1030
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 3, Ch. 25]
nation, then he has to seek the association of devotees, wherein Kṛṣṇa consciousness is exclusively cultured. One can thereby become freed from all material association.
Because a devotee is freed from all contaminated material association, he is not affected by the miseries of material existence. Even though he appears to be in the material world, he is not affected by the miseries of the material world. How is it possible? There is a very good example in the activities of the cat. The cat carries her kittens in her mouth, and when she kills a rat she also carries the booty in her mouth. Thus both are carried in the mouth of the cat, but they are in different conditions. The kitten feels comfort in the mouth of the mother, whereas when the rat is carried in the mouth of the cat, the rat feels the blows of death. Similarly, those who are  sādhavaḥ , or devotees engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the transcendental service of the Lord, do not feel the contamination of material miseries, whereas those who are not devotees in Kṛṣṇa consciousness actually feel the miseries of material existence. One should therefore give up the association of materialistic persons and seek the association of persons engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and by such association he will be benefited in spiritual advancement. By their words and instructions, he will be able to cut off his attachment to material existence.
TEXT 25
सतां प्रसङ्गान्मम वीर्यसंविदो
भवन्ति हृत्कर्णरसायनाः कथाः ।
तज्जोषणादाश्वपवर्गवत्मनि
श्रद्धा रतिर्भक्तिरनुक्रमिष्यति ॥२५॥
satām prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ taj-joṣaṇād āśv apavarga-vartmani śraddhā ratir bhaktir anukramiṣyati
satām —of pure devotees;  prasaṅgāt —through the association;  mama —My;  vīrya —wonderful activities;  saṁvidaḥ —by discussion of;  bhavanti —become;  hṛt —to the heart;  karṇa —to the ear;  rasa-ayanāḥ —pleasing;  kathāḥ —the stories;  tat —of that;  joṣaṇāt —by cultivation;  āśu —quickly;  apavarga —of