SB 7.15.13 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

धर्मबाधो विधर्म: स्यात्परधर्मोऽन्यचोदित: । उपधर्मस्तु पाखण्डो दम्भो वा शब्दभिच्छल: ॥ १३ ॥

Verse text

dharma-bādho vidharmaḥ syāt para-dharmo ’nya-coditaḥ upadharmas tu pākhaṇḍo dambho vā śabda-bhic chalaḥ

Synonyms

dharma — bādhaḥ — obstructs the execution of one’s own religious principles ; vidharmaḥ — against the principles of religion ; syāt — should be ; para — dharmaḥ — imitating religious systems for which one is unfit ; anya — coditaḥ — which is introduced by someone else ; upadharmaḥ — concocted religious principles ; tu — indeed ; pākhaṇḍaḥ — by one who is against the principles of Vedas, standard scriptures ; dambhaḥ — who is falsely proud ; vā — or ; śabda — bhit — by word jugglery ; chalaḥ — a cheating religious system .

Translation

Religious principles that obstruct one from following his own religion are called vidharma. Religious principles introduced by others are called para-dharma. A new type of religion created by one who is falsely proud and who opposes the principles of the Vedas is called upadharma. And interpretation by one’s jugglery of words is called chala-dharma.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Vidharma means to perform acts which destroy dharma. Para-dharma means to perform another person’s duties. Upadharma means advertising oneself as a follower of dharma, while actually rejecting the Vedas. Chala-dharma means interpreting the words of the scripture incorrectly. The five forbidden categories are described, but not in exact order. Vidharma means that which cancels one’s dharma when performed, though one thinks it is dharma. Performing someone else’s dharma (duties and occupation) is para-dharma. Upamā dharma or upadharma means something resembling dharma which is not dharma. It refers to pretenders who actually reject the Vedas (pākhaṇḍaḥ), who dress up with matted locks and ashes and announce themselves as upholders of dharma. Chala-dharma refers to person who explains the scriptures in another way (śabda-bhit). For instance the phrase “One should feed at least ten brāhmaṇas” can be interpreted to mean “One should feed less than ten brāhmaṇas.” Another version has śabda-bhṛt: person who maintains the word dharma only, but acts otherwise. If there is an injunction to give a cow, then the person will give a dying cow.

Purport

To create a new type of dharma has become fashionable in this age. So-called svāmīs and yogīs support that one may follow any type of religious system, according to one’s own choice, because all systems are ultimately the same. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, however, such fashionable ideas are called vidharma because they go against one’s own religious system. The real religious system is described by the Supreme Personality of Godhead: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. The real religious system is that of surrender to the lotus feet of the Lord. In the Sixth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in connection with Ajāmila’s deliverance, Yamarāja says, dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam: real religion is that which is given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, just as real law is that which is given by the government. No one can manufacture actual law at home, nor can one manufacture actual religion. Elsewhere it is said, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje: the real religious system is that which leads one to become a devotee of the Supreme Lord. Therefore, anything opposed to this religious system of progressive Kṛṣṇa consciousness is called vidharma, para-dharma, upadharma or chala-dharma. Misinterpretation of Bhagavad-gītā is chala-dharma. When Kṛṣṇa directly says something and some rascal interprets it to mean something different, this is chala-dharma — a religious system of cheating — or śabda-bhit, a jugglery of words. One should be extremely careful to avoid these various types of cheating systems of religion.