We are getting the sword one after another, simply by hearing. I started this movement in New York. You all know. I had no actually any sword. Just like in some religious principles, they take the religious scripture in one hand and another hand, sword: "You accept this scripture; otherwise, I cut your head." This is also another preaching. But I had also sword, but not that kind of sword. This sword—to give chance people to hear. That's all. Vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ.
So as soon as he gets a ruci . . . ruci, ruci means taste. "Ah, here is Kṛṣṇa talks, very nice. Let me hear." This very much you get the sword, immediately. The sword is in your hand. Vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ. But the ruci comes to whom, this taste? Because, as I have several times explained, the taste, just like the sugar candy. Everyone knows it is very sweet, but if you give to a man who is suffering from jaundice, he'll taste is bitter. Everyone knows sugar candy is sweet, but the particular man who is suffering from disease, jaundice, he will taste the sugar candy as very bitter. Everyone knows it. That's a fact.
So ruci, the taste for hearing vāsudeva-kathā, kṛṣṇa-kathā, this materially diseased person cannot taste. This ruci, taste. To get this taste there are preliminary activities. What is that? First thing is that appreciation: "Oh, it is very nice." Ādau śraddhā, śraddadhāna. So śraddhā, the appreciation, this is the beginning. Then sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83). Then mixing: "All right, these people are chanting and talking of Kṛṣṇa. Let me go and sit down and let me hear more." This is called sādhu-saṅga: those who are devotees, to associate with them. This is second stage.
Then third stage is bhajana-kriyā. When one is associating nicely, then he will feel, "Why not become a disciple?" So we receive application, "Prabhupāda, if you'll kindly accept me as your disciple." This is the beginning of bhajana-kriyā. Bhajana-kriyā means to be engaged in the service of the Lord. This is the third stage.
Then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. As soon as one is actually doing bhajana-kriyā . . . bhajana-kriyā means chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and observe the regulative principle. To observe the regulative principle means anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Anartha means all rascal habits are immediately vanquished. Just like we say: "No illicit sex." So this is only a rascal habit, illicit. "You can marry a boy or girl. If you like, you can have sex." No. They'll not agree. They will agree to that rascal habit, illicit sex. "You want sex? All right. Take a wife, take a husband." But no, they want illicit, without marriage. Married wife left aside; another illicit. This is anartha, rascaldom.
According to Vedic civilization, because man is very aggressive, so he's allowed to accept more than one wife. He's allowed. Generally, female population is greater than the male population. So the Vedic principle is that every girl must be married by the guardian, father. A father's duty is, as soon as girl is thirteen years old, fourteen years old, it is the duty of the father, or in the absence of father, it is the duty of elder brother to get her married. Some way or other, find out any husband. Yes. So if every girl has to be married, and if the female population is greater, then where to get so many husbands? Therefore it is very nice system that one man can marry more than one wife. That is natural.
So in Vedic system a husband can marry . . . why others? Kṛṣṇa, He married 16,000 wives. But not like us. He was present in the house of 16,000 wives by 16,000 forms. Every . . . each and every wife had palatial building, establishment. Each wife had ten sons. Not that because He has married 16,000, He cannot meet all of them. No. So that is Kṛṣṇa; He is God. But even common man . . .
Just like Kṛṣṇa's father, he had also sixteen wives. Kṛṣṇa is one wife's son. Vasudeva . . . Subhadrā is another wife's daughter. Balarāma is another wife's son. So in order to stop this rascaldom, that a human, I mean to say, man, he's allowed: "Marry them. Keep them nicely. Give them apartment. Give them nice food, nice dress, nice ornament. You enjoy." But rascaldom means, "No, without responsibility I shall make phish, phish, phish," that's all.