Text 21] Yamaraja Instructs His Messengers 165

and love for Him, is uncontaminated by the material modes of
nature. It is very confidential and difficult for ordinary human
beings to understand, but if by chance one fortunately under-
stands it, he is immediately liberated, and thus he returns home,
back to Godhead.

PURPORT

In Bhagavad-gita Lord Krsna refers to bhdgavata-dharma as the most
confidential religious principle (sarva-guhyatamam, guhydd guhya-
taram). Krsna says to Arjuna, “Because you are My very dear friend, I
am explaining to you the most confidential religion.” Sarva-dharman
parityajya mam ekarh saranam vraja: “Give up all other duties and sur-
render unto Me.” One may ask, “If this principle is very rarely under-
stood, what is the use of it?”’ In answer, Yamaraja states herein that this
religious principle is understandable if one follows the parampard
system of Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, the four Kumaras and the other stan-
dard authorities. There are four lines of disciplic succession: one from
Lord Brahma, one from Lord Siva, one from Laksmi, the goddess of for-
tune, and one from the Kumaras. The disciplic succession from Lord
Brahmi is called the Brahma-sampradaya, the succession from Lord Siva
(Sambhu) is called the Rudra- sampradaya, the one from the goddess of
fortune, Laksmiji, is called the Sri-sampradaya, and the one from the
Kumaras is called the Kumara-sampradaya. One must take shelter of one
of these four sampradayas in order to understand the most confidential
religious system. In the Padma Purana it is said, sampradaya-vihina ye
mantras te nisphala matah: If one does not follow the four recognized
disciplic successions, his mantra or initiation is useless. In the present
day there are many apasampradayas, or sampradayas which are not
bona fide, which have no link to authorities like Lord Brahma, Lord Siva,
the Kumaras or Laksmi. People are misguided by such sampradayas.
The sdstras say that being initiated in such a samprad@ya is a useless
waste of time, for it will never enable one to understand the real
religious principles.

TEXT 22
TAATAT BBS GAT TA: GT: GIT: |
afearen anata warazemlefi: 12211
