Text 3 Part 3

Sanga tyagat, giving up unfavourable association, is such an important principle that Rupa
Gosvami, after mentioning in Text 2 that jana-sanga, association with worldly minded people
destroys devotional service, states it again in Text 3 that we should give up worldly association.
When there is such repetition in scriptures, it is not a literary fault or carelessness but emphasis on
a cardinal principle.
Bad association pollutes one's desires, intelligence and faith, whereas good association purifies
one's desires and strengthens one's intelligence and faith. By giving up bad association our
material desires will automatically decrease and we will be more open to spiritual desires.
Interactions between materially polluted souls creates more and more material desires and thus
expands material existence. Our own material desires are either a result of our memories of the
past which we have to fight individually, or the result of outside influences from the culture,
environment and association that surrounds us. This latter can be minimised by avoiding those
who carry material desires, as we would avoid infected people in an epidemic. Our avoidance
should be based on knowledge of our weakness and susceptibility to infection and not on a sense
of moral superiority. We should respect everyone, see everyone as Krishna's part and parcel and
as a potential devotee, but we should also have a clear sense of how much and what kind of
association will help them come closer to Krishna and what kind of association will compromise my
Krishna consciousness.
In choosing our association we also have to remember that people practice spiritual life on different
levels. Some are able to follow strictly the principles and advance quickly in devotional life,
whereas others have material attachments that require a principled compromise - follow a suitable
level of practice (rather than giving up completely) with the ultimate goal in mind. This will result in
slower advancement but at least our material disease doesn't worsen and we don't compromise
our principles trying to justify our less strict following as the ultimate goal. Then the lower principle
becomes the standard principle diluting and polluting spiritual life. So association with those who
follow strictly will have the best effect on our devotional progress, whereas associating with those
of compromised principles could easily become detrimental.
Sanga tyagat is a principle that is applied according to time, place and circumstances, there isn't
one definite standard for all devotees. Sanga tyagat especially means avoiding association that is
harmful for our spiritual life: antidevotional association that attacks our faith and intelligence and
pollutes our desires. Nondevotional association may be neutral in that it is not explicitly damaging
but we should also try to minimise it so we can have more time for positive devotional association.
The best way for giving up harmful association is by coming to the association of devotees, making
friends with devotees and having our emotional exchanges with devotees. Humans are social
creatures so we do need association. Therefore we should choose a company of shared values
and devotional reciprocation. We should also behave in a respectful and courteous manner with
everyone, since a devotee respects everyone and a condescending or impolite behaviour will
alienate people not just from us but Krishna as well. So sanga tyagat means to choose our
association carefully so it nourishes our bhakti, and by that we also minimise the time available for
nondevotional association. Even if externally we have to live or work in nondevotional association,
by keeping devotional association in our hearts, Krishna will protect us and take care of us so we
can continue on the path of bhakti. An example is Rupa and Sanatan Gosvamis - they associated
with the Nawab, worked for him and apparently became Muslims, but it was for the purpose of
providing a safe enclave for brahmins and devotees. Lord Caitanya knew that in their heart they
were always thinking of Krishna and their apparent bad association was for service, so the Lord
accepted them as topmost devotees.
The next principle favourable to bhakti is sato vrtteh. Vrttih means inclination and 'sat' are those
who know that this world is temporary and have an inclination to the higher principles in life like
honesty, selflessness, integrity, etc. By associating with devotees we imbibe their inclinations so
we can also aspire for higher inclinations and constantly thinking of Krishna. Sato vrtteh means
that even when the mind is left alone, it is naturally drawn to Krishna. So by associating with
devotees of such inclination our misconceptions and obstacles to advancement are dispelled. In
such devotee association we should be very attentive so we can learn from and follow the example
of devotees who are naturally inclined to Krishna. Without such association we are unable to make
advancement. We need association, unless we are sufficiently purified and self-motivated,
loneliness is not a solution, so we need to find association conducive to our devotional progress.
Devotee association is better than nondevotee association, but even among devotees we should
seek out the association of those who inspire us and whose values and example we admire and try
to emulate. Such conscious cultivation is important for becoming attracted to Krishna.
The principles described by Rupa Gosvami also correlate to the modes of nature and pure
goodness. When one has no enthusiasm, patience or faith, he is in ignorance. Enthusiasm without
patience and faith is in the mode of passion; enthusiasm and patience without appropriate faith is
in goodness; and enthusiasm and patience with faith that by performing bhakti everything is taken
care of is pure, transcendental goodness. Therefore we should commit ourselves to the practice of
bhakti and cultivate a positive connection with Krishna so we can resist the mind and senses that
have a default nature of dragging us down to matter. Also, by seeking out and cherishing good
association and avoiding association that can infect us with material desires we facilitate our
progress in devotional advancement. We may have to associate with materialists for functional
purposes but such association should be formal, official and courteous, not the sharing of
emotions, joys and sorrows that comprise an emotional exchange - such association should be
reserved for likeminded devotees. Otherwise, we might get caught up in the inebrieties of
materialists and our intelligence becomes eroded by contemplating sense objects. We might start
thinking: 'Why am I torturing myself so much, people seem to live quite happily without chanting so
many rounds and following all these principles and restrictions." and we forget the reason why we
took up chanting and following the principles. On the other hand, by devotee association devotional
desires and intelligence develops. Thus sanga-tyagat and sato-vrtteh are complimentary: giving up
the association of nondevotees and centering all relationships around Krishna, developing
devotional inclinations will help our devotion flourish.
In summary, sanga-tyagat means giving up the association of nondevotees - it is such an important
principle that Rupa Gosvami repeats it in Text 3 after mentioning it in Text 2. Material association
infects us with material desires so to protect ourselves we should have formal, polite and functional
exchanges with nondevotees and reserve emotional exchanges for devotees. We need associatin,
so we should seek out the company of those devotees who nourish our bhakti and inspire us in
devotional service. Sato vrtti thus compliments sanga-tyagat - we associate with devotees whose
inclination (vrttih) is to the eternal (sat) and thus by giving up nondevotee association and seeking
out devotee association our bhakti will flourish.