Prabhupāda: Every śloka we are describing word to word. So every śloka you will find new idea, new idea. There are 18,000 verses.
Prof. Hopkins: (laughs) I would react the same way if anyone asked me a question like that. But you've . . . in the beginning of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you did discuss the general story.
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. You have not seen it?
Prof. Hopkins: Yes, I've seen it. I'm just wondering what your judgment is on what . . . if you had to say to someone who was going to collect one small section of your work, what would you want them to collect?
Prabhupāda: That is stated in few verses. (aside) You find out this. Dharmasya hy āpavargyasya (SB 1.2.9).
Brahmānanda: In the First Canto?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Dharmasya hy āpavargyasya nārtho 'rthāyopakalpate. The first thing is that people become religious. Just like in your Christian religion they go to the church to get some material profit, "O God, give us our daily bread." This is material profit. Similarly, Hindus or Muslims, they become religious, dharma artha kāma mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, CC Ādi 1.90), the material activities. Those who are actually advanced . . . those who are not even human beings, their philosophy is different. Those who are human beings, their dharma, religion. Then artha, economic development, and then kāma, sense gratification, and then mokṣa, liberation. These four things are taken as general activities. So Bhāgavata says your dharma . . .
Religious principle means the ultimate goal is how to become liberated, not artha. Artha means economic development. So then question may be if you do not . . . if we are not economically developed, then how we shall live? The Bhāgavata says that you can make economic development as far as it maintains your body and soul together. Not that making whole life economic development and real purpose of life forget. This is foolishness. So dharma, artha. Dharma means . . . religious advancement means how to get out of this material condition. Not that I go to temple and charge, "God, give me millions of dollars and this and that." This is not possible. It is good that one has gone to God to ask some help. That much credit is there.