gaṅgādi-puṇya-tīrtheṣu yo naraḥ snātum icchati |
yaḥ karoti satāṁ saṅgāṁ tayoḥ sat-saṅgamo varaḥ ||
(Padma Purāṇa: 5.98.78; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.256)
“Between a human being who desires to swim in purifying tīrthas such as the Gaṅgā and one who engages in association with sādhus, the one who associates with sādhus is superior.”
sādhūnāṁ sama-cittānāṁ sutarāṁ mat-kṛtātmanām |
darśanān no bhaved bandhaḥ puṁso’kṣṇoḥ savitur yathā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.10.41; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 179)
“As there is no longer any bondage for the eyes upon seeing the sun, so there is no longer any bondage for a person upon seeing sādhus who are equanimous and thus of mind fixed upon me.”
vinu sata-saṁga viveka na hoi |
rāma-kṛpā vinu sulabha na soi ||
sata-saṁgata muda maṁgaka mūlā |
soi phala siddhi saba sādhana phulā ||
(Rāma-carita-mānasa: 1.2.4)
“Without sādhu-saṅga, discernment (viveka) does not manifest, and without Rāma’s grace, that [i.e., sādhu-saṅga] is not readily attained. Sādhu-saṅga is the root of joy and well-being; siddhi [i.e., spiritual realization] is its fruit, and all sādhanas are its flowers.”
na hy adbhutaṁ tvac-caraṇābja-reṇubhir
hatāṁhaso bhaktir adhokṣaje’malā |
mauhūrtikād yasya samāgamāc ca me
dustarka-mūlo’pahato’vivekaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 5.13.22)
“[Rahūgaṇa to Jaḍa Bharata:] It is certainly not astonishing that by [touch of] the dust of your lotus feet pure bhakti to Adhokṣaja has manifest within me, whose sin has been dispelled, since my indiscrimination rooted in wrong argumentation has been destroyed by [just] momentary association with you.”
bhāgyodayena bahu-janma-samarjitena sat-saṅgamaṁ ca labhate puruṣo yadā vai |
ajñāna-hetu-kṛta-moha-madāndhakāra-nāśanaṁ vidhāya hi tadodayate vivekaḥ ||
(Padma Purāṇa: Bhāgavata-māhātmya: 2.76)
“When a person attains association with a sādhu as a result of good fortune acquired over the course of many lives, then discernment (viveka) arises and dispels the darkness of bewilderment and pride caused by ignorance.”
sadbhiḥ kṣiṇoti taṁ tarṣaṁ tata ārād viśuddhyati |
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.10.17)
“Because of [association with] sādhus, that desire [i.e., desire for the mundane] wanes, and then one quickly becomes pure.”
gaṅgā pāpaṁ śaśī tāpaṁ dainyaṁ kalpa-tarur haret |
pāpaṁ tāpaṁ ca dainyaṁ sadyaḥ sādhu-samāgamaḥ ||
(Garga-saṁhitā: 10.62.9)
“The Gaṅgā removes sin, the moon suffering [alt., heat], and the desire-tree dejection [i.e., poverty]. Meeting with a sādhu [however] immediately removes sin, suffering, and dejection.”
na hy am-mayāni tīrthāni na devā mṛc-chilā-mayāḥ |
te punanty uru-kālena darśanād eva sādhavaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.84.11; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.204, Bhakti Sandarbha 184)
[Kṛṣṇa:] “Are places made of water not tīrthas? [They are.] Are figures made of earth and stone are not [deities of] devas? [They are.] They [certainly] purify [a living being] over the course of a long time. Sādhus [however] purify just by sight [i.e., immediately, and should thus be considered the greatest of tīrthas and the greatest of devas].”
hari-bhakti-parāṇāṁ tu saṅgināṁ saṅga-mātrataḥ |
mucyate sarva-pāpebhyo mahā-pātakavān api ||
(Bṛhan Nāradīya Purāṇa: 1.36.61; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.252 Bhakti Sandarbha: 148)
“Even a great sinner is liberated from all sins just by the association of those who associate with those who are engaged in Hari-bhakti.”
apākaroti duritaṁ śreyaḥ saṁyojayaty api |
yaśo vistārayaty āśu nṝṇāṁ vaiṣṇava-saṅgamaḥ ||
(Padma Purāṇa: 5.98.57; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.255)
“The association of a Vaiṣṇava quickly removes sin [i.e., evil, danger, saṁsāra, etc.], leads to virtue [i.e., auspiciousness, good fortune, the puruṣārthas, etc.] and expands human beings’ glory [beyond that of even muktas].”
