True greatness means ceaseless, purposeless glorification of Krishna through eternal devotional service.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Kīrtanānanda: [taps microphone] You'll have to play very quietly while Swami chants from the beginning and [indistinct].
Prabhupāda: [prema-dhvani] All glories to the assembled devotees. All glories to the assembled devotees. All glories to the assembled devotees. Thank you very much.
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. [taps microphone].
Kīrtanānanda: Anybody who would like to move up feel free to do so. [indistinct]. [moving sounds] [42:18]
Prabhupāda: satataṃ kīrtayanto māṃ yatantaś ca dṛòha-vratāḥ namasyantaś ca māṃ bhaktyā nitya-yuktā upāsate [Bg 9.14] [Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.] We have been discussing the symptoms of mahātmā—great soul. Poor soul and great soul. Poor soul means, ah, they have got this opportunity of becoming great soul, but they misuse it, they are called poor soul. This human form of life the soul is equal in every living being, but it is covered by this material energy and as the covering is moved by enlightenment of knowledge, purity of consciousness.
We become greater and greater and ultimately, we become great soul. Just like flower, in the beginning, in the bud stage then fructifies gradually and then one day it comes to be a very nice flower. So, one who comes to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is compared with a nice flower. So, he is called great soul—mahātmā. So, this opportunity is open for every one of us and if we take this advantage, especially in this human form of life.
Then we are also open to become great soul. So, what is the qualification of great soul, that is defined here in the Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā. Satataṃ kīrtana, he is engaged 24 hours in glorifying the Lord. This is also kīrtana, just like we perform kīrtana with musical sign, sound.