You can stamp anyone as mahātmā, but sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ. That is mahātmā. What is his business? Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti: "Kṛṣṇa is everything," and he surrenders, he is mahātmā. One who is constantly engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, he is sādhu. Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ.
So you must know first of all who is a sādhu; whether he's devoted to Kṛṣṇa, devoted to God. But these rascals, so-called saints, say that, "I am God." He's a rascal. He's not a sādhu. He's not saintly person; he is a demon. So we are accepting demons as mahātmā and sādhu; therefore it has fallen down. Because we are accepting the rascals, demons as sādhu and mahātmā, therefore you have fallen down. This is the reason.
We do not know who is mahātmā and sādhu. Everyone is preaching, "Why you are finding out God? Why you are going to temple? The Gods are all loitering in the street, daridra-nārāyaṇa." And you are accepting, "Oh, so nice sādhu." But you do not know. He is a demon, and you are accepting as sādhu. That is the cause of falldown. Mahātmā, sādhu, has been described, the supreme authority, Kṛṣṇa:
- satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ
- yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ
- (BG 9.14)
Tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca (BG 10.9). Their only business is to glorify the Supreme Lord. Not that "Cut down the Supreme Lord, kill the Supreme Lord, and I become Supreme Lord," falsely, and cheat the innocent people. The cheaters we are accepting, that "Here is a god, here is mahātmā, here is sādhu." Therefore it is falldown. Cheaters. Demons. Rascals. That is the cause of falldown.
Mahātmā is he that, bhajanty ananya-manaso mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). He is under the control of daivī prakṛti, not this material nature' spiritual nature. And what is the symptom? Bhajanty ananya-manaso: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. He is mahātmā.