Hare Krsna
Please accept my humble obeisance. All glories to Srila Prabhupada
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
In order to become a devotee of Krishna we must associate with devotees — satam prasangan mama virya-samvidah [associating with pure devotees through discussions of Krishna's wonderful activities] [Bhag. 3.25.25]. If there is some piety in ones background then one will come in contact with a devotee. By mixing, associating with a devotee, our knowledge about salvation — getting out of the clutches of maya, this repetition of birth and death — increases. Satam prasangan mama virya-samvidah — discussion on krsna-katha is viryavan, potent. Just like when there is sex life, if the man is viryavan then there will be pregnancy. Similarly, if we hear from a devotee then
immediate action will be there. One will think, "Why not become Krishna conscious?" That is viryavan, potency.
One will develop sraddha, faith. Sraddha bhaktir anukramisyati — from faith, bhakti develops [Bhag. 3.25.25]. Hearing from devotees makes one inclined to become Krishna conscious. Adau sraddha — faith is the beginning of spiritual life. If you want to develop your spiritual life more and more, then satam prasangat, you have to associate with devotees — adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah [Cc. madhya 23.14]. ·
— Lecture in Bombay. 25 November 1974.
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