Prabhupāda: The defect in Vyāsadeva was being pointed out by his spiritual master, Nārada that, "If . . . you have labored very hard in presenting dharmādayaḥ." Dharmādayaḥ means religiosity, economic development. Dharma-ādayaḥ. Ādayaḥ means beginning. That means human civilization should begin from religious principle. Otherwise, it is not human civilization. Dharmādayaḥ. Therefore in civilized nation there is religion. Maybe in different forms, but religion must be there. The same thing is explained by Nārada Muni, that dharmādayaḥ. First religion, then economic development. Not economic development first, and then sense gratification and then liberation.
The whole plan should be that people should understand that he is not animal. First thing. This is education. In the animal society there is no religion, but as soon as you claim to be in human society or civilized society, then there must be religion. Economic development secondary, next.
Of course, according to medical consciousness they say ātmānam. Ātmānam means they say "body." But ātmā means this body, this mind and the soul. Real meaning of ātmā is soul. So there is a verse, ātmānaṁ sarvato rakṣet: "First of all try to save your soul." I think Lord Jesus Christ has also spoken something like that, "If, after gaining everything, one loses his spirit soul, then what does he gain?" Is it not?
Devotee: Um-hm.
Prabhupāda: So this is the principle. Ātmānaṁ sarvato rakṣet. One should give first protection to the ātmā. What is that protection? Protection from the onslaught of māyā, material nature. That is protection. At the present moment, I am under the influence of māyā, under the influence of the three qualities of māyā. So when I get the opportunity of this human form of life, my first business is how to protect this ātmā, soul.
The soul is transmigrating from one body to another. How foolish they have become! We are enjoying this nice body, human body or American body or very beautiful body. But next moment I do not know what body I am going to get. But those who are in the knowledge how transmigration takes place, they can say what kind of body you are going to take next by your activities.
We are preparing our body in our present life. Just like we have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Our attempt is to prepare for having a spiritual body. That is the whole attempt. And those who are not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in material consciousness, they'll have also a body, but this material body means full of miseries. Any body you take, either you take the body of king or you take the body of a dog, the body is miserable. It does not mean that when there is disease, only the dog's body suffers, not the king's body. Everyone has to suffer.