Only Krishna consciousness liberates; all other paths remain entangled in material nature's inescapable modes.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.44 — December 26, 1970, Surat 701226SB-SURAT [59:23 Minutes] SB-06.01.44_701226SB-SURAT Haṁsadūta: The following lecture was recorded on the morning of December 26th, 1970, in Surat, India. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Prabhupāda: sambhavanti hi bhadrāṇi viparītāni cānaghāḥ kāriṇāṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sti dehavān na hy akarma-kṛt [SB 6.1.44] So far it has been discussed that those who are impious, they are to be punishable, undoubtedly; but there may be pious activities, so they can avoid punishment. So one may say that "I shall avoid impious activities. I shall stick to the pious activities; therefore I shall not be punishable." This is possible.
The śāstra says if one can avoid impious activities, then he is not punishable. But the Yamadūta says that that is not possible. The Yamadūta said that one has to become impious. The world is so situated that willingly or unwillingly, you have to become impious.
Just like those who are in business, sometimes—or always—they have to make some transaction in black market. Without doing that, his business cannot be continued. There are many cases, practical examples, that in business sale, without going through the black market, sometimes there is no profit of the business. Therefore the Yamadūta says, kāriṇāṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sti.
Because we are in this material world, we have to associate with the three kinds of material modes of nature. And even though I try to keep myself on the quality of goodness, the association is so bad that I have to become a criminal under the association of other qualities just like tamo-guṇa. Therefore we are singing every morning, saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka [Gurv-aṣṭaka 1]: the blazing fire of this material existence, dāvānala, forest fire. It is not that one intends, then fire may take place. No.
But in course of time, in the course of seasonal changes, the fire takes place automatically. How we can avoid? That is not possible. That is clearly stated by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā, that yajñārthāt karmaṇa anyatra karma-bandhanaḥ [Bg. 3.9]. If you don't act for yajña, for Viṣṇu, or if you don't become a Vaiṣṇava and simply devote your life for serving Kṛṣṇa, then you are bound up by all your activities, either pious or impious.
Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura therefore sings, karma-kāṇḍa jñāna-kāṇḍa sakali viṣera bhāṇḍa amṛta baliyā yeba khāya nānā yoni brahman kare, kadarya bhakṣaṇa kare tāra janma adho pāte yāya [Prema-bhakti-candrikā] Karma-kāṇḍa jñāna-kāṇḍa… In the Vedas there are three different types of activities. One is called karma-kāṇḍa, the other is called jñāna-kāṇḍa, and the last is upāsanā-kāṇḍa. In the upāsanā-kāṇḍa, when you are elevated to the viṣṇu-upāsanā, when you come to the understanding that Viṣṇu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and He is to be worshiped, viṣṇur ārādhyate puṁsāṁ [Viṣṇu Purāṇa 3.8.8]. This our varṇāśrama-dharma, which is now running on as Hindu dharma, varṇāśrama-dharma means to please Lord Viṣṇu. Varṇāśrama—the four āśrama and four varṇas; brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, the four varṇas; and four āśramas, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa—all their aim is how to please Viṣṇu.
That is varṇāśrama. Not that by force I am brāhmaṇa, I am kṣatriya, I am this, I am that, and fighting one another. No. The real aim, varṇāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa parā pumān viṣṇur ārādhyate puṁsāṁ nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam [Viṣṇu Purāṇa 3.8.8] Therefore a civilized country or a civilized society, unless they accept this varṇāśrama-dharma, that is not human society.