Text 55] Devahiti’s Lamentation 947

she associated with a great personality. Now she understood this, and she
wanted to utilize the advantage of the association of her great husband.

TEXT 55

aM a: dqadqray fateaisfirn |
4 OT ANY FA MARAT Bea UII

sango yah samsrter hetur
asatsu vihito ‘dhiya

sa eva sadhusu krto
nihsangatvaya kalpate

sangah—association; yah—which; samsrteh—of the cycle of birth and
death; hetuh—the cause; asatsu—with those engaged in sense gratification;
vihitah—done; adhiya—through ignorance; sah—the same thing; eva—cer-
tainly; sadhusu—with saintly persons; krtah—performed; nihsangatvaya—
to liberation; kalpate—leads.

TRANSLATION

Association for sense gratification is certainly the path of bondage. But
the same type of association, performed with a saintly person, leads to the
path of liberation, even if performed without knowledge.

PURPORT

The association of a saintly person in any way bears the same result.
For example, Lord Krsna met many kinds of living entities, and some
treated Him as an enemy, and some treated Him as an agent for sense
gratification. It is generally said that the gopis were attached to Krsna for
sense altractions, and yet they became first-class devotees of the Lord.
Kamsa, Sisupila, Dantavakra and other demons, however, were related to
Krsna as enemies. But whether they associated with Krsna as enemies or
for sense gratification, out of fear or as pure devotees, they all got
liberation. That is the result of association with the Lord. Even if one does
not understand who He is, the results have the same efficacy. Association
with a great saintly person also results in liberation, just as whether one
goes towards fire knowingly or unknowingly, the fire will make him
warm. Devahuti expressed her gratefulness, for although she wanted to
