Simply we have to hear. Suppose if you are illiterate, you cannot read Bhagavad-gītā. Or . . . of course, many of you, you do not know Sanskrit language, so you cannot read, but there are English translation. But you can hear. Bhagavān, the Lord, has given you the chance of hearing. You have got God-gifted ear. If you can attentively hear, you'll learn everything.
Formerly, of course, people were very intelligent. Simply by hearing. They need not take any note or need not read any book, but simply by hearing. So śrotavyaḥ. Therefore in the Bhāgavata it is recommended first thing that you have to hear. Simply by hear. And if you think, you become a spiritual master and you distribute this knowledge.
- śuśrūṣoḥ śraddadhānasya
- vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ
- syān mahat-sevayā viprāḥ
- puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇāt
- (SB 1.2.16)
Now this mentality for hearing kṛṣṇa-kathā, how it is developed? That is also śuśrūva. You must be very sincere, śuśrūva. And you must be inquisitive to hear. Śuśrūva. One who is very eager to hear, he can become, in future, the spiritual master. Śuśrūva śraddadhānasya, with faith. Vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ. Ruci means taste, and vāsudeva-kathā means Kṛṣṇa, the topics of Kṛṣṇa.
I am speaking of you of my personal experience how this eagerness of hearing is a very important thing. When I first met my spiritual master in 1933 . . . not . . . I met him first in 1922. Then for several years I was out of Calcutta and I could not meet him. Again next meeting was in 1933.
So at that time I was simply inquiring from other disciples of my spiritual master—at that time I was not spiritual master . . . I mean to say, disciple—"So when His Holiness will speak?" So this information was noted by my spiritual master, and he was pleased to accept me immediately, that "This boy is very nice. He's very inquisitive to hear. He does not go away."
So this is a very good qualification. One who becomes inquisitive to hear, so śradda śuśrūṣoḥ. Śuśrūṣoḥ means one who is very inquisitive to hear—at the same time, to render service. These two qualifications. Śuśrūṣoḥ. Śraddadhānasya (SB 1.2.16), with faith. Vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ. For him the taste for hearing kṛṣṇa-kathā is very easy. And syān mahat-sevayā.
And this is also can be possible if we are fortunate enough to come in contact of a great soul, mahat-sevā. Mahat means great. And if we serve him, if we want to please him, mahat-sevayā viprāḥ: "My dear brāhmaṇas," he was addressing, puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇāt. And puṇya-tīrtha. There are many sacred places. They are called puṇya-tīrtha. Sacred . . .
There are two kinds of sacred places. Just like if you go to a place . . . just like in Vṛndāvana or Kankhara. In India there are . . . in the Christian also you have got your sacred place. The Muhammadans they have got their sacred place, Medina, Mecca.