What is Bhagavat-Dharma?

This is the system of religious principles directly from God in person (Lord Krishna ). By worship of Lord Krishna and following His instructions, one will gradually become free from material contamination. For a realized follower of Lord Krishna, there is No concept of “I” “Mine”, ‘Us vs Them”.  A Krishna consciousness person thinks “everything belongs to Krishna and everyone is part of Him”. Such a person thinks of himself as the eternal soul and not the temporary body, he sees all living entities with equal vision, as parts of Krishna, and is free envy, hate, bodily designations, and is kind to all living entities.

“O unconquerable one, when You spoke about bhāgavata-dharma, which is the uncontaminated religious system for achieving the shelter of Your lotus feet, that was Your victory. Persons who have no material desires, like the Kumāras, who are self-satisfied sages, worship You to be liberated from material contamination. In other words, they accept the process of bhāgavata-dharma to achieve shelter at Your lotus feet.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.16.40)

What is Non-Bhagavat-Dharma?

Religious systems and principles which are not from God are based on bodily designations and conceptions. “This is mine”, “I am this”, “Us vs them”. “Believers vs Unbelievers”, “I want to go to paradise and enjoy females”, etc… Followers of such systems think  of themselves as the body which is temporary and are full of hate and envy towards others, towards the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and even their own kind. The low-class religious systems are impure and ultimately self-destruct.

“Being full of contradictions, all forms of religion but bhāgavata-dharma work under conceptions of fruitive results and distinctions of “you and I” and “yours and mine.” The followers of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam have no such consciousness. They are all Kṛṣṇa conscious, thinking that they are Kṛṣṇa’s and Kṛṣṇa is theirs. There are other, low-class religious systems, which are contemplated for the killing of enemies or the gain of mystic power, but such religious systems, being full of passion and envy, are impure and temporary. Because they are full of envy, they are full of irreligion. How can a religious system that produces envy of one’s self and of others be beneficial for oneself and for them? What is auspicious about following such a system? What is actually to be gained? By causing pain to one’s own self due to self-envy and by causing pain to others, one arouses Your anger and practices irreligion.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.16.41-42)