Text 184] The Lord Travels to Vrndavana 99
TEXT 184
AE BS, — SHS, BS, aS afAste |
FCA “Ha’-TS ACS, foa fSa #4 0 0-8 0
prabhu kahe,—sruti, smrti, yata rsi-gana
sabe ‘eka’-mata nahe, bhinna bhinna dharma
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe—Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said; sruti—the Vedas; smrti—the
Puranas; yata—all; rsi-gana—great sages; sabe—all of them; eka-mata nahe —do
not agree; bhinna bhinna dharma—different grades of religious principles.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied, ‘‘The Vedas, Puranas and great learned
sages are not always in agreement with one another. Consequently there are
different religious principles.
PURPORT
Unless one comes to the Absolute Truth, there is no possibility of agreement.
Nasav rsir yasya matam na‘bhinnam: it is said that a great learned scholar or sage
cannot be exalted unless he disagrees. On the material platform, there is no
possibility of agreement; therefore there are different kinds of religious systems.
However, the Absolute Truth is one, and when one is situated in the Absolute
Truth, there is no disagreement. On that absolute platform the Supreme Per-
sonality of Godhead is worshipable. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (18.55): bhaktya
mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah. On the absolute platform, the worship-
ful Deity is one, and the process of worship is also one. That process is bhakti.
There are many different religions throughout the world because they are not
all on the absolute platform of devotional service. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita
(18.66): sarva-dharmdan parityajya mam ekarh saranam vraja. The word ekam
means “one,” Krsna. On this platform, there are no different religious systems. Ac-
cording to Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.1.2): dharmah projjhita-kaitavo ‘tra. On the ma-
terial platform, religious systems are different. Srimad-Bhagavatam describes them
from the very beginning as dharmah kaitavah, cheating religions. None of these
religions are actually genuine. The genuine religious system is that which enables
one to become a lover of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the words of
Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.6):
sa vai purmsdarn paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhoksaje
