This is . . . "You write books on this principle, that they are sticking to their so-called religious principle, so if anyone giving up his own religious system or occupational duty . . ." Religion means the . . . this sva-dharma. Sva-dharma means that the whole human society is divided into four classes—Brāhmin, Kṣatriya, Vaiśya, Śūdra—in different names maybe: intelligent class, administrative class, mercantile class and laborer class. It may be in different names, but these four classes, division, is there all over the world in different names. So sva-dharma means, intelligent class means they are interested in philosophy, in religion, in uplifting the human society to the proper position. That is intelligent class.
And administrator class means they are interested in giving protection to the people. Now it is under nationalism. And give them protection from the enemies, from thieves, from rogues. That is the duty of the Kṣatriya. Kṣat. Kṣatta means injury, and tra means one who protects or liberates. "One who protects a human being from being hurt by others"—that is called Kṣatriya. And Brāhmin means one who knows Brahman, the Absolute Truth. And Vaiśya means those who know visampati, the economic problem. And Śūdra means laborer. So each word has got meaning. So everyone has got his particular type of occupation, either as intelligent class of men, or as the administrator class of men, or as Vaiśyas, traders, or merchant, or as a laborer. Everyone has got.
So Nārada Muni advised, tyaktvā sva-dharmam: "You give up all these occupational duties according to the modes of nature. Tyaktvā. You take immediately shelter of Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa, as Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66). Sarva-dharmān means all kinds of this dharma: Brāhmin's dharma or the Kṣatriya's dharma or the . . . give up all this. Then? Mām ekaṁ śaraṇam. So Nārada also says that same thing.
That is the characteristic of devotee. What the Lord says, the devotee will say. He will not make any addition, alteration, and amalgamate and comment. No. He will say the same thing. Kṛṣṇa says that "You surrender unto Me, giving up all your occupational duty." Nārada also says that "Suppose one gives up his occupational duty and surrenders to the Supreme Personality of Godhead," tyaktvā sva-dharmam caraṇāmbujaṁ harer (SB 1.5.17), "Takes shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality." "All right. It is very good. But I am afraid if I fall down."
Nārada says: "It is all right." Bhajann apakvo. "While you are discharging your devotional service, even being immature you fall down, it doesn't matter even if you fall down." Bhajann apakvo 'tha. Apakva means nonmature. Patet tato yadi: he falls down from the path of devotional service. Yatra kva vā abhadram abhūd amuṣya kim: "What is the loss there?" And those who are sticking to their occupational duty . . . ko vārtha āpto 'bhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ, "If one, one sticks to his occupational duty, but he does not surrender to Kṛṣṇa, does not take to devo . . . what does he gain?"
Here, one who takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and falls down, for him, he says: "What is inauspicity there?" That means there is auspicity still, although he has fallen. And one who is sticking to his original occupational duty but does not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, what does he gain? This is the advice. What does he gain? "Oh, I am sticking to my own principles." What is your nonsense principle? After your death, after this body, all principle will be finished. That's all. And you could not take the opportunity of taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So what is your gain? And this man who has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, rejecting all so-called occupational duties and religious principles, he gains. There is no inauspicity because he had fallen.