We see any civilized human society, there is a kind of religious system. It doesn't matter whether it is Hinduism, Christianism or Buddhism or Muhammadanism, but there must be a religious system. Without this system, that human society is not considered as human society. That is animal society.
In the . . . even I understand that in America the Red Indians, who are supposed to be not civilized, they had also a religious system. So may be a perverted form of religious system. Similarly, in India also there are primitive races in the jungles, they have also . . . religious system means approving the authority of some Supreme Being. That is religious system. So in the animal society there is no such conception that, "There is God. We have got some relationship with God," what is that relationship. This type of discussion cannot be present in the animal society.
So dharma artha kāma mokṣa (CC Adi 1.90). Generally religious system is taken for improving social and economic condition. Artha. Artha means economy. Artha is required for sense gratification. We require economic development for our sense gratification. And when one is completely satisfied, then he can cultivate about spiritual realization, mokṣa, āpavarga.
So dharmasya āpavargyasya arthaḥ na arthāya upakalpate (SB 1.2.9). So dharma is not meant for developing economic condition. That is secondary. But dharma is meant for ultimate goal of liberation. People do not know that. People are not educated that what is the ultimate goal of life. Still, they take to religious life as a compromise between the contending elements that, "We must live peacefully under religious system."
The aim is how to live in this material world peacefully. Sometimes religion and God is conceived in that way that, "If we have some conception of God, then we shall be moral, we shall be peaceful. Otherwise, there is no need of presenting God in the society." There are so many different opinions, different philosophers, different religious system, according to the modes of nature.
But actually every system must be targeted towards realization of Kṛṣṇa, or God. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). That is Bhāgavata-dharma. Bhāgavata-dharma means realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Prahlāda Mahārāja recommended culture of this Bhāgavata-dharma from the very beginning of life: kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). That is the success of human form of life, to execute Bhāgavata-dharma. The, the process . . . and dharma, as we have several times explained, dharma means the codes of Bhagavān. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19).
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is directly touching the point. Not step by step. There is no time. In the Kali-yuga there is very little time to go step by step. Otherwise, there are twenty different types of religious scriptures, viṁśati-prakāśa, dharma-śāstra. So who will read, and who will try to understand? There is no time. Prāyeṇa alpāyuṣaḥ kalāu asmin yuge janāḥ (SB 1.1.10).