Simply putting on a saffron dress and having a big beard, he's not mahatma. Mahatma is he who is cent percent engaged in Krsna's service. Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim. He's not in the control of this material nature

Expressions researched:
"Simply putting on a saffron dress and having a big beard, he's not mahātmā. Mahātmā is he who is cent percent engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim. He's not in the control of this material nature"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

So it is recommended that mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes (SB 5.5.2). Mahat-sevā . . . we have described the symptoms of mahātmā. The sum and substance of mahātmā is mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). That is mahātmā. Otherwise durātmā. Simply putting on a saffron dress and having a big beard, he's not mahātmā. Mahātmā is he who is cent percent engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim. He's not in the control of this material nature. He's completely under the direction of spiritual nature. Daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ. And what is the sign? What is the difference between a person under material nature and spiritual nature? The difference is that one who is under spiritual nature, he is cent percent engaged in the service of the Lord. This is the sign.

761026 - Lecture SB 05.05.04 - Vrndavana

nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma

yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti

na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam

asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ

(SB 5.5.4)

So it is recommended that mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes (SB 5.5.2). Mahat-sevā . . . we have described the symptoms of mahātmā. The sum and substance of mahātmā is mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). That is mahātmā. Otherwise durātmā. Simply putting on a saffron dress and having a big beard, he's not mahātmā. Mahātmā is he who is cent percent engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim. He's not in the control of this material nature. He's completely under the direction of spiritual nature. Daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ. And what is the sign? What is the difference between a person under material nature and spiritual nature? The difference is that one who is under spiritual nature, he is cent percent engaged in the service of the Lord. This is the sign.

mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha

daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ

bhajanty ananya manaso . . .

(BG 9.13)

bhajate mām ananya-bhāk

sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ

(BG 9.30)

These things are there. So bhajana wanted. Bhajana means these nine kinds of activities:

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ

smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam

arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ

sakhyam ātma-nivedanam

(SB 7.5.23)

This is bhajan, bhajana-kriyā. Atho bhajana-kriyā. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā (CC Madhya 23.14-15). Sadhu-sanga (CC Madhya 22.83). So mahat-sevā means sādhu-saṅga. If you associate with devotees, that is called sādhu-saṅga, mahat. Each devotee is mahātmā. And the signs are given there: mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes mahāntas te sama-cittāḥ praśāntā (SB 5.5.2), we have already discussed. And another mahātmā is also ye vā mayīśe kṛta-sauhṛdārthā (SB 5.5.3).

The main business is how far one is devoted to Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. It doesn't mean that one has to become a sannyāsī or one has to remain a gṛhastha. There are four āśramas. You should accept whichever is suitable for you, but the business is how to serve Kṛṣṇa. That's it. If you find that remaining as a gṛhastha you can serve more Kṛṣṇa, that's all right. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has accepted this. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir (SB 10.14.3). Sthāne, sthāne means everyone has got some position. So it doesn't require that you have to change your position. But the real business is you have to see how far you are making progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.