If you want to realize God, as it is said here, tapasaiva, only by tapasya, only by penance one can realize. Otherwise not. Otherwise it is not possible. Therefore this word is used, tapasaiva. Tapasā eva: "only by tapasya." There is no other means. Tapasaiva param. Param means the Supreme. If you want to realize the Supreme, the Absolute, then you must agree to certain type of tapasya. Otherwise it is not possible. The preliminary little tapasya—just like ekādaśī; that is also one of the items of the tapasya. Actually, on the ekādaśī days we shall not take any food, even drink water. But in our Society we are not doing so much strictly. We say, "Ekādaśī, you don't take food grains. Take little fruit, milk." This is tapasya. So we cannot execute this tapasya? So if we are not prepared to undertake even this very, very easily executable tapasya, then how we can expect go back to home, back to Godhead? No, that is not possible. Therefore here it is said, tapasaiva, tapasā eva. Eva means certainly. You have to.
Now, executing this tapasya, penances, are you loser? You are not loser. Now, anyone who will come from outside, they will see in our Society, our members, boys and girls, they say "bright-faced." Do they not? They see distinction. One priest in plain cloth. . . I was going from Los Angeles to Hawaii. One priest, he came to me in the plane. So he asked my permission, "Can I talk with you?" And "Yes, why not?" So his first question was that "I see your disciples very bright-faced. How it has been done?" He's sincere. So where is the loss? By undergoing, by denying all these things, sinful activities, we are not loser. We can live very simple life. We can sit down on the floor, we can lie down on the floor. We don't require much furniture, neither large amount of gorgeous dress. So tapasya required. If we want advancement in spiritual life, we must accept some sort of tapasya. In the Kali-yuga we cannot accept such severe type of tapasya as in the cold we go underneath, under water, sometimes drowning or sometimes up to this, and then meditate or chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. The minimum. So tapasya must be there.