स्वभावविहितो धर्मः कस्य नेष्टः प्रशान्तये ॥१४॥
yas tv icchayÄ ká¹›taḥ pumbhir
ÄbhÄso hy ÄÅ›ramÄt pá¹›thak
sva-bhÄva-vihito dharmaḥ
kasya neá¹£á¹aḥ praÅ›Äntaye
yaḥ - that which; tu - indeed; icchayÄ - whimsically; ká¹›taḥ - conducted; pumbhiḥ - by persons; ÄbhÄsaḥ - dim reflection; hi - indeed; ÄÅ›ramÄt - from one's own order of life; pá¹›thak - different; sva-bhÄva - according to one's own nature; vihitaḥ - regulated; dharmaḥ - religious principle; kasya - in what respect; na - not; iá¹£á¹aḥ - capable; praÅ›Äntaye - for relieving all kinds of distress.
A pretentious religious system manufactured by one who willfully neglects the prescribed duties of his order of life is called ÄbhÄsa [a dim reflection or false similarity]. But if one performs the prescribed duties for his particular ÄÅ›rama or varṇa, why are they not sufficient to mitigate all material distresses?
It is indicated here that everyone should strictly follow the principles of varṇa and ÄÅ›rama as given in the Å›Ästra. In the Viṣṇu PurÄṇa (3.8.9) it is said:
varṇÄÅ›ramÄcÄravatÄ
puruá¹£eṇa paraḥ pumÄn
viṣṇur ÄrÄdhyate panthÄ
nÄnyat tat-toá¹£a-kÄraṇam
One should focus upon the destination for progress, which is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is the aim and end of all varṇas and ÄÅ›ramas. However, if Viṣṇu is not worshiped, the followers of the varṇÄÅ›rama institution manufacture some concocted God. Thus it has now become fashionable for any rascal or fool to be elected God, and there are many missionaries who have concocted their own gods, giving up their relationship with the real God. In Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ it is clearly said that one who worships the demigods has lost his intelligence. Nonetheless we find that even an illiterate person who has lost all intelligence is elected God, and although he has a temple, it has meat-eating sannyÄsÄ«s, and many polluted activities go on there. This type of religious system, which misguides its poor followers, is strictly forbidden. Such pretentious religions should be stopped altogether.
The original system is that a brÄhmaṇa should actually become a brÄhmaṇa; he should not only take birth in a brÄhmaṇa family, but must also be qualified. Also, even if one is not born in a brÄhmaṇa family but has brahminical qualifications, he must be considered a brÄhmaṇa. By strictly following this system, one can be happy without extra endeavor. Sva-bhÄva-vihito dharmaḥ kasya neá¹£á¹aḥ praÅ›Äntaye. The real aim of life is to mitigate distress, and one can do this very easily by following the principles of Å›Ästra.
