Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 7.15.12
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyReal Religion Means Surrender to Kṛṣṇa
“There are five branches of irreligion, appropriately known as irreligion [vidharma], religious principles for which one is unfit [para-dharma], pretentious religion [ābhāsa], analogical religion [upadharma] and cheating religion [chala-dharma]. One who is aware of real religious life must abandon these five as irreligious.”
What the purport teaches
- The verse names five branches of irreligion: vidharma, para-dharma, ābhāsa, upadharma and chala-dharma. A person who understands religious life should abandon them.
- Religious principles opposed to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, are considered irregular or cheating. One should follow His instructions and surrender unto Him.
- The intelligence needed for surrender develops through good association with devotees and the practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Try this today
Spend a few minutes with a devotee discussing how to practice surrender to Kṛṣṇa.
Ask yourself
Do I approach religion to follow Kṛṣṇa’s instructions or to preserve my own preferences?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.