This evening I shall recite some verses from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Fifth Canto, Fifth Chapter, on the instruction of Ṛṣabhadeva. Ṛṣabhadeva was the father of King Bharata, after whose name this tract of land is called Bhārata-varṣa. So Ṛṣabhadeva, before retiring from family life, He had one hundred sons, and He instructed them about spiritual realization of life.
This Bhārata-varṣa, land of Bhārata-varṣa, it is meant for spiritual realization. And Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, His mission is to distribute the message of Bhārata-varṣa throughout the whole world. He said—it is recorded in a Bengali stanza,
- bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya janma haila yāra
- janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra
- (CC Adi 9.41)
Upakāra, you can understand—it is very common word—to do something good to others. Upakāra. And apakāra means to do something harm to others. At the present moment, throughout the whole world, the design is how to do something harmful to others. This is called envy. The material world is full of envies. I am envious of you, and you are envious of me. This is materialism, this struggle between man to man, family to family, community to community, nation to nation, species to species. Everyone is envious. This is material disease. And spiritual life means not to become envious. That is spiritual life.
Therefore in the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ (SB 1.1.2). This dharma, bhāgavata-dharma… Bhāgavata-dharma means the religious principles connecting with Bhagavān. That is bhāgavata, and that is dharma. If the dharma, or the principle of religion, does not try to understand God, or to reestablish the relationship with God, that is not religion; that is cheating. Therefore Bhāgavata says. So all types of cheating religion is rejected from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. We have manufactured so many religious systems: Hindu religion, Muslim religion, Christian religion and so many others. Why religion should be designated? Just like gold. Gold is gold. There cannot be any Hindu gold or Muslim gold or Christian gold. Gold is gold. Everywhere you take gold, people will accept as gold. Because one Hindu is taking gold to some Muslim country, it does not mean the Muslims will not accept because it is brought by the Hindu. Gold is gold. Therefore religion, the conception of religion, must be gold.