Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 14
Nārada’s Instructions: Śrāddha, True Dharma, Contentment, Yoga, and Devotion-Centered Renunciation
यस्त्विच्छया कृत: पुम्भिराभासो ह्याश्रमात्पृथक् । स्वभावविहितो धर्म: कस्य नेष्ट: प्रशान्तये ॥ १४ ॥
yas tv icchayā kṛtaḥ pumbhir ābhāso hy āśramāt pṛthak sva-bhāva-vihito dharmaḥ kasya neṣṭaḥ praśāntaye
若人任意造作、故意舍弃自身住期（āśrama）所规定之本分而另立宗教，此即名为“ābhāsa”，不过是虚影相似。然若依自性所定之种姓与住期之法而行持，为何不能足以平息一切物质苦恼、得心安宁？
It is indicated here that everyone should strictly follow the principles of varṇa and āśrama as given in the śāstra. In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa (3.8.9) it is said:
FAQs
This verse says that dharma invented by personal whim and detached from authentic āśrama principles is only a shadow (ābhāsa) and does not give true peace.
In his instructions on civilized life (Canto 7, Chapter 15), Prahlada explains that genuine duty aligned with one’s nature and the authorized system leads to steadiness and inner tranquility.
Choose responsibilities aligned with your actual qualities and capacity, practice them with integrity (not as a show), and avoid self-invented “spiritual shortcuts” that lack discipline and grounding.