52 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 1, Ch. 1
PURPORT

Religion includes four primary subjects, namely pious activities, eco-
nomic development, satisfaction of the senses, and finally liberation from
material bondage. Irreligious life is a barbarous condition. Indeed, human
life begins when religion begins. Eating, sleeping, fearing, and mating are
the four principles of animal life. These are common both to animals and
to human beings. But religion is the extra function of the human being.
Without religion, human life is no better than animal life. Therefore, in
human societies there is some form of religion which aims at self-realization
and which makes reference to man’s eternal relationship with God.

In the lower stages of human civilization, there is always competition
to lord it over the material nature or, in other words, there is a continuous
rivalry to satisfy the senses. Driven by such consciousness, man turns to
religion. He thus performs pious activities or religious functions in order
to gain something material. But if such material gains are obtainable in
other ways, then so-called religion is neglected. This is the situation in
modern civilization. Man is thriving economically, so at present he is not
very interested in religion. Churches, mosques or temples are now practically
vacant. Men are more interested in factories, shops, and cinemas than in
religious places which were erected by their forefathers. This practically
proves that religion is performed for some economic gains. Economic
gains are needed for sense gratification. Often when one is baffled in the
pursuit of sense gratification, he takes to salvation and tries to become
one with the Supreme Lord. Consequently, all these states are simply
different types of sense gratification.

In the Vedas, the above mentioned four activities are prescribed in the
regulative way so that there will not be any undue competition for sense
gratification. But Srimad-Bhdgavatam is transcendental to all these sense
gratificatory activities. It is purely transcendental literature which can be
understood only by the pure devotees of the Lord who are transcendental
to competitive sense gratification. In the material world there is keen
competition between animal and animal, man and man, community and
community, nation and nation. But the devotees of the Lord rise above
such competitions. They do not compete with the materialist because
they are on the path back to Godhead where life is eternal and blissful.
Such transcendentalists are nonenvious and pure in heart. In the material
world, everyone is envious of everyone else, and therefore there is
competition. But the transcendental devotees of the Lord are not only
free from material envy, but they are well-wishers to everyone, and they
