Gadhada Last Section Vach. 21 Vachanamrut Rahasyarth Pradeepika Tika

The religious decree is of two kinds: the religious decree of abstaining from activities and the religious decree of carrying out activities. Both these kinds of religious decree can be either related to God, or unrelated to Him. Of these two types, the disciples Narad, Sanak, etc., Shukji, Dhruv, Prahlad, Ambarish, etc., adopted the kind of religious decree that is associated with God. That religious decree is called the Bhagwat religion. It is also referred to as the Ekantik religion. Such religious decree and devotion are not two separate entities; they are indeed one. Whenever the incarnations of God manifest, they manifest for the establishment of that same religious decree. The religious decree of one’s caste (varna) and stage of life (ashram) is immensely inferior to the Bhagwat religion, because it is through the Bhagwat religion that a soul traverses the Maya of God and attains the abode of Purushottam. Both the Bhagwat religion and devotion have an equal importance; the attainment from both is also the same. In this manner, devotion and the religious decree have the same greatness.

From this, the religious decree relating to the regulation of one’s caste and stage of life is immensely inferior and the fruits attained are also temporary.