma.

Misinterpretation of Bhagavad-gita is chala-dharma. When Krishna directly says something and some rascal interprets it to mean something different, this is chala-dharma — a religious system of cheating — or sabda-bhit, a jugglery of words. One should be extremely careful to avoid these various types of cheating systems of religion.

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