TEXT 4

TEXT

d"izARtaAe'yaM mayaAcaAr"Ae

DamaRmau"h"taAM Daur"ma,

darito 'ya maycro

dharmam udvahat dhuram

SYNONYMS

daritarevealed; ayamthis; mayby Me; craway of life; dharmamreligious principles;

udvahatmfor those who are bearing; dhuramthe burden.

TRANSLATION

I have revealed this way of life for those bearing the burden of mundane religious principles.

PURPORT

Ordinary religious principles, prescribing innumerable rules, regulations and prohibitions, are
undoubtedly a great burden for those bereft of Ka consciousness. In the First Canto of rmad-
Bhgavatam (1.1.11) it is stated, bhri bhri-karmi rotavyni vibhgaa: there are countless
religious scriptures in the world prescribing countless religious duties. The authorized scriptures are
those spoken by the Lord Himself or His representatives, as stated in this verse. In the last chapter of
Bhagavad-gt (18.66) Lord Ka states, sarva-dharmn parityajya mm eka araa vraja: [Bg. 18.66]
one should give up the troublesome burden of mundane piety and directly take to the loving service of
the Lord, in which everything is simplified. Lord Ka also states in Bhagavad-gt (9.2), su-sukham
kartum avyayam: the bhakti-yoga process, which depends completely upon the mercy of the Lord, is
very joyful and easily performed. Similarly, Locana dsa hkura sings,

parama karua, pahu dui jana,

niti-gauracandra

saba avatra-, sra-iromai,

kevala nanda-ka

r Caitanya Mahprabhu, who is Lord Ka Himself, appeared five hundred years ago to distribute the
sublime method of chanting the holy names of the Lord. In this way, rather than bearing the burden of
artificial austerity, one can directly take to the Lord's service, cleansing one's heart and immediately
experiencing transcendental bliss. Those who have taken to Caitanya Mahprabhu's movement follow
four basic principles: no illicit sex, no eating of meat, fish or eggs, no intoxication and no gambling. They
rise early in the morning, chant Hare Ka and spend the day happily engaged in the Lord's service.
Those who follow the ritualistic karma-ka section of the Vedas, however, are burdened with
innumerable regulations, rituals and ceremonies, which must be personally performed by the
worshipers or performed on their behalf by qualified brhmaas. At any moment there is danger of
discrepancy resulting in the total loss of their accumulated piety. Similarly, those on the philosophical
path must painstakingly define, refine and adjust philosophical categories, a process that generally ends
in confusion and hopelessness. The practitioners of mystic yoga undergo grueling penances, subjecting
themselves to severe heat and cold, near starvation and so on. All such materialistic persons have
personal desires to fulfill, whereas the devotees of the Lord, who desire the Lord's pleasure, simply
depend upon the Lord's mercy and go back home, back to Godhead. In the previous verse the Lord
mentioned that in the material world there are endless distinctions and value judgements to be made in
the course of one's life. A devotee, however, sees Ka within everything and everything within Ka,
remaining humble, simple and blissful in the Lord's service. He does not perform elaborate religious
ceremonies, nor does he become antisocial or immoral. The devotee simply chants the holy name of
Ka and easily achieves the highest perfection of life. Ordinary persons endeavor for bodily
maintenance, but a devotee is automatically maintained by the Lord's mercy. A devotee's ordinary
dealings and religious activities are also all dedicated to the Personality of Godhead; thus there is
nothing but Ka in a devotee's life. Ka gives all protection and maintenance, and the devotee gives
everything to Ka. This natural liberated situation is called Ka consciousness. It is the ultimate
absolute good, as explained by the Lord throughout this canto.

SB 11.21.5