Prabhupāda: Yes, if one is actually reading. Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī. He was reading. Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau (Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka 2). But he must be expertly reading, not as a bookworm. Expert.
Jayapatākā: And on the other hand, sometimes devotees are only engaged in service, and then, without reading, and then they . . .
Prabhupāda: But every, everyone . . . you cannot expect everyone is capable for reading.
Jayapatākā: They have desire to read, but they have no opportunity. And then in their service, they become . . . they lose sight sometimes, where they, because of fallen condition, they cannot remember Kṛṣṇa in their service. But while reading, one is easily . . ., cannot help but remember Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: If he cannot remember Kṛṣṇa, he will sleep. That is the test. When you have someone is reading but sleeping, that means there is no Kṛṣṇa. Yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa tāhāṅ nāhi māyāra adhikāra (CC Madhya 22.31). Sleeping is māyā, so if he's thinking of Kṛṣṇa, so there cannot be sleeping.
Jayapatākā: No, I'm talking not about the reading half, but the service half.
Prabhupāda: Service also. Everything depends on advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If Kṛṣṇa is there, either you read or work as a coolie, the same thing.
Jayapatākā: You instructed that service is as good as reading, but only . . . we see that devotees only doing service without reading, then they become agitated in their mind.
Prabhupāda: That means there is no Kṛṣṇa. The real disease is there is no Kṛṣṇa. So then he'll be agitated, either reading or working.
Jayapatākā: So how can they, the Kṛṣṇa . . .?
Prabhupāda: That, if they . . . one must go through this practice. Everyone must attend the ārā . . . maṅgala-ārātrika. One must attend this. One must attend this. Otherwise no prasādam. If one says, "I am sick," no prasādam. "You are sick. You cannot digest. That's all." And sick, sleeping, and at the time of prasādam, voracious eating, that is not sickness. If you are sick, you cannot take food. Don't take.