Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 66
Nārada’s Instructions: Śrāddha, True Dharma, Contentment, Yoga, and Devotion-Centered Renunciation
यद् यस्य वानिषिद्धं स्याद्येन यत्र यतो नृप । स तेनेहेत कार्याणि नरो नान्यैरनापदि ॥ ६६ ॥
yad yasya vāniṣiddhaṁ syād yena yatra yato nṛpa sa teneheta kāryāṇi naro nānyair anāpadi
Hỡi bậc quân vương, trong hoàn cảnh bình thường không có hiểm nguy, con người nên làm bổn phận theo địa vị và āśrama của mình, bằng những phương tiện, nỗ lực, nghi thức và nơi cư trú không bị cấm đối với mình, chứ không bằng cách khác.
This instruction is given for men in all statuses of life. Generally society is divided into brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, śūdras, brahmacārīs, vānaprasthas, sannyāsīs and gṛhasthas. Everyone must act according to his position and try to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for that will make one’s life successful. This was instructed in Naimiṣāraṇya:
FAQs
This verse teaches that if something is prohibited for a person due to qualification, means, place, or circumstance, one should not do it; one should act only through proper means, except in genuine emergency (āpada).
In Canto 7, Chapter 15, Prahlada instructs Yudhishthira on righteous living (dharma), emphasizing that duty must be performed according to authorized standards, without adopting improper methods unless forced by calamity.
Avoid ‘ends justify the means’ thinking: follow ethical methods aligned with your role and situation; only in true crisis should exceptions be considered, and even then with caution and accountability.