What is True Religion According to Bhagavad Gita? – What is religion? Is it simply faith? To understand what is true religion, let us talk about what is religion. The English word religion conveys the idea of faith, and faith may change. One may have faith in a particular process, and he may change this faith and adopt another. In human society, for instance, religion generally invokes various conceptions such as Hindu, Muslim, Christian, etc, and thus, loosely corresponds to a particular faith; we see differences in the way people of various faiths lead their lives. Many times, these differences also lead to hatred and so forth. How can religion in its true sense lead to these unwanted and unpleasant effects?
Let me try to use an analogy to explain this. Remember our school days. We are enroll in a particular school but the friends in the neighborhood may be going to many different schools. They have different dresses, various designs, patterns, colors, etc. The books may be of different shapes, and the timings and the schedule may be different. But how often do you worry about those differences if the purpose of enrolling in a school is clear? You understand that your purpose is to be educate. Similarly, if people do not understand the real purpose of religion but just look at the externals, religion ends up being another designation, just a stamp.
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Dharma is the eternal function of the eternal living entity
So what is true religion? We may try to understand the concept of religion from the Sanskrit root meaning of the word dharma. Dharma refers to that which is constantly existing with a particular object. For instance, liquidity cannot be taken from the water, nor can heat be taken from the fire. Similarly, we must discover the essential part of the living being, that part which is his constant function. The eternal function of the eternal living entity cannot be taken from the living entity.
Now, who is suppose to tell us our eternal function? Lord Krishna himself has given us this knowledge in Bhagavad Gita. As Lord Krishna famously also declares that he appears to reestablish the principles of religion.
paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ
vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām
dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya
sambhavāmi yuge yuge
“To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear, millennium after millennium.” [BG 4.8]
Krishna spoke this knowledge to Arjuna when he was confuse about his duties. Arjuna talks about various dilemmas he was having because he had to fight his teachers, relatives, and so on. Krishna took this opportunity to explain the true religion and after hearing this knowledge, Arjuna’s final words were
arjuna uvāca
naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā
tvat-prasādān mayācyuta
sthito ’smi gata-sandehaḥ
kariṣye vacanaṁ tava
“Arjuna said: My dear Kṛṣṇa, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy. I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepare to act according to Your instructions.” [BG 18.73]
What was the religion that Krishna spoke to Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita?
Following true religion surely should dissipate our doubts and make us resolute in our actions. So, what was the religion Krishna spoke about that helped clear the dilemmas that Arjuna was having, and he became form and free from doubt?
Well, we can see the answer in this statement itself — kariṣye vacanaṁ tava — I am prepared to act according to Your instructions. What were those instructions? The final verse Lord Krishna told Arjuna is one of the most famous verses.
sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ
“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.” [BhG 18.66]
Lord Krishna clearly states that we must give up all other so-called conceptions about religion and just surrender unto Him. We simply need to take to this one consciousness. How to practically follow that? This is explained just in the previous verse
man-manā bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru
mām evaiṣyasi satyaṁ te
pratijāne priyo ’si me
“Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.” [BhG 18.65]
Bhagavad Gita teaches true religion as the art of living a life completely dedicated to Krishna, loving Krishna in complete surrender. One may be a professional, a farmer, a trader, or even a student, (s)he can perform bhakti while discharging his/her duty. One does not require retiring to the caves of Himalayas to perform bhakti. In fact, bhakti is the way of life:
yat karoṣi yad aśnāsi
yaj juhoṣi dadāsi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya
tat kuruṣva mad-arpaṇam
“Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer or give away, and whatever austerities you perform – do that, O son of Kuntī, as an offering to Me.” [BhG 9.27]
But is that the true character of the living being? If we analyze, every one of us is serving somebody superior. Nobody can say that I am not serving someone. If someone is not serving anyone, he must be serving his own senses. Even if you are the head of a company, you are actually serving your employees. If you are head of a family, you are serving the family members, trying to fulfill their desires. This is the characteristic of the living being and that is called dharma. Once I know that my constitutional position is that of being a servant, I must ask this question – on whose behalf I am here and to whom I should offer my service? That is what is explained in the above verse, BhG 9.27.
Because we are constitutionally servants, we either serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead or the senses. Our real characteristic is to serve God but we have given up the real characteristic, and we are now engaged in the service of either our senses or that of our extended family, which can include my district, state, nation, caste, etc. Bhagavad Gita teaches us how to go back to our constitutional position.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Bhagavad Gita teaches us to abandon all other varieties of religions or faiths, which can all be mapped to serving our senses, but to take up the eternal occupation of service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, in loving surrender. This understanding and knowledge is the perfection of religion, as explained in the following verse.
rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyaṁ
pavitram idam uttamam
pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyaṁ
su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam
[ Bhagavad Gita 9.2 ]
This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.
