Text 9

The Viṣṇu-rahasya (quoted in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.112) states:

आलिङ्गनं वरं मन्ये व्याल-व्याघ्र-जलौकसाम्
न सङ्गः शल्य-युक्तानां नाना-देवैक-सेविनाम्

āliṅganaṃ varaṃ manye vyāla-vyāghra-jalaukasām
na saṅgaḥ śalya-yuktānāṃ nānā-devaika-sevinām

It is better to live with or embrace a snake, a tiger or an alligator than to associate with those whose hearts are filled with varieties of material  desires and who worship various demigods.

अग्निते पुडि वा पञ्जरेते बद्ध है
तबु कृष्ण-बहिर्मुख-सङ्ग नाहि लै

agnite puḍi vā pañjarete baddha hai
tabu kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha-saṅga nāhi lai

वरं सर्प-व्याघ्र-कुम्भीरेर आलिङ्गन
अन्य-सेवि-सङ्ग नाहि करि कदाचन

varaṃ sarpa-vyāghra-kumbhīrera āliṅgana
anya-sevi-saṅga nāhi kari kadācana

Commentary: Bhajana-rahasya-vṛtti: 

(for texts 8-9)  

These two Texts instruct the sādhaka to seek the association of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s devotees who are like-minded and favourable to oneself. The ācāryas instruct the sādhaka to accept what is favourable for bhakti and to reject what is unfavourable. One should completely give up bad association. This means one should renounce association with the opposite sex and with those desiring liberation. The sādhaka should exclusively hear and chant the narrations of Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Yugala’s pastimes. The association of like-minded devotees is beneficial for the performance of this sādhana.

A sādhaka should also stay far away from the association of demigod worshippers. The followers of the Śrī sampradāya, who never enter a temple of Śiva nor worship him, are a good example of this. The sādhaka should also carefully avoid the company of materialists and persons averse to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, for they will pollute his heart. In this regard, the example of Śrīla Gaura-kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja is quite suitable. Occasionally, to avoid the approach of materialists, Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja would lock himselfin a public lavatory and perform his bhajana there. He maintained that the stench of excrement was superior to the ‘odour’ of materialistic people. Various kinds of material desires arise in the heart of a living entity who has bad association, and he thus becomes degraded. Therefore, sādhakas aspiring for pure kṛṣṇa-bhakti should avoid detrimental association.