The Right Religion
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Uddhava, a dear friend of Lord Shri Krishna was the greatest Brahma Gyani (see gyan) in the age of Dwapar. He once asked Shri Krishna –
वदन्ति कृष्ण श्रेयांसि बहूनि ब्रह्मवादिनः ।
तेषां विकल्प प्राधान्य मुताहो एकमुख्यता ॥ भा ११.१४.१
vadanti kṛṣṇa śreyāṃsi bahūni brahmavādinaḥ ।
teṣāṃ vikalpa prādhānya mutāho ekamukhyatā ॥ bhā 11.14.1
“O Krishna! A number of paths (धर्म) are being propagated by various spiritualists for ones upliftment. Please advise on
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Uddhav returned from Braj and fell at the feet of Shri Krishna
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1. Which is the right path and which ones are not?
2. Why are there so many paths?
These different paths seem to contradict each other. When a person hears and reads about all of these different paths, he gets confused and cannot decide the right path to follow because of ignorance. A blind man cannot make decisions in the matters of sight. I beg you to solve this confusion”.
2. Why are there so many paths?
These different paths seem to contradict each other. When a person hears and reads about all of these different paths, he gets confused and cannot decide the right path to follow because of ignorance. A blind man cannot make decisions in the matters of sight. I beg you to solve this confusion”.
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Uddhav asked this question just before the onset of Kaliyug. He knew that many new ideals, philosophies, religions (धर्म) will emerge in Kaliyug. Hence, prior to the onset of Kaliyug, he asked this question of Lord Krishna, the final authority in the matters of right and wrong. The idea being that when the Lord Himself will confirm the right path to attain Him then no one can challenge that path.
Please note that Uddhav was a great Gyani (see gyan) and hence already knew the answer to the question he asked. He asked that question exclusively for our benefit, so we could read it, know the right path and follow it. Shri Krishna’s answer to this question was documented in Shrimad Bhagavad Mahapuran, which was as follows - कालेन नष्टा प्रलये वाणीयं वेदसंज्ञिता ।
मयाऽऽदौ ब्रह्मणे प्रोक्ता धर्मो यस्यां मदात्मकः ॥ kālena naṣṭā pralaye vāṇīyaṃ vedasaṃjñitā । mayā''dau brahmaṇe proktā dharmo yasyāṃ madātmakaḥ ॥ |
Major Religions of the world. Which one is right?
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"Uddhav! I have clearly mentioned in the Vedas the various means for My attainment. Before the creation, I revealed the Vedas to creator Brahma. Brahma revealed the same knowledge to his sons Manu and other saints".
तेन प्रोक्ता च पुत्राय मनवे पूर्वजाय सा । ततो भृग्वादयो गृह्णन् सप्तब्रह्ममहर्षयः ॥
तेभ्यः पितृभ्सतत्पुत्रा देव दानव गुह्यकाः । मनुष्याः सिद्धगंधर्वाः सविद्याधरचारणाः॥
किं देवाः किं नराः नागा रक्षः किम्पुरूषादयः । बह्व्यस्तेषां प्रकृतयो रजः सत्त्वतमो भुवः ॥
tena proktā ca putrāya manave pūrvajāya sā । tato bhṛgvādayo gṛhṇan saptabrahmamaharṣayaḥ ॥
tebhyaḥ pitṛbhsatatputrā deva dānava guhyakāḥ । manuṣyāḥ siddhagaṃdharvāḥ savidyādharacāraṇāḥ॥
kiṃ devāḥ kiṃ narāḥ nāgā rakṣaḥ kimpurūṣādayaḥ । bahvyasteṣāṃ prakṛtayo rajaḥ sattvatamo bhuvaḥ ॥
तेभ्यः पितृभ्सतत्पुत्रा देव दानव गुह्यकाः । मनुष्याः सिद्धगंधर्वाः सविद्याधरचारणाः॥
किं देवाः किं नराः नागा रक्षः किम्पुरूषादयः । बह्व्यस्तेषां प्रकृतयो रजः सत्त्वतमो भुवः ॥
tena proktā ca putrāya manave pūrvajāya sā । tato bhṛgvādayo gṛhṇan saptabrahmamaharṣayaḥ ॥
tebhyaḥ pitṛbhsatatputrā deva dānava guhyakāḥ । manuṣyāḥ siddhagaṃdharvāḥ savidyādharacāraṇāḥ॥
kiṃ devāḥ kiṃ narāḥ nāgā rakṣaḥ kimpurūṣādayaḥ । bahvyasteṣāṃ prakṛtayo rajaḥ sattvatamo bhuvaḥ ॥
"Then it was revealed to Bhrigu and from him to Sapt Rishi, who in turn passed it on to their sons. Thus, those precepts reached the celestial Gods, demons, Gandharvas and human beings. Those who read and contemplated on the words of Vedas had innately different mental dispositions due to different sankars, accumulated over their innumerable previous lifetimes. Their attitudes and interests were also different. As a result, those who were of sattvik temperament gave a sattivik interpretation of the Vedas; those who had rajasik temperament gave it a rajasik interpretation; those who had a tamasik temperament gave it a tamasik interpretation. Thus, multiple paths came into existence."
याभिर्भूतानि भिद्यन्ते भूतानां मतयस्तथा । यथा प्रकृति सर्वेषां चित्रा वाचः स्रवन्ति हि ॥
एवं प्रकृति वैचित्र्याद् भिद्यन्ते मतयो नृणाम् । पारंपर्येण केषांचिद् पाखण्डमतयोऽपरे ॥
एवं प्रकृति वैचित्र्याद् भिद्यन्ते मतयो नृणाम् । पारंपर्येण केषांचिद् पाखण्डमतयोऽपरे ॥
भा ११.१४.३ - ५
yābhirbhūtāni bhidyante bhūtānāṃ matayastathā । yathā prakṛti sarveṣāṃ citrā vācaḥ sravanti hi ॥
evaṃ prakṛti vaicitryād bhidyante matayo nṛṇām । pāraṃparyeṇa keṣāṃcid pākhaṇḍamatayo'pare ॥
evaṃ prakṛti vaicitryād bhidyante matayo nṛṇām । pāraṃparyeṇa keṣāṃcid pākhaṇḍamatayo'pare ॥
bhA 11.14.3 - 5
In Kaliyug FAKE Gods are also created
Some paths came about by traditions for example someone’s ancestor started a ritual of his own invention and several generations later people still blindly follow it.
Some paths were created by hypocrites to fulfill their self-interest. In Kaliyug, people created the notion of false Gods for example Santoshi Mata etc. was created by people for their own benefit. She is not mentioned in any of the scriptures. Grammatically speaking, in Sanskrit language santoshi (संतोषी) is masculine adjective. Whosoever, created it didn’t even know Sanskrit grammar and used a masculine adjective to describe Mata (mother) which is feminine noun.
Some people insist on performing Vedic injunctions (yagya and anushthaan) or perform austerities (tapa). Some emphasized on charity (daan), some on truthfulness (सत्य), some on fasting (व्रत), some on controlling senses (दम), yet others on visiting holy places (तीर्थाटन) and so on. Then there are some who claim that the best thing to do is to fulfill one’s own desires (इन्द्रियों की तृप्ति). One should “eat drink and be merry” and not be worried about the afterlife.
Shri Krishna said,
Some paths were created by hypocrites to fulfill their self-interest. In Kaliyug, people created the notion of false Gods for example Santoshi Mata etc. was created by people for their own benefit. She is not mentioned in any of the scriptures. Grammatically speaking, in Sanskrit language santoshi (संतोषी) is masculine adjective. Whosoever, created it didn’t even know Sanskrit grammar and used a masculine adjective to describe Mata (mother) which is feminine noun.
Some people insist on performing Vedic injunctions (yagya and anushthaan) or perform austerities (tapa). Some emphasized on charity (daan), some on truthfulness (सत्य), some on fasting (व्रत), some on controlling senses (दम), yet others on visiting holy places (तीर्थाटन) and so on. Then there are some who claim that the best thing to do is to fulfill one’s own desires (इन्द्रियों की तृप्ति). One should “eat drink and be merry” and not be worried about the afterlife.
Shri Krishna said,
आद्यन्तवन्त एवैषां लोकाः कर्म विनिर्मिताः । दुःखोदर्कास्तमोनिष्ठाः क्षुद्रानंदाः शुचार्पिताः ॥
भा ११.१४.११
ananyāścintayanto māṃ ye janāḥ paryupāsate ।
teṣāṃ nityābhiyuktānāṃ yogakṣemaṃ vahāmyaham ॥
ādyantavanta evaiṣāṃ lokāḥ karma vinirmitāḥ ।
duḥkhodarkāstamoniṣṭhāḥ kṣudrānaṃdāḥ śucārpitāḥ ॥
teṣāṃ nityābhiyuktānāṃ yogakṣemaṃ vahāmyaham ॥
ādyantavanta evaiṣāṃ lokāḥ karma vinirmitāḥ ।
duḥkhodarkāstamoniṣṭhāḥ kṣudrānaṃdāḥ śucārpitāḥ ॥
bhā 11.14.11
"Uddhav! None of these ways produce lasting results. All of them yield temporary and illusive happiness and consequently throw one into the ditch of utter despair".
So Uddhav, all of philosophies (existing ones and any of the new ones that will be formed) are reprehensible. To attain Me (the unfathomable ocean of bliss) the only path is selfless bhakti or devotion.
Vedas state that bhakti can be done by all, in all life situations, at all times, in all places, with all senses, without involving any senses, with all the material objects and without any object. Bhakti is a mother of knowledge and renunciation, it can give whatever one desires. It absolves one of past ills, removes the inclination to sin in the present and continues to give bliss forever in the future. God is invincible, yet bhakti enslaves the Supreme Lord.
The Supreme Lord Shri Krishna said to the Gopis (milk maidens living in Braj),”Since you forsook the world for My sake, I will remain indebted to you forever”.
Those who do single-minded devotion (bhakti) to the Supreme Lord, and don’t desire anything for pleasing oneself, they enslave Him with their love. And the Supreme Lord serves them.
So the one and only right religion is to selflessly serve God. All other expedients (see examples karm, gyan, yog) are worthless.
So Uddhav, all of philosophies (existing ones and any of the new ones that will be formed) are reprehensible. To attain Me (the unfathomable ocean of bliss) the only path is selfless bhakti or devotion.
Vedas state that bhakti can be done by all, in all life situations, at all times, in all places, with all senses, without involving any senses, with all the material objects and without any object. Bhakti is a mother of knowledge and renunciation, it can give whatever one desires. It absolves one of past ills, removes the inclination to sin in the present and continues to give bliss forever in the future. God is invincible, yet bhakti enslaves the Supreme Lord.
The Supreme Lord Shri Krishna said to the Gopis (milk maidens living in Braj),”Since you forsook the world for My sake, I will remain indebted to you forever”.
Those who do single-minded devotion (bhakti) to the Supreme Lord, and don’t desire anything for pleasing oneself, they enslave Him with their love. And the Supreme Lord serves them.
So the one and only right religion is to selflessly serve God. All other expedients (see examples karm, gyan, yog) are worthless.
बलि श्री गुरुदेव कृपाल । जिनके दिव्य वचन सुनि छूटत, ग्रंथि अविद्या-जाल की ।
I sacrifice everything on my merciful Spiritual Master. Listening to his divine instructions cuts asunder avidya, the knots of ignorance.
I sacrifice everything on my merciful Spiritual Master. Listening to his divine instructions cuts asunder avidya, the knots of ignorance.
- Jagadguru Kripalu Ji Maharaj
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