Nitai: "O My mother, O virtuous lady, these are the qualities of great devotees who are freed from all attachment. You must seek attachment unto such holy men, for this counteracts the pernicious effects of material attachment."

Prabhupada:

ta ete sadhavaḥ; sadhvi
sarva-saṅga-vivarjitaḥ;
saṅgas teṣv atha te prarthyaḥ;
saṅga-doṣa-hara hi te
[SB 3.25.24]

So at our present moment we are saṅga-doṣa-yukta, we are contaminated by the attachment of modes of material nature. Some of us contaminated by the sattva-guṇa, some of us are contaminated by the rajo-guṇa, and some of us is contaminated by the tamo-guṇa, and some of us is contaminated by the tamo-guṇa. So out of the three, the rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa is very dangerous. Rajas-tamo-bhavaḥ; [SB 1.2.19]. Rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa means kama-lobhadayas ca ye, to be contaminated by lusty desires and greediness. So one has to overcome in the beginning, at least, the contamination by rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. At the present moment, especially in this age, the contamination of tamo-guṇa is very prominent, and little rajo-guṇa also, but sattva-guṇa is practically nil in this age, Kali-yuga. It is said in the sastra that sattva-guṇa will be practically nil. Rajas-tamaḥ;. And the aim of life is to become free from all the contaminations, even sattva-guṇa contamination. This has been explained in the Bhagavad-gita very nicely in the Fourteenth Chapter, how to become not contaminated, disinfected.

So here Kapiladeva advises that "Mother, if you want to be disinfected, uncontaminated by this material nature, then you associate with sadhu." That was the beginning.

prasaṅgam ajaraṁ pasam
atmanaḥ; kavayo viduḥ;
sa eva sadhuṣu krto
mokṣa-dvaram apavrtam

This was the beginning, how to become uncontaminated. We have got some attachment to the material modes of nature. That is the cause of our bondage. Now, if we want to be free from this bondage, uncontaminated, then the same attachment should be transferred to the sadhu. Sa eva sadhuṣu krtaḥ;, the same attachment. Everyone has got attachment. Nobody is free of attachment. The Mayavadi philosophy, they say that "Stop this attachment." The Buddha philosophy says that "Make this attachment zero." This is also a little advancement, but it is not possible to make our attachment zero. That is not possible. Therefore Bhagavan says in the Bhagavad..., paraṁ drṣṭva nivartate [Bg. 9.59]. Just like a child has got attachment for playing, and gradually, his attachment should be transferred for reading, going to school, education. But if you stop his attachment, then he will become mad. You must give something. Paraṁ drṣṭva nivartate. Just like we are. To the Western devotees, we are advising them—at least, those who are accepted as our disciples, they must—no meat-eating. They are accustomed to meat-eating, but that how this meat-eating has been stopped? We have given them nice things, kacuris, srṅgara, rasagulla. So they have given up meat-eating. So you must give something more palatable. Then detachment will be possible. First of all nullify the attachment, and then give him better attachment. Then he will forget. Paraṁ drṣṭva nivartate. You cannot force a living entity by force. Gradually... The same example: a child has got attachment, but by some system, its attachment is turned over.

So similarly, our consciousness is there. Somehow or other, it is now contaminated. So gradually, this contaminated consciousness has to be purified, and then Krṣṇa consciousness automatically will arise, will be awakened, because the Krṣṇa consciousness is original consciousness. Somehow or other, it is now covered by material attachment. So how to give up this material attachment and become attached to Krṣṇa, developing Krṣṇa attachment? The process is sadhu-saṅga [Cc. Madhya 22.83]. That is... Sa eva sadhuṣu krtaḥ; mokṣa-dvaram apavrtam. We have got so many attachment for so many things in the material world, and if you simply... You cannot make it zero; that is not possible. You have to purify. Just like if there is some disease in the eyes, if you simply say, "Pluck it out," that is not treatment. Treatment is: you must remove the disease. If there is cataract, by some way or other, then your eyesight will be revived. Similarly, we have got desires, we have got kama, krodha, lobha, moha, matsarya. These are there. But you have to divert these things for Krṣṇa's service. Kamaḥ; krṣṇa-karmarpaṇe. Just like we have got very much attachment toward doing business, for earning money and become very happy. So Krṣṇa says, "Yes, you can do business. There is no harm. But you give Me the result." Yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi yad asnasi yat tapasyasi, kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam [Bg. 9.27]. He does not say that you have to do something particular. Of course, bhakta, bhakti, but one who is not accepting bhakti cult immediately, to him Krṣṇa says, "All right, never mind. Whatever you do, that's all right." Yat karoṣi. He does not say that "Do this." Yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi yad asnasi. "Try to give it to Me."

That is the beginning of bhakti-yoga. If you do business and you earn money and spend it for Krṣṇa consciousness, that is also bhakti. That is also bhakti. Just like vivid example is Arjuna. Arjuna is a fighter, and by fighting, he became a devotee; not by chanting Hare Krṣṇa, but by fighting. Krṣṇa advised him to fight. He was, rather, because he was a Vaiṣṇava, he was not willing to fight, to kill. Vaiṣṇava does not like to kill. But if there is necessity... Just like Arjuna had to kill. That is by the order of Krṣṇa, not by his own will. By his own will, Krṣṇa did..., Arjuna did not like to kill, to fight. That is Vaiṣṇava's natural instinct. He does not wish to do harm or to kill anybody. But when a Vaiṣṇava knows that Krṣṇa wants it, he doesn't care for his own consideration. "Never mind." That is practical example, Krṣṇa.

So similarly, sva-karmaṇa tam abhyarcya [Bg. 18.46]. Everyone has got his some particular duty, occupation. If, by executing your occupational duty, you worship Krṣṇa, then your life is perfect. That is the instruction given in Srimad-Bhagavatam, Naimiṣaraṇya.

ataḥ; pumbhir dvija-sreṣṭha
varṇasrama-vibhagasaḥ;
svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya
saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam
[SB 1.2.13]

Ataḥ; pumbhir dvija-sreṣṭhaḥ;. Pumbhiḥ;, by person. Everyone is engaged in some occupational duty. Formerly it was the varṇasrama: brahmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaisya, sudra, and brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, sannyasi. Everyone has got some particular duty according to his position. Now, the different occupational duties have expanded. It doesn't matter. If you are engineer, if you are medical man, if you are something else, it doesn't matter. Sva-karmaṇa tam abhyarcya [Bg. 18.46]. But try to serve Krṣṇa by the result of your work. That is bhakti. That we have to learn. Our Krṣṇa consciousness movement does not mean that we are going to stop all activities. No, this is not our mission. You be engaged in your activities, but don't forget Krṣṇa. This is our mission. Be always Krṣṇa conscious.

Therefore Krṣṇa says... How to become Krṣṇa conscious? Yat karoṣi: "Whatever you do," kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam: "the result you give Me." Then it will be Krṣṇa consciousness. You always think that you are doing for Krṣṇa. Of course, by the order of Krṣṇa or by His representative, not whimsically. If you do something nonsense and if you think that "I am doing for Krṣṇa," that will not be accepted. It must be verified by the acceptance of Krṣṇa and Krṣṇa's..., or Krṣṇa's representative. Arjuna did not fight without Krṣṇa's order. Therefore we must receive the order. If we say that "We do not find Krṣṇa. How shall I...?" then Krṣṇa's representative. That is sadhu. The Krṣṇa's representative is sadhu. Therefore Kapiladeva is advising herewith that "You, mother, you associate with sadhus." Ete sadhavaḥ;.

He has described the symptoms of sadhu. By the last three, four slokas, he has described what is the symptom. Everything should be accepted by the symptom, characteristic. Not that anyone will come: "I am a sadhu." No. We must know by the characteristic of sadhu. That has been described. Similarly, incarnation of God, not that anyone will come and say, "I am incarnation of God." That will not be accepted. We have to see the characteristics of God as they are stated in the sastra, then we can accept somebody as God by uncommon quality.

So apart from God, now our present problem is that we are entangled by the infection of material qualities, rajas-tamo-bhavaḥ; [SB 1.2.19] especially. Kama-lobhadayas ca ye, ceta etair anaviddhaṁ sthitaṁ sattve prasidati. We have to conquer over the quality, the infection of quality of rajas-tamaḥ;, and then we have to situate ourself in sattva-guṇa. Then we are in the safe position. And if we do not allow to be infected again by the rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, if we keep ourself purely in sattva-guṇa, that is called suddha-sattva, simply purified sattva-guṇa. Then we will be able to understand what is Krṣṇa, what is God. So not only we have to acquire the qualities of sattva-guṇa, satyaṁ samaḥ; saucaḥ; arjavaṁ titikṣa, jñanaṁ vijñanam astikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhava-jam... [Bg. 18.42]. These are the characteristic of sattva-guṇa: truthful... So much so truthful that, as they are stated by the commentators, that even an enemy asks some secret from you, you can say. Suppose a thief has come: "Now, what you have got in your box?" So if you say, "I have got so many thousands of rupees" or "hundreds," truthfulness should be like that. Even to your enemy it should be disclosed. That is called truthfulness. Satyaṁ samaḥ; damaḥ; saucaḥ;, cleanliness. Then controlling the mind, controlling the senses, and simplicity, very simple in behavior, arjava; titikṣa, tolerance; and full knowledge; vijñanam, practical application of knowledge; astikyam, full faith in Vedic literature and in God. These are the qualification of sattva-guṇa.

So everything can be attained very nicely and easily simply by this sadhu-saṅga. Sadhu-saṅga [Cc. Madhya 22.83]. Therefore we repeatedly say that we are trying to create some sadhu so that in different parts of the world they will preach Krṣṇa consciousness, and people will be able to associate with them, and they will become purified. This is Krṣṇa consciousness movement, that sadhu-saṅga. It is very essential. People are suffering on account of being contaminated by the tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa, becoming entangled simply by lusty desires always, just like cats and dogs. So they are becoming more and more entangled. Unfortunately, they do not know that there is life after death, but they do not know what kind of life is going to happen next after death. They are blind, andha. Andha yathandhair upaniyamanaḥ; [SB 7.5.31]. The leaders are also blind.>>> ...