What is the natural characteristic of human being? The natural characteristic is that we serve the superior. That is natural characteristic. Either you become Christian or Hindu or Muslim or Buddhist, nobody can say that, "I do not serve any superior." Nobody can say. One must serve. That is dharma. Faith, ritualistic—I am today Hindu; I can accept the ritualistic process tomorrow of the Christian faith; or a Christian may take another ritual—but his business, to serve the superior, that does not change. Either you become Christian or Muslim or Hindu, it doesn't matter. It is not that Hindus, they only serve in the office; the Christian do not. No. The service is there. So actually the service is his dharma, not this rubber stamp, "Hindu," "Muslim," "Christian." No. That is designation. Actual dharma means the characteristic. If you take sugar, if you taste sugar, it is sweet. The sweetness is the characteristic of sugar. That is dharma. If you take chili, it is very hot. If you take a chili and if it is sweet, you immediately say: "Eh, this is not good chili," because there is no dharma. So dharma means characteristic. So here in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said that:
- veda-praṇihito dharmo
- hy adharmas tad-viparyayaḥ
- vedo nārāyaṇaḥ sākṣāt
- svayambhūr iti śuśruma
- (SB 6.1.40)
Therefore we have to understand dharma from scriptures. Veda, veda means the book of knowledge. Veda means knowledge. Vetti veda vido jñānam. Jñāna. So we have to take knowledge from authorized scriptures, authorized law book. A big lawyer means who is quite aware of the laws of the state. Similarly, a religious person means who knows completely, at least—partially also—the laws of God. That is dharmic. That is dharma. So what is God, you have to understand. Then what does He say, you have to understand. Then you can execute actually what is religion. If you do not know what is government, what is the laws of the government, how you can become a good citizen? That is not possible. A good citizen, good citizen means who abides by the laws of the state. Similarly, a religious person means who abides by the order of God. This is dharma.