There are five branches of
irreligion, appropriately known as irreligion (vidharma), religious
principles
for which one is unfit (para-dharma), pretentious religion (abhasa), analogical
religion (upadharma) and cheating religion (chala-dharma). One who is aware of
real religious life must abandon these five as irreligious.
Religious
principles that obstruct one from following his own religion are called
vidharma. Rrligious principles introduced by others are called upadharma. And
interpretation by one’s jugglery of words is called chala-dharma.
To creat a
new type of dharma has become fashionable in this age. So-called swamis 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, dharman 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 Krsna
consciousness is called vidharma, para-dharma, upadharma of chala-dharma.
Misinterpretation of Bhagvat-gita is chala-dharma. When Krsna directly says
something and some rascal interprets it to mean something different, this is
chala-dharma—a religious system of cheating – or sabdabhit, a jugglery of words.
One should be extremely careful to avoid these various types of cheating
systems of religion.
Religion
consists of the orders of the Supreme Lord and one who carries out these orders
is religious. One who fails to carry out the Lord’s orders is irreligious, and
he is to be punished.
In the
sastra, the Vedic literature, it is said that religion and irreligion, which
are complete opposites, are merely the front portion and the back portion of
God. But is there any difference between God’s front and God’s back? God is
absolute, and therefore a devotee, either in opulence or in danger, is
undisturbed, knowing that both of these are Krsna.
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