So we have to approach. So mahat-sevā. This is sevā. Do not approach the mahātmā for challenging. That is not . . . Then you will be cheated. If you want to be . . . Just like one great, learned scholar, so-called scholar, he came to Vṛndāvana and he saw Rūpa Gosvāmī. So Rūpa Gosvāmī, he said, "Sir, I have come to you." "Now, what is the purpose?" "Now, I have traveled all over India, and I had a śāstra carcā, and I have become victorious. They have accepted me. So I have come to you to discuss on Vedic knowledge." So then Rūpa Gosvāmī inquired from him, "Actually what do you want?" Now, "I want also that you acknowledge me that I'm a great scholar. That I want." "All right. I acknowledge, you are a great scholar." "No, then you give me in writing." So Rūpa Gosvāmī gave him in writing, "I met this man; he's a great scholar, and I am defeated." He gave in writing. Of course, Jīva Gosvāmī took that paper very tactfully and defeated him. So this is not the method of meeting Rūpa Gosvāmī. One should go very humbly, mahat-sevām. Rūpa Gosvāmī is mahat. You should not go there to challenge. Then you'll be cheated. You must go to Rūpa Gosvāmī and his representative with a humble . . . Tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34). When you want to learn, you must approach that person praṇipātena. Prakṛṣṭa rūpena seva. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā.
That is also stated in the . . . The same thing is recommended here, that mahat-sevām. If you want the purpose of life and if you want to execute tapasya, if you want all these things, then you should approach a mahātmā, not durātmā. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). That is mahātmā. Mahātmā is not made by stamp, that "You are a mahātmā," "You are a harijana." It is not like that. Mahātmā is different person. Mahātmā means whose ātmā is very broad—broader ātmā, not crippled. All are durātmā. Everyone is thinking, "I am this, Indian," "I am American," "I am this," "I am that." But what mahātmā thinking? He's thinking, "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa. I am not servant of these petty things. I am servant of Kṛṣṇa, Para-brahman." Gopī-bhartur pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsa (CC Madhya 13.80). That is mahātmā. "I am the servant of Kṛṣṇa's servant, servant, servant, hundred times servant." The lower my position is servant, then I am great mahātmā. Ordinarily they think mahātmā, that "I am on the top, on the topmost platform." That is not mahātmā. This is our Caitanya philosophy. Mahātmā is he . . .
- tṛṇād api sunīcena
- taror api sahiṣṇunā
- amāninā mānadena
- kīrtanīyaḥ sadā . . .
- (CC Adi 17.31)
He's mahātmā. This is mahātmā. So you have to approach such mahātmā. That is recommendation in the Bhakti-rāsamṛta-sindhu: ādau gurvāśrayam sadhu mārgānugamanam sad-dharma pṛcchāt. These are things wanted. So if you actually want to execute tapasya, then you must approach a person who has already executed tapasya, tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1). Then you'll get the things. Mahat-sevām. And there you have to render your service. Humbleness, service, sevayā. You can question mahātmā not by challenging but surrounded by praṇipāt and sevā. Otherwise, you have no right to question. Just like this man went to Rūpa Gosvāmī. He has no right to waste time.