This material world is full of problems. One who understands, he is called sura, or civilized man. And one who does not understand, he is called asura. Asura, not sura. Aryan, non-Aryan. So amongst the suras — those who can understand the problems of life — there is a system which is called religion. And what is the purpose of religion? Religion is to understand what is God. That is religion.
Srila Prabhupada, Lecture on BG 16.7 — Tokyo, January 27, 1975