Text 12] Instructions for Civilized Human Beings 209

TEXT 12
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MAAN: TVA TARSTHIT PITA U2 2

vidharmah para-dharmas ca
abhasa upama chalah
adharma-sakhah paticema

dharma-jno ‘dharmavat tyajet

vidharmah—irreligion; para-dharmah—religious principles prac-
ticed by others; ca—and; abhdsah—pretentious religious principles;
upam4é—principles that appear religious but are not; chalah—a cheating
religion; adharma-sakhah—which are different branches of irreligion;
parica —five; imah—these; dharma-jnah—one who is aware of religious
principles; adharma-vat—accepting them as irreligious; tyajet—should
give up.

TRANSLATION

There are five branches of irreligion, appropriately known as ir-
religion [vidharma], religious principles for which one is unfit
[para-dharma], pretentious religion [abhasa], analogical religion
[upadharma] and cheating religion [chala-dharma]. One who is

aware of real religious life must abandon these five as irreligious.

PURPORT

Any religious principles opposed to the principle of surrendering to
the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, are to be
considered religious principles of irregularity or cheating, and one who is
actually interested in religion must give them up. One should simply
follow the instructions of Krsna and surrender unto Him. To do this, of
course, one needs very good intelligence, which may be awakened after
many, many births through good association with devotees and the prac-
tice of Krsna consciousness. Everything but the principle of religion
recommended by Krsna—sarva-dharmén parityajya mam ekam
Saranam vraja—should be given up as irreligion.
