Prabhupāda: The United Nation is talking for the last thirty, forty years . . .?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Thirty years.
Prabhupāda: Thirty years. And where is unity of the nation? It is not possible. And here we are talking about Kṛṣṇa, say, for seven, eight years. Just see the sample, how these young men are becoming united in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is practical.
Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says this stoppage of talking is better than to talk nonsense. If you cannot talk of Kṛṣṇa, better don't talk. Therefore this maunam is recommended for the persons, less intelligent, who cannot talk about Kṛṣṇa. Better stop. This is called mauna. Otherwise, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī says that "I have got only one tongue and two ears. So how can I enjoy or serve Hare Kṛṣṇa only with one tongue and two ears? If I had millions of ears and trillions of tongues, then it would have been possible." It is meaning . . . Tuṇḍe tāṇḍavinī(CC Antya 1.99) . . . I forget that verse now. He is feeling like that, that "How shall I chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra by one tongue only and hear, śravaṇa-kīrtana, by two ears?" So he is expecting so many ears and so many tongues to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. And so far we are concerned, conditioned soul, even sixteen round becomes very, very difficult job for us because we are practiced to talk nonsense. We cannot find out little time, say for two hours, for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa; but we can find twenty-four hours for talking nonsense. Therefore one who cannot chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, he should stop his talking. That is called mauna. Don't talk any more. Better remain silent. This is recommendation by Prahlāda Mahārāja. And vrata also, compulsory. It is meant for persons who are desiring to be liberated.