Text 10] Brahma’s Prayers for Creative Energy 345
svayambhur naradah sambhuh
kumarah kapilo manuh
prahlado janako bhismo
balir vaiyasakir vayam
dvadasaite vijanimo
dharmam bhagavatarh bhafah
guhyam visuddham durbodham
yam jnatvamrtam asnute —(Bhag. 6.3.19-21)
“The principles of religion are initiated by the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, and no one else, including the sages and demigods, can manu-
facture any such principles. Since even great sages and demigods are un-
authorized to inaugurate such principles of religion, what to speak
of others—the so-called mystics, demons, human beings, Vidyadharas
and Caranas living in the lower planets? Twelve personalities—Brahma,
Narada, Lord Siva, Kumara, Kapila, Manu, Prahlada Maharaja, Janaka
Maharaja, Bhisma, Bali, Sukadeva Gosvami and Yamaraja—are
agents of the Lord authorized to speak and propagate the principles of
religion.”

The principles of religion are not open to any ordinary living entity.
They are just to bring the human being onto the platform of morality.
Nonviolence, etc., are necessary for misguided persons because unless one
is moral and nonviolent one cannot understand the principles of religion.
It is very difficult to understand what is actually religion even if one is
situated in the principles of morality and nonviolence. It is very confiden-
tial because as soon as one is conversant with the real principles of religion,
he is at once liberated to the eternal life of bliss and knowledge. Therefore,
one who is not situated in the principles of devotional service to the Lord
should not pose himself as a religious leader of the innocent public. The
Isopanisad emphatically forbids this nonsense in the following mantra:

andham tamah pravisanti ye ’sambhutim upasate

tato bhuya iva te tamo ya u sambhityam ratah

(Isopanisad 12)

‘A person in ignorance of the principles of religion who therefore does
nothing in the matter of religion is far better than a person who misguides
others in the name of religion without reference to the factual religious
principles of devotional service.” Such so-called leaders of religion are sure
to be condemned by Brahma and other great authorities.
