Adi-lila, Chapter 1 61

Purtrava, he was deeply affected by the separation and had to learn to overcome his
grief.

It is indicated that to learn the transcendental science, it is imperative that one
avoid the company of undesirable persons and always seek the company of saints
and sages who are able to impart lessons of transcendental knowledge. The potent
words of such realized souls penetrate the heart, thereby eradicating all misgivings
accumulated by years of undesirable association. For a neophyte devotee there are
two kinds of persons whose association is undesirable: (1) gross materialists who
constantly engage in sense gratification and (2) unbelievers who do not serve the
Supreme Personality of Godhead but serve their senses and their mental whims in
terms of their speculative habits. Intelligent persons seeking transcendental realiza-
tion should very scrupulously avoid their company.

TEXT 60

ABIL orwtay aaqs face
wafe madaataat: eat: |
STRATA ITY fay

Se ASSETS AHS ve 1

satam prasangan mama virya-sarmvido
bhavanti hrt-karna-rasdyanah kathah

taj-josandad asv apavarga-vartmani
Sraddhd ratir bhaktir anukramisyati

SYNONYMS

satam—of the devotees; prasangdt—by intimate association; mama—of Me; virya-
sarhnvidah—talks full of spiritual potency; bhavanti—appear; hrt—to the heart; Rarna—
and to the ears; rasa-dyanah—a source of sweetness; kathadh—talks; tat— of them;
josanat—from proper cultivation; @fu—quickly; apavarga—of liberation; vartmani—
on the path; sraddhd—faith; ratip—attraction; bhaktih—love; anukramisyati-will
follow one after another.

TRANSLATION

“The spiritually powerful message of Godhead can be properly discussed only in
a society of devotees, and it is greatly pleasing to hear in that association. If one
hears from devotees, the way of transcendental experience quickly opens to him,
and gradually he attains a taste in knowledge that in due course develops into
attraction and devotion.”

PURPORT

This verse appears in the Srimad-Bhadgavatam (3.25.25), where Kapiladeva replies
to the questions of His mother, Devahiti, about the process of devotional service. As
