A sane man will say: "There must be somebody, the origin of everything." Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). That is the Bhāgavatam. Janmādy asya. First aphorism in the Vedānta-sūtra is that, "What is the Absolute Truth?" Athāto brahma jijñāsā. "Let us discuss about the Supreme Truth, Absolute Truth." The answer is that Brahma, the Supreme, is that from whom everything comes out. He is the origin of everything. Very simple description. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1).
So dharma, religion, actually means to understand that origin, Absolute Truth. That is dharma. So that dharma, principles of religion, is there in every human society, either in Europe or America or Africa or . . . there is some. That is the significance of human being. If it is a human being society, there must be some principles of religion. Without religion . . . it doesn't matter what type of religion it is, there must be some religion. If there is no religion, then it is animal society. Try to understand. And what is the purpose of religion? The purpose of religion is, if religion is the code given by God, then we must know.
Just like a child. A child is abiding by the laws, but he does not know who is the law-giver, how the street is managed, what are the laws. He's to be considered as in ignorance. Just like in our schools and colleges, the state constitution, laws, lawyers, they study.