Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu: "Out of many millions of men." The human life is meant for understanding God. Then he can understand. But the attempt is not there. They are after sense gratification. Nobody is interested to understand God. Everybody is interested in cats' and dogs' business, sense gratification. Therefore out of many millions of men, one can understand that "My life is meant for other purpose." That is called siddhi, perfection, "How I shall make my life perfect?" This desire arises in one man out of millions. And they are simply engaged, "How to satisfy my senses perfectly?" But that will never be done. A sane man thinks that "I have done it so many lives. I have not been satisfied. I have not become perfection. Then where is perfection?" That inquisitiveness makes him eligible. Just like ādau śraddhā, I have already explained. So after becoming siddha, perfect. . . Perfect means one must know that "I am not this body; I am soul," ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That is perfection of knowledge. So Kṛṣṇa says, yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3): "Those who have become perfect, out of many millions of them, one can understand what I am." It is not so easy to understand God. But if you take the process as it is recommended in the śāstras by saintly person, then it is easy. Otherwise it is not easy. If you speculate to understand God, that is not possible. Then you go on, and many, many years speculating, you will never understand God. Either you take the shelter of Lord Jesus Christ or Kṛṣṇa, if you follow his instruction—this is the way of understanding—then you will understand. But if you don't care for his instruction, then you will never understand. This is the process. Hmm.
Hari-śauri: Śrīla Prabhupāda, you were saying that only if one can understand the nature of God, then he can go back home.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Hari-śauri: But we have the case of the four Kumāras, who were wandering in the Vaikuṇṭha planets, and yet they had not become fully God-realized at that point, and yet they were allowed to enter. . .
Prabhupāda: Those who are going to Vaikuṇṭha planets, they are not fully realized of God? What does he say?
Madhudvīṣa: He was citing the instance of the four Kumāras, who were traveling through the gates of the Vaikuṇṭha world, but actually they were not completely God-realized. . .
Prabhupāda: Therefore they are on the gates of Vaikuṇṭha, not within. You cannot enter the kingdom of God without full understanding. So you have to be trained up. This is the life. You become trained up to understand God, and you will enter the kingdom of God. Hmm?
Devotee (6): Śrīla Prabhupāda, how does one associate with the devotees?
Prabhupāda: Hmm? What is that?
Madhudvīṣa: "How does one associate with the devotees?"
Prabhupāda: Oh, you do not understand? You can come and live with these devotees. Where is the difficulty? You can live here, you can take prasādam, and without any charge. Still you are asking? This is the way. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (CC Madhya 23.14-15). You have to make your association with the devotees. Then you will learn. Hmm.