Now let us consider what is our occupational duty. I purposely do not translate this word dharma as "religion." "Religion" is imperfect conception of the word dharma. In the dictionary we find religion means a particular type of faith. But dharma does not mean that. Dharma means natural occupation. That is called dharma. I have several times explained this word dharma in this class. Just like heat of the fire. Without heat, a fire has no meaning. Wherever there is fire, there is heat and light. Therefore heat and light is the dharma, or religion, of fire.
That means fire cannot change its dharma. As this dharma, as we generally understand by the word "faith," that we can change. Today I am Hindu. I can become tomorrow a Christian. You are Christian today. You can become, I mean to say, Hindu or Muslim tomorrow. So this faith can be changed, but this dharma, as I explain, that natural sequence, natural occupation or natural intimately connection . . . just like the fire, heat and light. This cannot be changed. Either the fire is in America or the fire is in India or a fire is in Russia, the heat and light is there. That is actually the dharma.
Now here Kṛṣṇa says that yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7): as soon as there is discrepancy in the discharge of that natural, I mean to say, sequence of the living entity. Abhyutthānam adharmasya. Abhyutthānam means uprising of unnatural activities or unnatural occupation, which is not for him. Abhyutthānam adharmasya tadā, "At that time," ātmānam, "self," sṛjāmy Aham. Sṛjāmy Aham means "I descend or appear."
Now, this sequence of dharma is explained in the last paragraph . . . I mean to say, not last; in the last chapter, sixty-seventh verse of the Eighteenth Chapter. The Lord says that sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66): "You just give up all kinds of occupational duty or religiosity." We have created all kinds of religious formula. So Kṛṣṇa says that, "You give up all kinds of religious formula." But what is to be done? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66): "You just surrender unto Me."
That means that surrendering unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the real religion of the living entity. Not that I like a particular type of faith, that is my religion. Religion means when one is trained how to surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is called religion. And the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also gives enunciation of the word dharma, that sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. "That is the best system of religion," sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ, yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6), "by which one is trained to surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead." That is best religion.
Now you can select your own religion. Either you be a Hindu or Muslim or Muhammadan or Buddhist—whatever you like—Śrīmad-Bhāgavata does not stop you, but it gives you hint what is the purpose of religion. The purpose of religion is to develop your love of Godhead. That is real religion. So here Kṛṣṇa says that yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). As soon as there is decadence of people's love of Godhead . . . that means when people become forgetful, almost forgetful. Because at least some people remember that there is God. But generally, in this age, they are forgetful. That is dharmasya glāniḥ.
And by forgetting God the people cannot be happy. That is also another cause. People are thinking that, "God is dead," "We have no obligation to God," "There is no God." This sort of thinking will never make the people happy. And actually, it is happening. They have become atheistic. The modern civilization is godless, but people are not happy. Therefore God or His representative comes when people forget his relationship with God.
So real religion is to understand what is our relationship with God. And then the relationship is as it is found in the Bhagavad-gītā and confirmed by great ācāryas like Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya immediately enunciates the constitutional position of the living entity. Sanātana Gosvāmī inquired from Him that, "Who am I? Why I am always in miserable condition, three kinds of miserable condition?" So in answer to this question, "Who am I?" or "Who are these all these living entities?" Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately answered that jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (CC Madhya 20.108): the real identity of the living entity is that he is eternally servant of God.