56
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 5, Ch. 14]
jane rājā yena nadīte cubāya  (Cc.  Madhya  20.118). Materialistic life means continuous unhappiness, but sometimes we accept happiness as it appears between the gaps. Sometimes a condemned person is submerged in water and hauled out. Actually all of this is meant for punishment, but he feels a little comfort when he is taken out of the water. This is the situation with the conditioned soul. All the  śāstras  therefore advise that one associate with devotees and saintly people.
‘śādhu-saṅga’, ‘śādhu-saṅga’ —  sarva-śāstre kaya lava-mātra śādhu-saṅge sarva-siddhi haya  (Cc.  Madhya  22.54)
Even by a little association with devotees, the conditioned soul can get out of this miserable material condition. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is therefore trying to give everyone a chance to associate with saintly people. Therefore all the members of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness society must themselves be perfect  śādhus  in order to give a chance to fallen conditioned souls. This is the best humanitarian work.
TEXT 39
यदिदं योगानुशासनं न वा एतदवरुन्धते यन्न्यस्तदण्डा मुनय उपशमशीला उपरतात्मानः समवगच्छन्ति ॥ ३९ ॥
yad idam yogānuśāsanam na vā etad avarundhate yan nyasta-daṇḍā munaya upaśama-śilā uparatātmānaḥ samavagacchanti.
yat —which;  idam —this ultimate abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead;  yoga-anuśāsanam —only to be achieved by practicing devotional service;  na —not;  vā —either;  etat —this path of liberation;  avarundhate —obtain;  yat —therefore;  nyasta-daṇḍāḥ —persons who have given up envying others;  munayaḥ —saintly persons;  upaśama-śilāḥ —who are now situated in a most peaceful existence;  uparata-ātmānaḥ —who have control over the mind and senses;  samavagacchanti —very easily obtain.