In this material world, our propensity is predominating. We want to predominate over you; you want to predominate over me. That is the competition here. So when we give up this predominating, false predominating spirit, "I am Kṛṣṇa. I am the Lord of all I survey," this nonsensical understanding when we give up, surrender, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). Understand "Kṛṣṇa is everything, I am simply part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa," so if we remain part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, then our freedom is attained actually. Otherwise there is no freedom. That is false. Mano-dharma. I am thinking, "I am God," "I am Kṛṣṇa," "I am this," "I am that." Nothing. This will simply put me under the clutches of māyā.
Therefore, ātmānaṁ sarvato rakṣet means to put oneself in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Then your ātmā, your self, is protected. Ātmānaṁ sarvato rakṣet. Tato dharma. Tato dharma. After you understand. People do not understand what is his business. He thinks that "My business is to eat, sleep, mate and die. That's all." This is animalism. Simply they are misled by animalistic civilization—eating, sleeping. That's all.
Have good house for sleeping. Why? Now, these boys and girls, they are sleeping on the floor, sleeping on the open air. Where is the difficulty? The animals also can sleep. It is a practice only. We don't require any gorgeous arrangement for sleeping and living. We should simply try to elevate our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Other things, all subordinate. That is ātmānaṁ sarvato rakṣet.
Ātmānaṁ sarvato rakṣet tato dharmaḥ. Dharma. This dharma. Dharma means religion. Actually, "religion" is not exact equivalent of the word dharma. Dharma, as I have explained several times, you know . . . dharma dhṛ-dhātu. Dharma means you exist by some natural symptom. That is called dharma. Everyone has got some natural symptom. That is dharma. According to Sanskrit meaning, that is dharma. Just like this light is a substance. What is his dharma, religion? To give light, to illuminate. So without illumination, there is no meaning of light.
Similarly, your dharma, what is your religion? Your religion is to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is your religion. Now you serve in a different way according to time, circumstances, country. That is a different thing. But your religion is to serve God. That is your religion. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (CC Madhya 20.108). Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately gives you the definition of religion, or your occupation, natural duty, natural function. Always mind that. Just like the light's natural function is to give illumination, prakāśa, similarly, your natural function is to serve Kṛṣṇa. That's all. You have no other business. That is dharma. No other business. When we understand this convincingly, then we are situated in our religion.