These words are used in the Vedic language: īśvara, parameśvara; ātmā, paramātmā. So there is one Paramātmā. That Paramātmā is Kṛṣṇa. Ātmā, we are also ātmā, living being, and Kṛṣṇa is also living being. But not . . . we are not equal to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the chief living being. Just like I am also living being; you are also living being. But you accept me as the chief of this institution. There must be one chief; otherwise there will be no management. It will be chaotic. So we are ātmā, and Kṛṣṇa is also ātmā, but He is Paramātmā. We are īśvara; Kṛṣṇa is also īśvara, but He's Parameśvara. Therefore we have named "Godhead" purposefully, not "God." We don't say: "Back to God." We say: "Back to Godhead." "Head" means the chief. Everyone can claim that, "I am God," because everyone has got some power, little power. But not the supreme power. That is Kṛṣṇa.
So when one understands Kṛṣṇa perfectly, he becomes mahātmā. Just try to understand. Not a politician. Not by changing dress, saffron-color cloth. No, that is not mahātmā. One who understands Kṛṣṇa perfectly well, he is mahātmā. Therefore here it is said, munibhir mahātmabhiḥ. The instruction was received from person, munibhiḥ, great philosophers. Not only philosopher, but mahātmā. Because one who has understood Kṛṣṇa perfectly . . . this is the qualification of guru. So that qualification, to attain, is not very difficult. But because we are rascals, we do not try to take the qualification. That qualification is very simple. One . . . who can understand Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa is not so cheap thing. He has said already that yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścin vetti māṁ tattvataḥ (BG 7.3). So it not very easy. But it is very easy if you take the process, easiest process. What is that easiest process? That easiest process: you don't talk nonsense; you simply talk what Kṛṣṇa has said. That's all. And many times they give me very great credit that I have done wonderful. Yes, I have done wonderful. But what is the reason? Because I am not a rascal. I speak what Kṛṣṇa has spoken, that's all. Very easy. Everyone can do that. Not only I—any of you, you can do this. Simply speak what is . . . what Kṛṣṇa has said. That's all. Don't make addition, alteration. Then you become rascal. Immediately you become rascal.
So you don't want to . . . if you don't want to become a rascal—if you want to become a mahātmā—then you accept what Kṛṣṇa says and preach that. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7): "There is no more superior authority than Me." You say that. You say, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti. "Here is . . . Kṛṣṇa is the cause." You understand or don't understand, if you simply pick up the words of Kṛṣṇa and talk like that, then you become mahātmā. There is no difficulty to become mahātmā. But these durātmās, the rascals, they talk differently from Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they are not mahātmās; they are all durātmā. Therefore the process is that if you want to make progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you have to find out a guru who is mahātmā. Ādau gurvāśrayam. That is the first business. Ādau, in the beginning, gurvāśrayam, to take shelter of a bona fide mahātmā guru. That is the Vedic instruction. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). "Must," abhigacchet. This verb is used—"must." It is not, "Oh, I can do without guru." No, that is not possible. That is not possible. If you want to understand the transcendental science, spiritual science, you must approach. Gacchet. This, this form of verb used when there is the meaning "must." Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet, samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. And guru's qualification is brahma-niṣṭham. Brahma. And again this word. Brahman, and Kṛṣṇa is Para-brahman. Again this param. That Para-brahman has been said by Arjuna to Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Bhavān: "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are Para-brahman." Pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān.
So the process is that if you want to make any progress . . . just like Nārada Muni. He made immediately progress simply by associating with the mahātmās only for four months. Why? That is explained in the next verse. What is that? Tasyaivaṁ me anuraktasya. "I became attached to them. I became a lover of the mahātmās." Anuraktasya praśritasya. "I became obedient." Not disobedient. Guror avajñāḥ, that is great offense. If you become disobedient to guru, then your business is finished. These are the qualification. Me anuraktasya praśritasya . . . and hatainasaḥ. Hata enasaḥ. Means "All my sinful activities stopped." Nobody can understand the bona fide guru or Kṛṣṇa unless he is free from sinful life. Therefore we have to accept this principle: no illicit sex, no gambling, no, I mean to say, intoxication, no meat-eating. If you follow these four principles, then you become hatainasaḥ. Hata enasaḥ. Your sinful life stopped. So hatainasaḥ śraddadhānasya. Śraddadhāna means with faith and obedience. Not that blindly. Śraddadhānasya bālasya. And although he was a boy, but he got this qualification. Bālasya dānta, silent, no more playing. Anucarasya. Anucara means following. These are the qualification. If you become qualified with these qualities . . . what is that? Anurakta, means attached, obedient, no sinful activities, and faithful, and not disturbing, dānta, and follower. And if the guru is mahātmā and if you are qualified with these qualification, then the result will be there. Immediately.
But there is no difficulty. One must be serious to understand, and he must approach a qualified mahātmā guru. Then his business will be . . . transaction will be very nicely done. This is Vedic process. Is there any difficulty? Anyone can say? Is there any difficulty to become mahātmā and to become a qualified disciple? Is it very difficult? Say, if there is any difficulty.