brahma-hatyā surāpānaṁ steyaṁ gurv-aṅganāgamaḥ |
mahānti pātakāny āhuḥ saṁsargaś cāpi taiḥ saha ||
(Manu Smṛti: 11.54)
“Killing a brāhmaṇa, drinking wine, stealing, and intercourse with the guru’s wife are called extreme sins (mahāpātakas), as is association with them [i.e., with persons who commit them].”
śreyāṁsi bahu-vighnāni bhavanti mahatām api |
aśreyasi pravṛttānāṁ dūraṁ yānti vināyakāḥ ||
(Unknown source)
“There are many obstacles to good works, even for the great. Impediments go away, however, from those engaged in harmful work.”
yad adharma-kṛtaḥ sthānaṁ sūcakasyāpi tad bhavet |
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.17.22)
“A performer of adharma’s future destination [i.e., Naraka] shall become that of an informer as well [i.e., even one who only speaks about another person performing an act of adharma also gets a share of the reaction for performing that act of adharma even though one has only spoken of the performer of it and not performed the action oneself].”
sa kartā sarva-dharmāṇāṁ bhakto yas tava keśava |
sa kartā sarva-pāpānāṁ yo na bhaktas tavācyuta ||
dharmo bhavaty adharmo’pi kṛto bhaktais tavācyuta |
pāpaṁ bhavati dharmo’pi tavābhaktaiḥ kṛto hareḥ ||
(Skanda Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.90)
“He who is your bhakta is a performer of all dharma, O Keśava, and he who is not your bhakta is a performer of all sins, O Acyuta. Even adharma performed by your bhaktas [e.g., some occasional excessive acceptance of donations at a tīrtha or similar place] becomes dharma [because it is for your sake, by virtue of the sincerity of your bhakta], O Acyuta, and even dharma performed by non-bhaktas [e.g., performance of yoga and so on] becomes sin [because of disregard for you], O Hari.”
yena yāvān yathādharmo dharmo veha samīhitaḥ |
sa eva tat-phalaṁ bhuṅkte tathā tāvad amutra vai ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 6.1.45)
“As and to the extent one engages in dharma and adharma here, so and to that extent one will receive the result of that hereafter.”
na dharmaṁ nādharmaṁ śruti-gaṇa-niruktaṁ kila kuru
vraje rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pracura-paricaryām iha tanuḥ |
śacī-sūnuṁ nandīśvara-pati-sutatve guru-varaṁ
mukunda-preṣṭhatve smara padam ajasraṁ nanu manaḥ ||
(Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī’s Manaḥ-śikṣā: 2)
“Never engage in the dharma or adharma described in the Śrutis. [Rather,] Render abundant service to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa here in Vraja. Always deeply remember the Son of Śacī to be the Son of Nanda and your beloved guru to be Mukunda’s favorite, O mind!”
vidharmaḥ para-dharmaś ca ābhāsa upamā chalaḥ |
adharma-śākhāḥ pañcemā dharma-jño’dharmavat tyajet ||
dharma-bādho vidharmaḥ syāt para-dharmo’nya-coditaḥ |
upadharmas tu pākhaṇḍo dambho vā śabda-bhic chalaḥ ||
yas tv icchayā kṛtaḥ pumbhir ābhāso hy āśramāt pṛthak |
svabhāva-vihito dharmaḥ kasya neṣṭaḥ praśāntaye ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.15.12–14)
“Vidharma, para-dharma, ābhāsa, upamā (upadharma), and chala—a knower of dharma should avoid these five branches of adharma, which are indeed [also] adharma. That which [although performed with the idea that it is dharma in actuality] opposes dharma is vidharma [“contrary dharma”]. That which is enjoined for others is para-dharma [“another’s dharma”]. Heresy and pretension are upadharma [“apparent dharma”]. Distortion of [the intended meaning of] words [in śāstra] is chala [“deceit”]. That done by one’s own wish which is contrary to one’s āśrama is ābhāsa [“a semblance of dharma”]. For whom is the dharma enjoined by one’s svabhāva incapable of pacification [i.e., who will not find peace by adhering to their own dharma]?”
stheyaṁ ca jīva-hiṁsā ca para-strī-gamanaṁ tathā |
kalanja-bhojanaṁ caiva kāyikaṁ malam eva hi ||
(Unknown Source)
“Stealing, violence towards living beings, approaching another’s wife, and eating flesh—these are impurities of the body.”
man-nimittaṁ kṛtaṁ pāpam api dharmāya kalpate |
mām anādṛtya dharmo’pi pāpaṁ syān mat-prabhāvataḥ ||
(Padma Purāṇa; Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 1.110, 10.263)
[Bhagavān:] “By my power, even sin that is committed for me is considered dharma, and even dharma that disregards me can become sin.”
