prabhu kahe, — Å›ruti, smá¹›ti, yata ṛṣi-gaṇa
sabe 'eka'-mata nahe, bhinna bhinna dharma
prabhu kahe - Lord ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu said; Å›ruti - the Vedas; smá¹›ti - the PurÄṇas; yata - all; ṛṣi-gaṇa - great sages; sabe - all of them; eka-mata nahe - do not agree; bhinna bhinna dharma - different grades of religious principles.
ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu replied, “The Vedas, PurÄṇas and great learned sages are not always in agreement with one another. Consequently there are different religious principles.
Unless one comes to the Absolute Truth, there is no possibility of agreement. NÄsÄv ṛṣir yasya mataá¹ na bhinnam: it is said that a great learned scholar or sage cannot be exalted unless he disagrees with other scholars and sages. On the material platform, there is no possibility of agreement; therefore there are different kinds of religious systems. But the Absolute Truth is one, and when one is situated in the Absolute Truth, there is no disagreement. On that absolute platform the Supreme Personality of Godhead is worshipable. As stated in the Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (18.55), bhaktyÄ mÄm abhijÄnÄti yÄvÄn yaÅ› cÄsmi tattvataḥ. On the absolute platform, the worshipful Deity is one, and the process of worship is also one. That process is bhakti.
There are many different religions throughout the world because they are not all on the absolute platform of devotional service. As confirmed in the Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (18.66): sarva-dharmÄn parityajya mÄm ekaá¹ Å›araṇaá¹ vraja. The word ekam means “one,†Kṛṣṇa. On this platform, there are no different religious systems. According to ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam (1.1.2), dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo ’tra. On the material platform, religious systems are different. ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam describes them from the very beginning as dharmaḥ kaitavaḥ, cheating religions. None of these religions is actually genuine. The genuine religious system is that which enables one to become a lover of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the words of ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam (1.2.6):
sa vai puá¹sÄá¹ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoká¹£aje
ahaituky apratihatÄ yayÄtmÄ suprasÄ«dati
“The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted in order to completely satisfy the self.â€
On this platform there is nothing but the service of the Lord. When a person has no ulterior motive, there is certainly oneness and agreement of principles. Since everyone has a different body and mind, different types of religions are needed. But when one is situated on the spiritual platform, there are no bodily and mental differences. Consequently on the absolute platform there is oneness in religion.
