In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). So mahātmās. . . Mahātmās means those who have realized God, not this politician mahātmā. No. Mahātmā means. . . Mahātmās description is there in the Bhagavad-gītā, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ: "They are under the spiritual energy." They are not under the material energy. They are not mahātmā; they are demons. So we are describing about the demons. Under the spiritual energy, one can understand his position, his relationship with God. Therefore it is said, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ. And what is the sign? Bhajanty ananya-manaso jñātvā mām, avyayam. Their business is bhajana. Bhajana means bhakti. Bhaja-dhātu. From bhajana, bhakti, and bhajana, bhakti, bhaj-dhātu. Bhaja sevanam. Bhaj-dhātu means offering service, rendering service. So bhakti, bhajana, bhakta, bhāgavata—they are coming from the same root, bhaja-dhātu, Sanskrit, those who know Sanskrit. So this is the sign of mahātmā. Bhajanty ananya-manasaḥ: "Without any deviation, without any other occupation, they are always engaged in devotional service." This is mahātmā. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. There are many, so many bogus mahātmās—the svāmīs, yogīs and incarnation and so many rascals—all rākṣasas, atheist. Such kind are not mahātmā. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). That mahātmā, who is actually mahātmā, means bhajanty ananya-manasaḥ, engaged fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is ma. . . Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. Sudurlabhaḥ means very, very rare to find out. The rascals posing themselves as mahātmā, that is another thing. That is not authorized.
You have to accept anything from the authorized source. So according to Vedic civilization, all knowledge is received from the Vedas, perfect authorized source. Śruti-pramāṇa, evidence from the śruti, from the Vedas, that is perfect. Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, if you want to establish something you have to quote the section or the injunction from the Vedas. Then it is perfect. In learned circle you cannot say anything hodgepodge. That will not be accepted. If you support your statement from the evidence of the Vedas, then you are accepted as authority. Therefore our principle is. . . Not only our; this is the Vedic principle. You'll find Caitanya Mahāprabhu giving instruction to Sanātana Gosvāmī, to Rūpa Gosvāmī, or He was talking with Rāmānanda Rāya—in Caitanya-caritāmṛta you'll find—and quoting support from the Vedas. Although Caitanya Mahāprabhu is God Himself, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa-Caitanya, but He is not, what is called, autocratic or, what is called, dictator. No. You'll never find Him. Whatever He'll say, immediately He is supported by Vedic evidence. He can say anything. He can manufacture anything. No, that He does not do. He does not violate the principle.