Surrender to Krishna transcends all material principles and alone grants ultimate, unmixed happiness beyond worldly struggle.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.16.25–30 — January 21, 1974, Honolulu 740121SB-HONOLULU [47:27 Minutes] SB-01.16.25–30_740121SB-HONOLULU Pradyumna: [leads chanting of verse] dharaṇy uvāca bhavān hi veda tat sarvaṁ yan māṁ dharmānupṛcchasi caturbhir vartase yena pādair loka-sukhāvahaiḥ [SB 1.16.25] [leads chanting of synonyms] [break] [03:09] Translation: "The earthly deity in the form of a cow thus replied to the personality of religious principles in the form of a bull: O Dharma, whatever you have inquired from me shall be known to you. I shall try to reply to all those questions. Once you, too, were maintained by your four legs and increased happiness all over the universe by the mercy of the Lord." Prabhupāda: Bhavān hi veda tat sarvaṁ yan māṁ dharmānup ṛcchasi. So Dharmarāja, or Yamarāja, he is one of the twelve authorized persons for maintaining properly the human civilization.
The principle is dharma. Dharma means not a religious sentiment. Dharma means occupational duty. Everyone has got some occupational duty.
So dharmaṁ hi sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19]. That occupational duty is assigned by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthāḥ [Īśo mantra 1]. Actually, the dharma principle, as we learn from Bhagavad-gītā...
Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Don't create, manufacture, your principle of religion, concocted. That is the difficulty. Dharmaṁ hi sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam.
We have several times explained this, that dharma means—dharma, as it is translated in English, "religion"—religion means to obey the laws of God. That is religion, not a sentimental system of religious system we manufacture. That kind of dharma will not help us. Therefore, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in the beginning it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra [SB 1.1.2]: "Cheating type of religious system is kicked out." That is Bhāgavata-dharma.
No cheating. In the name of cheating and dharma, religious principle, that will not help the human civilization. The real dharma... The real dharma is stated by God Himself: dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19]. You haven't got to learn from anywhere else but from God Himself.
So that is explained very nicely in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām... [Bg. 18.66]. To surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is religion. Not only surrender, but to act as He desires, or you become a lover of God.