FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.15.12

विधर्म: परधर्मश्च आभास उपमा छल: । अधर्मशाखा: पञ्चेमा धर्मज्ञोऽधर्मवत्त्यजेत् ॥ १२ ॥
vidharmaḥ para-dharmaś ca
[vidharmah para-dharmash cha]
ābhāsa upamā chalaḥ
[aabhaasa upamaa chalah]
adharma-śākhāḥ pañcemā
[adharma-shaakhaah panchemaa]
dharma-jño ’dharmavat tyajet
[dharma-jno ’dharmavat tyajet]
Word-for-word
vidharmaḥ — irreligion para-dharmaḥ — religious principles practiced by others ca — and ābhāsaḥ — pretentious religious principles upamā — principles that appear religious but are not chalaḥ — a cheating religion adharma-śākhāḥ — which are different branches of irreligion pañca — five imāḥ — these dharma-jñaḥ — one who is aware of religious principles adharma-vat — accepting them as irreligious tyajet — should give up.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
vidharmaḥ para-dharmaś ca
vidharmaḥ
irreligion
para-dharmaḥ
religious principles practiced by others
ca
and
ābhāsa upamā chalaḥ
ābhāsaḥ
pretentious religious principles
upamā
principles that appear religious but are not
chalaḥ
a cheating religion
adharma-śākhāḥ pañcemā
adharma-śākhāḥ
which are different branches of irreligion
pañca
five
imāḥ
these
dharma-jño ’dharmavat tyajet
dharma-jñaḥ
one who is aware of religious principles
adharma-vat
accepting them as irreligious
tyajet
should give up.
There are five branches of irreligion, appropriately known as irreligion [vidharma], religious principles for which one is unfit [para-dharma], pretentious religion [ābhāsa], analogical religion [upadharma] and cheating religion [chala-dharma]. One who is aware of real religious life must abandon these five as irreligious.
Purport

Any religious principles opposed to the principle of surrendering to the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, are to be considered religious principles of irregularity or cheating, and one who is actually interested in religion must give them up. One should simply follow the instructions of Kṛṣṇa and surrender unto Him. To do this, of course, one needs very good intelligence, which may be awakened after many, many births through good association with devotees and the practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everything but the principle of religion recommended by Kṛṣṇa — sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja — should be given up as irreligion.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The knower of dharma should avoid five forbidden types of adharma known as vidharma, para-dharma, ābhāsa-dharma, upamā-dharma and chala-dharma. Adharmavat means forbidden.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Five branches of irreligion masquerade as religion: vidharma, para-dharma, ābhāsa, upadharma, chala-dharma. Recognize them and reject them. Spiritual life requires the discernment to tell counterfeits from the real.
Reflection Questions
  • Which of your current religious habits might fall into one of these counterfeit categories?
  • Whose teaching helps you tell genuine dharma from sophisticated imitations?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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