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SB 6.3.19-21
TRANSLATION
Real religious principles are enacted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although fully situated in the mode of goodness, even the great jnåñis who occupy the topmost planets cannot ascertain the real religious principles, nor can the demigods or the leaders of Siddhaloka, to say nothing of the asuras, ordinary human beings, Vidyädharas and Cäranas.
TEXTS 20–21
TRANSLATION
Lord Brahmä, Bhagavän Närada, Lord Çiva, the four Kumäras, Lord Kapila [the son of Devahüti], Sväyambhuva Manu, Prahläda Mahäräja, Janaka Mahäräja, Grandfather Bhishma, Bali Mahäräja, Çukadeva Gosvämé and I myself know the real religious principle. My dear servants, this transcendental religious principle, which is known as bhägavata-dharma, or surrender unto the Supreme Lord and love for Him, is uncontaminated by the material modes of nature. It is very confidential and difficult for ordinary human beings to understand, but if by chance one fortunately understands it, he is immediately liberated, and thus he returns home, back to Godhead.
PURPORT
In Bhagavad-gétä Lord Krsñå refers to bhägavata-dharma as the most confidential religious principle (sarva-guhyatamam, guhyäd guhyataram). Krsñå says to Arjuna, "Because you are My very dear friend, I am explaining to you the most confidential religion." Sarva-dharmän parityajya mäm ekaà çaraëaà vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "Give up all other duties and surrender unto Me." One may ask, "If this principle is very rarely understood, what is the use of it?" In answer, Yamaräja states herein that this religious principle is understandable if one follows the paramparä system of Lord Brahmä, Lord Çiva, the four Kumäras and the other standard authorities. There are four lines of disciplic succession: one from Lord Brahmä, one from Lord Çiva, one from Lakshmé, the goddess of fortune, and one from the Kumäras. The disciplic succession from Lord Brahmä is called the Brahma-sampradäya, the succession from Lord Çiva (Çambhu) is called the Rudra-sampradäya, the one from the goddess of fortune, Lakshméjé, is called the Çré-sampradäya, and the one from the Kumäras is called the Kumära-sampradäya. One must take shelter of one of these four sampradäyas in order to understand the most confidential religious system. In the Padma Puräna it is said, sampradäya-vihénä ye manträs te niñphalä matäù: if one does not follow the four recognized disciplic successions, his mantra or initiation is useless. In the present day there are many apasampradäyas, or sampradäyas which are not bona fide, which have no link to authorities like Lord Brahmä, Lord Çiva, the Kumäras or Lakshmé. People are misguided by such sampradäyas. The çästras say that being initiated in such a sampradäya is a useless waste of time, for it will never enable one to understand the real religious principles.