Krishn devotion is the answer

So the result of performing karm and dharm, is the attainment of the celestial abodes, which is useless because neither would our suffering end, nor would we attain perfect happiness. How could our suffering end forever? How could we find happiness forever?  Plus, that happiness should be of an unlimited quantity – this is the condition.

We already receive limited happiness in the world. We were thirsty, we drank water. “Oh! That was good!” You are hungry, you ate some rasgulla (Indian sweet). “Ahh! That was great!” We get limited happiness every day, but we get it and it is taken away. We get it again, again it is taken away. Plus, when we see a greater happiness than what we have, our happiness becomes sorrow. We want that happiness beyond which there is no greater happiness and which lasts forever. Worldly happiness is such that there is always a greater happiness beyond what we are currently experiencing.  This is why our happiness becomes unhappiness. Whatever little we get is also taken away. It ends.

So our goal won’t be attained through karm and dharm. That is why this is said in the Bhagwatam, 6/3/22. Who is saying this? There were nine yogeeshwars. The ninth yogeeshwar, Karbhajan, said, "True dharm is to love Krishn through devotion.”  This means only Krishn is worth adoring. This is called true Divine dharm. The other dharmas are always changing so they are called apar (inferior) dharm, like shareerik dharm, varnashram dharm, etc.

Sage Manu said you have three debts to fulfill: one to the celestial gods, one to the sages, and one to your ancestors.  The ancestor's debt means you have to produce a son in order to be freed from that debt.  If you don’t do this, you won’t receive liberation. So Krishn answered and said the one who has surrendered to God and started doing bhakti doesn't need to fulfill his debt to the celestial gods, sages or ancestors. Bhagwatam, 1/5/41. So remove this fear from your mind that, “The Manu Smriti says this!” The Manu Smriti says this because if one doesn’t do devotion to Krishn, one should do what is required to be free from these three debts. 

But for the one who is following supreme dharm, Divine dharm, who starts Krishn devotion, there is no need for him to do all that. Bhagwatam, 11/11/32. Krishn says, “I Myself have given the teachings of varnashram dharm, and I am saying that if you give up varnashram dharm and only do devotion to Me, that is most dear to Me. You won’t be punished. You will be rewarded.”

The result of any karm-dharm is temporary. That is why the scriptures say not to get involved in it.  Bhagwatam, 11/19/27. Krishn says, “What is dharm?  My devotion. This is the only dharm.  No other dharm exists.”

Uddhao asked, “What is of benefit to a human being?”  Krishn said in the Bhagwatam, 11/19/40, “Only bhakti is dharm.” Every scripture is saying this. The one who is Graced by Krishn gives up all worldly and Vedic duties, meaning karm-dharm.  He disrepects them, “I don’t want these!” Krishn says, “The one who gives up all karm and surrenders to Me and does My devotion, merges in Me. He becomes like Me.”

There is a beautiful description in the Bhagwatam, 12/12/53. What do followers of varnashram dharm in other ages get? Fame, prestige, luxuries, wealth. There are great luxuries in the celestial abodes.  This is what they get.  But from these, Divine happiness and freedom from sorrow aren't attained.

How will these happen? Bhagwatam,12/12/54. Look at how much is done for the one who does Krishn devotion.  His heart is purified. He receives Krishn’s Divine bhakti, which is the absolute essence of hladini shakti. Divine knowledge, detachment and everything comes automatically. He doesn’t have to exert any effort for these.  Plus, all his sins are destroyed. He receives all the pious virtues such as truthfulness, non-violence, etc. In other words, he attains everything through bhakti.  Skand Puran goes even further and says that the one who has done devotion to Krishn is regarded as having followed all the dharmas.   In conclusion, there is no outcome of karm-dharm. Whatever the outcome is, it can take one to the celestial abode and then, he will have to come back and wander in the 8.4 million species of life.

God has said very beautifully, “What is karm? What is gyan? What is bhakti? No one knows except Me.” Krishn is saying this. No one knows what is karm, what is gyan and what is bhakti.
Pandits give different meanings to these according to their own selfish interests. They mislead people by making various paths. A soul tells God, “So, then You tell us.” Krishn says, “The karm which is done for My sake is dharm. Knowledge gained for My sake is gyan. Devotion done to Me is bhakti.  In other words, they are only directed to Me.” Krishn also said this to Uddhao in the Bhagwatam. “I explained my dharm in the Ved. But those who studied it distorted its meaning because of their differing intellects.  Bhagwatam, 11/14/9.  People interpreted the Ved according to their own understanding. This is why they made different definitions of dharm. But dharm is that which is done for My sake.” What is karm?  That action which pleases God.

At the beginning of the Bhagwatam, Sootji says whatever dharm it is, whatever – pay attention! If it doesn’t produce devotion for Krishn, then that dharm isn't dharm. If you multiply zero by a million or a billion the result will be zero. Bhagwatam,1/2/13 and 1/2/29. Only one thing is written everywhere in the Bhagwatam.  In the Gita Krishn said, “Arjun! Keep only Me in your mind, and give up all other dharm. They are all physical dharm. Their outcome is temporary. Just accept Me.  Surrender exclusively to Me and only then will maya go away. When maya is eliminated, only then will you be free from suffering, and only then will you realize God.”

Maya created the problem, didn’t it? As a result of turning away from God, maya got control of us. If maya were to go away, then our work would be done. When will maya go away? When will darkness go away? When one finds light. In other words, when will maya go away?  When God comes before us.

Look at it this way.  The soul and God are both seated in the heart.  But the soul is facing away from God.  The soul doesn't know that Krishn is seated behind, noting his thoughts. If the soul knew this and believed it, he would do either a right about turn, left about turn.  He would turn around. Then, maya would run away because light came and darkness left.

Kripaluji Maharaj says that without bhakti, maya won’t leave, God’s Grace won’t happen and perfect happiness won’t be attained. Both problems won’t be solved. Karm – dharm won’t serve our purpose. And it’s impossible to follow them. There are so many strict rules! How could an ordinary human being follow them?

So you understood that your aim won’t be attained through karm-dharm. Please don't imagine that you will tell the truth, do good to others and be fair to all. All these imaginings are wrong. Without bhakti your mind won't be purified. Without purification of the mind, your craftiness, hypocrisy, lust, anger, greed, delusion and attachment won’t go away.

Ved Vyas has described it very beautifully.  The penance that people do, for example, imagine you killed a cow, so you do a particular penance.  You committed a sin, it has a penance. These atonements are written in the Ved.  Did you commit a sin? Do penance and then you will be freed from that sin.  But Ved Vyas says that your ultimate aim won’t be attained from this. Why? You have committed uncountable sins in the past. You don’t know. So, even if you did penance forever, you still wouldn't be freed from sin. When you do the penance for a sin, only that sin is washed away. But uncountable sins still remain and you will sin again. You will sin again because your heart won’t be pure. Purification happens only through Krishn bhakti.

Even Shankaracharya, who didn’t believe in the personal form of God, admitted this. Without Krishn bhakti, heart purification won't happen. Shankaracharya accepted this.  This is why we have to only do Krishn bhakti. Our aim won't be achieved through karm-dharm.  You may do millions of karm – dharm, but mayic afflictions won’t leave you. Only the one who is a devotee of Ram is a true follower of dharm.  

That is called dharm. Tulsidas was so mad he said, “Let that karm-dharm be burned which doesn’t take one to God. I don’t want them. I respect and follow that dharm which produces love for God, and that dharm which doesn't help produce love for God is useless. It's just a physical exercise." Therefore, our aim of God realization and freedom from sorrow won’t be attained through karm-dharm. It will only be attained through bhakti. But there is also one more path of gyan. The one who attains the formless aspect of God receives liberation.

Some people say all these evidences from the scriptures and Ved indicate that liberation will be attained from gyan, God realization won't be attained from a personal form of God and will be attained only from the impersonal aspect of God and, for that, bhakti isn't necessary. Some people think like this, but it is 100% wrong.

In the Bhagwatam, 11/20/6, Krishn says there are three paths: karm, gyan, and bhakti. It was explained in detail what is karm, how difficult it is to perform, and in the end, it results in the attainment of the celestial abodes, which are temporary. That is why we wouldn’t be able to accomplish our ultimate aim from karm: freedom from sorrow and attainment of happiness. So let's say goodbye to karm.    The second path is gyan. Actually there are only two paths: gyan and bhakti. Why? Because the Ved says that God has two aspects: one is formless and one has form, one is without virtues and one has virtues, one is without qualities and one has all the qualities. The worshipper of virtueless, featureless, formless brahm is called a gyani. The worshipper of the all-virtuous, Divine form of Ram, Krishn, etc., the Divine personality of God, is called a bhakt.