सङ्गो य: संसृतेर्हेतुरसत्सु विहितोऽधिया ।
स एव साधुषु कृतो नि:सङ्गत्वाय कल्पते ॥
saṅgo yaḥ saṁsṛter hetur asatsu vihito’dhiyā |
sa eva sādhuṣu kṛto niḥsaṅgatvāya kalpate ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.23.55)
“Association out of ignorance with non-sādhus is the cause of transmigration [i.e., bondage in saṁsāra], yet with sādhus, it leads to detachment [i.e., liberation from saṁsāra].”