Text 17]
Conversation Between Manu and Kardama
819
The Lord gives us the opportunity to enjoy material life as we want, and at the same time He gives directions for the modes and processes of abiding by the  Vedas  so that gradually one may be elevated to liberation from material bondage. The conditioned souls who have come to the material world to fulfill their desires to lord it over material nature are bound by the laws of nature. The best course is to abide by the Vedic rules; that will help one to be gradually elevated to liberation.
Kardama Muni addresses the Lord as  śukla , which means the leader of religion. One who is pious should follow the rules of religion, for such rules are prescribed by the Lord Himself. No one can manufacture or concoct a religion; religion refers to the injunctions or laws of the Lord. In  Bhagavad-gītā  the Lord says that religion means to surrender unto Him. Therefore one should follow the Vedic regulations and surrender unto the Supreme Lord because that is the ultimate goal of perfection in human life. One should live a life of piety, follow the religious rules and regulations, marry and live peacefully for elevation to the higher status of spiritual realization.
TEXT 17
लोकांश्च लोकानुगतान् पञ्चंश्च 
  हित्वा श्रितास्ते चरणातपत्रम् । 
  परस्परं त्वद्गुणवादसीधु- 
  पीयूषनिर्यापितदेहधर्माः ॥१७॥
lokāṁś ca lokānugatān paśūṁś ca  
 hitvā śritās te caraṇātapatram  
 parasparam tvad-guṇa-vāda-sīdhu-  
 pīyūṣa-niryāpita-deha-dharmāḥ
lokān —worldly affairs;  ca —and;  loka-anugatān —the followers of worldly affairs;  paśūn —beastly;  ca —and;  hitvā —having given up;  śritāḥ —taken shelter;  te —Your;  caraṇa —of lotus feet;  ātapatram —the umbrella;  parasparam —with one another;  tvat —Your;  guṇa —of qualities;  vāda —by discussion;  sīdhu —intoxicating;  pīyūṣa —by the nectar;  niryāpita —extinguished;  deha-dharmāḥ —the primary necessities of the body.
TRANSLATION
However, persons who have given up stereotyped worldly affairs and their beastly followers, and who have taken shelter of the umbrella of