True human civilization requires varnashrama; perfection means pleasing Krishna through devotion, not material adjustment.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.13 — October 24, 1972, Vṛndāvana 721024SB-VRNDAVAN [32:41 Minutes] SB-01.02.13_721024SB-VRNDAVAN Pradyumna: ...vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [leads chanting of verse] [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam [SB 1.2.13] [break] leads chanting of synonyms] ataḥ—so; pumbhiḥ—by the human being; dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ—O best among the twice-born; varṇa-āśrama—the institution of four castes and orders of life; vibhāgaśaḥ—by the division of; svanuṣṭhitasya—of one's own prescribed duties; dharmasya—occupational; saṁsiddhiḥ—the highest perfection; hari—the Personality of Godhead; toṣaṇam—pleasing.
[02:57] Translation: "O best among the twice-born, it is therefore concluded that the highest perfection one can achieve by discharging his prescribed duties, or dharma, according to caste divisions and orders of life, is to please the Lord Hari." Prabhupāda: Hmm. Ataḥ pumbhir-dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. Varṇa and āśrama. This varṇāśrama is very important thing in the human society.
Unless one accepts these principles of varṇa and āśrama, they're animal society. That is not human society. Four varṇas—the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra, four divisions of the society; and āśrama, spiritual order—brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. This is Vedic culture, varṇāśrama. Any society which is devoid of this Vedic culture, varna and asrama, that is not accepted as human society. In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa also it is said, varṇāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān viṣṇur ārādhyate panthā nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam [Cc. Madhya 8.58] The whole aim of life is to achieve the favor of Viṣṇu. Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam. That is the Ṛg-Veda mantra. To reach Viṣṇu.
But they do not know the goal of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇu [SB 7.5.31]. They do not know. Anyone, or any society who does not know the aim of life, they are in the darkness. Actually, at the present moment especially, the whole human society has missed the point.
They are trying to be happy by material adjustment. By social adjustment, by political adjustment, by economic development or by religious adjustment, they are trying to make the whole human society happy. But Bhāgavata says, durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ: this is something which is beyond the fulfillment of hopes. This hope will never be fulfilled.
Durāśayā. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Because they have accepted the external energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, bahir-artha. Just like this body. Your body, my body, this is bahir-artha, external.
Just like my this wrapper, this is external. Real person is not this wrapper or this body. The real person is the soul. But they have no information of the soul, neither information of Viṣṇu, the origin of soul.