Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajyav (BG 18.66). This sarva-dharmān means everyone has got a particular type of occupational duty. That is called sva-dharma. Generally, the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, they have got particular type of duties. And as Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya: "You give up your brāhmaṇa-dharma or kṣatriya-dharma or vaiśya-dharma or śūdra-dharma or Hindu dharma, Muslim dharma, this dharma, that dharma." Sarva-dharma means "everything." Sarva-dharmān parityajya. If we are little inclined, that is called . . . that is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ hareḥ. He gives up all other duties: "I am no more any followers of any dharma. I am followers of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet." If this determination is there, then everything is possible.
There is a verse, ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim (Nārada Pañcarātra): "If you take the shelter of the lotus feet of Hari, Kṛṣṇa," ārādhitaḥ, "and worship it," ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim, "then there is no more necessity of austerities, penances and so many other things. Simply this is required." Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim . . . nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim: "And after undergoing your religious principles and ritualistic ceremonies and austerities, penances, fully executing the occupational duty, everything done," but nārādhito hariḥ, "but you could not understand how to worship Hari," so tapasā tataḥ kim, "then what is the use of your this tapasya?" There is no use. It is simply waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam. This is confirmed everywhere. Śrama eva hi kevalam.
- dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ
- viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ
- notpādayed ratiṁ yadi
- śrama eva hi kevalam
- (SB 1.2.8)
You are executing your occupational duty very nicely. Suppose if you are, from material point of view, you are big businessman or big medical practitioner, big engineer or anything—everyone has got some occupational duty—so if you are doing your duties very nicely, dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ, very nicely you are doing, puṁsām, but you have no Kṛṣṇa consciousness . . . your . . . you are functioning your duties, occupational duties, very nicely, but you do not develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ (SB 1.2.8). Viṣvaksena. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Viṣvaksena. So if we do not become interested in hearing about Kṛṣṇa . . . Kṛṣṇa, Rāma, or there are so many names of Kṛṣṇa—Govinda, Nārāyaṇa. He has got many forms. So "Kṛṣṇa" means including all these forms. So viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ, notpādayed ratiṁ yadi: "If you do not get interested to hear about the Supreme Lord, then," śrama eva hi kevalam, "your discharging very faithfully your occupational duty is simply labor of love. It has no meaning."