Shloka 15
Dharma, Purity, and the Inner Purpose of the Vedas
Karma-kāṇḍa Reoriented to Bhakti
मन्त्रस्य च परिज्ञानं कर्मशुद्धिर्मदर्पणम् । धर्म: सम्पद्यते षड्भिरधर्मस्तु विपर्यय: ॥ १५ ॥
mantrasya ca parijñānaṁ karma-śuddhir mad-arpaṇam dharmaḥ sampadyate ṣaḍbhir adharmas tu viparyayaḥ
मन्त्रस्य परिज्ञानयुक्तजपेन शुद्धिः, कर्मणः शुद्धिर्मदर्पणेन; देशकालद्रव्यकर्तृमन्त्रकर्मशुद्धिभिः षड्भिः धर्मः सम्पद्यते, तेषां विपर्ययेऽधर्मः।
One receives a mantra from the mouth of a bona fide spiritual master, who instructs the disciple in the method, meaning and ultimate purpose of the mantra. The bona fide spiritual master in this age gives his disciple the mahā-mantra, or holy names of God, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. One who chants this mantra, considering himself to be the eternal servant of the Lord, gradually learns to chant offenselessly and by such purified chanting quickly achieves the highest perfection of life. The Lord here summarizes His discussion of purity and impurity, which manifest ultimately in religious and irreligious life.
FAQs
This verse states that dharma is accomplished through factors such as truly understanding mantra, purifying one’s actions, and dedicating those actions to the Lord (mad-arpaṇam); adharma is the opposite.
In the Uddhava Gītā, Kṛṣṇa summarizes how genuine religious life is not merely ritual, but inner understanding, purified conduct, and devotion expressed as offering all work to Him.
Do your duties ethically and attentively, reduce selfish motives, and mentally dedicate the results to Kṛṣṇa—turning work into worship and making daily life a practice of bhakti.