Prabhupāda: Meek and mild, yes. So that is the qualification. You have to become humble. Therefore the Bhāgavata also says the same thing. Jñāne prayāsam. Don't be very much proud of your so-called knowledge that, "I can understand everything." You should become namra, meek and mild. And then how to be . . .? Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām. You should engage yourself to receive spiritual knowledge from the authority, reliable source. Spiritual knowledge is understood through the ear. Therefore the Vedas are called śruti. San-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām. This is recommended, that Kṛṣṇa's kathā should be heard from the realized source. San-mukharitām. San means devotee. Sat. Oṁ tat sat. San-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām.
Then sthāne sthitāḥ, you can remain in your place. It doesn't matter whether you are a brāhmaṇa or a śūdra or American or Indian or . . . it doesn't matter. You keep yourself in your position. Simply go there, where these things are discussed authoritatively, you hear. Śruti-gatām. Śruti-gatām. Śruti means the ear. You just give the aural reception of the words of realized soul. San-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtāṁ sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatām. You can keep yourself . . . it doesn't require that you have to change your position. Simply you have to hear from the right source.
Then what will be the result? The result is by hearing, hearing, hearing, one day you'll be able to conquer over the unconquerable, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is unconquerable. Nobody can conquer Him. But you hear, you'll be able to conquer Him, simply by hearing about Him. Therefore this hearing process is so important from the right source.
(aside) Read.
Pradyumna: "The secret to success is to take refuge under the protection of the Supreme Lord. Without His sanction nothing can be possible. To make economic development by our own endeavors on the strength of tools and machinery is not all."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Tools and machineries are already there. But why there is scarcity? Now there is no petrol, whole world. You have got the digging . . . drilling machine, tools and machinery, everything. Then why you are in scarcity? Because now Kṛṣṇa is against you. Therefore in spite of the oil underground, in spite of tools and machine, you'll starve. This is nature's progress. You have created such a situation. Now, in spite of having everything . . . just like it is said by Vaiṣṇava kavi, nire kari vas namre kila peyas. Just like you are on the ocean and you are thirsty. You are in the ocean, profuse water, but you cannot touch a drop. Nire kari vas namre kila peyas. Thirsty, you want water, but you are in the water, in the ocean. Now drink it. Similarly, if Kṛṣṇa does not desire, you may have ample things, everything there, but still the key is in the hand of Kṛṣṇa. Unless He opens it, you cannot get it.
(aside) Go on.
Pradyumna: "The ultimate . . . the sanction of the Supreme Lord must be there, otherwise . . ."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Now the sanction is not there; therefore there is scarcity. Nature can supply you anything, as we have already described. But if Kṛṣṇa says: "Don't supply," bās (then), finished.
(aside) Then?
Pradyumna: "Otherwise, despite all instrumental arrangements, everything will be unsuccessful. The ultimate cause of success is the daiva, or the Supreme. Kings like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira . . ."
Prabhupāda: Daiva, daiva means godly. So you may have everything complete, but if the daiva sanction is not there . . . just like one may have father and mother. Generally, it is supposed that a child under the protection of father and mother, he will be happy. But that is not the case. If Kṛṣṇa does not sanction, in spite of very rich parent, the child is suffering. Why? Because there is no sanction. Similarly, if one is diseased, he can engage first-class physician and he can use first-class medicine, still he dies. Why he dies? You have got so advanced medicine, advanced physician.
Why the man dies? Because Kṛṣṇa wanted. That's it. Similarly, we have created so many countereffects for all our miserable condition. That is called struggle for existence. But if there is no sanction from Kṛṣṇa, these counteraction will not be useful. You'll have to starve. You'll have to die. All these methods cannot help you. Mayādhyakṣeṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). So everything, without Kṛṣṇa's sanction . . . they say: "Not a blade of grass moves without the sanction of God." This is the position.