(written on June 5, 2020)

(Ref: 1.16.20)

The four universal principles of spirituality, the pillars of religion, are cleanliness, austerity, truthfulness, and mercy. There are also four regulative principles, that, when broken, incur sinful reactions. These sinful reactions occur because the breaking of a specific regulative principle ultimately leads to destroying a specific pillar of religion. Specifically...

• Illicit sex destroys cleanliness

• Intoxication destroys austerity

• Gambling destroys truthfulness

• Meat eating destroys mercy

According to Srila Prabhupada, in the purport of SB 1.16.20, “Since Dharma, or the principles of religion, would be lost in the proportion of three out of four, the symbolic bull was standing on one leg only. When three fourths of the population of the whole world become irreligious, the situation is converted into hell for the animals. In the Age of Kali, godless civilizations will create so many so-called religious societies in which the Personality of Godhead will be directly or indirectly defied. And thus faithless societies of men will make the world uninhabitable for the saner section of people.” Since the people in this age have a higher propensity towards breaking the four regulative principles, it becomes harder and harder to find people with the principles of spirituality. As a result, mother earth has become burdened by the sinful men who, although unqualified, take up roles as the leaders of the world.

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu advises that the best way to get rid of the sinful activities of Kali yuga and uphold the pillars of religion (four universal principles of spirituality) is by performing harinama sankirtana, which is the prescribed duty for this yuga. According to Srila Prabhupada, in the purport of SB 1.16.20, “Lord Caitanya, however, has recommended only one yajña, or sacrifice, called the saṅkīrtana-yajña, the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, in which everyone can take part. Thus both devotees and fruitive workers can derive equal benefit from the performances of saṅkīrtana-yajña.”