Mauna means don’t talk, grave. This is also very good qualification because generally, when we talk, we simply talk nonsense. That’s all. We shall sit together and some friends or family, some useless talks, we shall go on for hours together. But if you are called to talk about Krsna or Bhagavad-gita or Bhagavata, this philosophy, nobody will come. So better not to talk. It is better not to talk than to talk nonsense, foolish.

So generally, we are accustomed to talks, enjoy foolish talks, which has no meaning, neither any benefit for this material world, neither any benefit for spiritual world. If you are, of course, gaining something material benefit…

Just like businessmen talk. They talk seriously if there is any profit. Otherwise the secretary says, “Oh, the Mr. such and such has no time to see you.” That is also some good because time is so valuable. So why should we talk nonsense?

So that is also very good qualification if you don’t talk nonsense. Either you talk about Krsna or don’t talk. That is called mauna. If there is no subject matter for talking on the subject of Krsna, then it is better not to talk. But we have got very nice engagement. We can talk Hare Krsna. If you have no other engagement, then we have got these beads, “Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, KrsnaKrsna…” You can day and night, twenty-four hours, go on. This
is called mauna.

Srila Prabhupada/ Talk on Srimad Bhagavatam 7.9.10, Montreal, 10 July 1968