View source for The challenge was that "If you are servants of Dharmaraja, then explain what is dharma." It doesn't matter whether a man is civilized or uncivilized or good-looking or bad-looking, but if he has got proper guide, then he can speak the right thing

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[[Category:Challenge]]
[[Category:If You]]
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[[Category:Yamaraja]]
[[Category:Explain]]
[[Category:Yamadutas]]
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[[Category:Dharma]]
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[[Category:Civilized Man]]
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[[Category:Got]]
[[Category:Proper Guidance]]
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[[Category:He Can]]
[[Category:Speak]]
[[Category:Right (Correct)]]
[[Category:Thing]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, 1966 - 1977]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, 1976]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, Srimad-Bhagavatam]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - in USA, Los Angeles]]
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<h2>Lectures</h2>
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<h3>Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures</h3>
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The Yamadūtas were not very advanced so far their position was there. They were very odd-looking and not to be supposed very civilized—uneducated—but how they are explaining about dharma? Because the challenge was that "If you are servants of Dharmarāja, then explain what is dharma." It doesn't matter whether a man is civilized or uncivilized or good-looking or bad-looking, but if he has got proper guide, then he can speak the right thing.
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<mp3player>https://vanipedia.s3.amazonaws.com/clip/760606SB-LOS_ANGELES_clip.mp3</mp3player>
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[[Vanisource:760606 - Lecture SB 06.01.40 - Los Angeles|760606 - Lecture SB 06.01.40 - Los Angeles]]
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Pradyumna: "The Yamadūtas replied: That which is prescribed in the ''Vedas ''constitutes ''dharma'', the religious principles, and the opposite of that is irreligion. The ''Vedas ''are directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, and are self-born. This we have heard from Yamarāja."

Prabhupāda:

:''śrī-yamadūtā ūcuḥ''
:''veda-praṇihito dharmo''
:''hy adharmas tad-viparayaḥ''
:''vedo nārāyaṇaḥ sākṣāt''
:''svayambhūr iti śuśruma''

So here is explanation by the Yamadūtas. The Yamadūtas were not very advanced so far their position was there. They were very odd-looking and not to be supposed very civilized—uneducated—but how they are explaining about ''dharma''? Because the challenge was that "If you are servants of Dharmarāja, then explain what is ''dharma''." It doesn't matter whether a man is civilized or uncivilized or good-looking or bad-looking, but if he has got proper guide, then he can speak the right thing. This is the . . . ''Yamarāja ūcuḥ''. They're not manufacturing anything. They're saying ''iti śuśruma''. ''Iti śuśruma'', "We have heard it from our master." This is knowledge. They are not expected to manufacture something speculative. They are neither educated nor very civilized nor . . . Nothing of the sort. But they are talking of the source of religion, how they have heard it from the authority, Yamarāja. Yamarāja is authority. In the ''śāstra ''it is said that,

:''tarko apratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayor vibhinnā''
:''nāsau munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam''
:''dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ''
:''mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ''
:([[vanisource:CC Madhya 17.186|CC Madhya 17.186]])

So ''dharma'', the path of religiosity, is very confidential. ''Dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām''. Then how I shall accept what is ''dharma'', what is religion? ''Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ''. You just follow the footsteps of authorized persons. Then you understand what is ''dharma''. You cannot manufacture. So here is the same system. The Vedic system is the same: either you hear from the direct ''Vedas ''or scriptures following the ''Vedas''.
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