mahat-sevÄm - service to the spiritually advanced persons called mahÄtmÄs; dvÄram - the way; Ähuḥ - they say; vimukteḥ - of liberation; tamaḥ-dvÄram - the way to the dungeon of a dark, hellish condition of life; yoá¹£itÄm - of women; saá¹…gi - of associates; saá¹…gam - association; mahÄntaḥ - highly advanced in spiritual understanding; te - they; sama-cittÄḥ - persons who see everyone in a spiritual identity; praÅ›ÄntÄḥ - very peaceful, situated in Brahman or BhagavÄn; vimanyavaḥ - without anger (one must distribute Kṛṣṇa consciousness to persons who are hostile without becoming angry at them); suhá¹›daḥ - well-wishers of everyone; sÄdhavaḥ - qualified devotees, without abominable behavior; ye - they who.
The human body is like a junction. One may either take the path of liberation or the path leading to a hellish condition. How one can take these paths is described herein. On the path of liberation, one associates with mahÄtmÄs, and on the path of bondage one associates with those attached to sense gratification and women. There are two types of mahÄtmÄs — the impersonalist and the devotee. Although their ultimate goal is different, the process of emancipation is almost the same. Both want eternal happiness. One seeks happiness in impersonal Brahman, and the other seeks happiness in the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As described in the first verse: brahma-saukhyam. Brahman means spiritual or eternal; both the impersonalist and the devotee seek eternal blissful life. In any case, it is advised that one become perfect. In the words of Caitanya-caritÄmá¹›ta (Madhya 22.87):
asat-saá¹…ga-tyÄga, — ei vaiṣṇava-ÄcÄra
‘strÄ«-saá¹…gī’ — eka asÄdhu, ‘kṛṣṇÄbhakta’ Ära
To remain unattached to the modes of material nature, one should avoid associating with those who are asat, materialistic. There are two kinds of materialists. One is attached to women and sense gratification, and the other is simply a nondevotee. On the positive side is association with mahÄtmÄs, and on the negative side is the avoidance of nondevotees and women-hunters.