212
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 9, Ch. 6]
advised that an exalted saintly person avoid the association of those who are materially inclined. Śrīla Narottama dāsa Thākura also recommends that one engage in the service of the  ācāryas , and if one wants to live in association, he must live in the association of devotees ( tāṅdera caraṇa sevi bhakta-sane vāsa ). The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is creating many centers just to create devotees so that by associating with the members of such a center people will automatically become uninterested in material affairs. Although this is an ambitious proposal, this association is proving effective by the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. By gradually associating with the members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, simply by taking  prasāda  and taking part in chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa  mantra , ordinary persons are being considerably elevated. Saubhari Muni regrets that he had bad association even in the deepest part of the water. Because of the bad association of the sexually engaged fish, he fell down. A secluded place is also not secure unless there is good association.
TEXT 52
एकस्तवस्यहमथाभसि मत्ससङ्गात्
पञ्चाशदासमुत पञ्चसहस्रसर्गः ।
नान्तं व्रजाम्युभयकृत्यमनोरथानां
मायागुणैर्हृतमतिर्विषयेऽर्थमावः ॥५२॥
ekas tapasvy aham athāmbhasi matsya-saṅgāt pañcāśad āsam uta pañca-sahasra-sargaḥ nāntaṁ vrajāmy ubhaya-kṛtya-manorathānāṁ māyā-guṇair hṛta-matir viṣaye 'rtha-bhāvaḥ
ekaḥ —one only;  tapasvī —great sage;  aham —I;  atha —thus;  ambhasi —in the deep water;  matsya-saṅgāt —by associating with the fish;  pañcāśat —fifty;  āsam —got wives;  uta —and what to speak of begetting one hundred sons in each of them;  pañca-sahasra-sargaḥ —procreation of five thousand;  na antam —no end;  vrajāmi —I can find;  ubhaya-kṛtya —duties of this life and the next;  manorathānām —mental concoctions;  māyā-guṇaiḥ —influenced by the modes of material nature;  hṛta —lost;  matiḥ viṣaye —great attraction for material things;  artha-bhāvaḥ —matters of self-interest.