22.88-90
satyam saucam daya maunam
buddhir hrih srir yasah ksama
samo damo bhagas ceti
yat-sangad yati sanksayam
tesv asantesu mudhesu
khanditatmasv asadhusu
sangam na kuryac chocyesu
yosit-krida-mrgesu ca
na tathasya bhaven moho
bandhas canya-prasangatah
yosit-sangad yatha pumso
yatha tat-sangi-sangatah
SYNONYMS
satyam—truthfulness; saucam—cleanliness; daya—mercy; maunam—silence; buddhih—intelligence; hrih—modesty; srih—beauty; yasah—fame; ksama—forgiveness; samah—controlling the mind; damah—controlling the senses; bhagah—opulence; ca—and; iti—thus; yat—of whom; sangat—by the association; yati—goes to; sanksayam—complete destruction; tesu—among them; asantesu—who are restless; mudhesu—among the fools; khandita-atmasu—whose self-realization is spoiled; asadhusu—not saintly; sangam—association; na—not; kuryat—should do; socyesu—who are full of lamentation; yosit—of women; krida-mrgesu—who are like toy animals; ca—also; na—not; tatha—so much; asya—of him; bhavet—there may be; mohah—illusion; bandhah—binding; ca—and; anya—other types; prasangatah—from association; yosit-sangat—by association with women; yatha—as; pumsah—of the man; yatha—as well as; tat-sangi-sangatah—by association with persons attached to women " ’By association with worldly people, one becomes devoid of truthfulness, cleanliness, mercy, gravity, spiritual intelligence, shyness, austerity, fame, forgiveness, control of the mind, control of the senses, fortune and all opportunities.
One should not at any time associate with a coarse fool who is bereft of the knowledge of self-realization and who is no more than a toy animal in the hands of a woman.
The illusion and bondage that accrue to a man from attachment to any other object are not as complete as that resulting from association with a woman or with men too attached to women.’
PURPORT
These verses, quoted from Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.31.33-35), were spoken by Kapiladeva, an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to His mother.
Herein Kapiladeva discusses pious and impious activities and the symptoms of those who are devoid of devotional service to Krsna.
Generally people do not know about the miserable conditions within the womb of a mother in any species of life.
Due to bad association, one gradually falls into lower species.
Association with women is greatly stressed in this regard.
When one becomes attached to women or to those who are attached to women, one falls down into the lower species purusah prakrti-stho hi
bhunkte prakrti-jan gunan
karanam guna-sango ’sya
sad-asad-yoni-janmasu “The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature.
This is due to his association with that material nature.
Thus he meets with good and evil among various species.” (Bhagavad-gita 13.22) According to Vedic civilization, one’s association with women should be very much restricted.
In spiritual life there are four asramas-brahmacarya, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa.
The brahmacari, vanaprastha and sannyasi are completely forbidden to associate with women.
Only grhasthas are allowed to associate with women under certain very restricted conditions-that is, one associates with women to propagate nice children.
Other reasons for association are condemned.