Narada Bhakti Sutra - Post 53

Sutra 44. Kamakrodhamoha smritibhramsa buddhinaasa sarvanaasakaaranatwaat.

[Because it is the cause of lust, anger, delusion, loss of memory, loss of intellect and total ruin.]

Kama: desire, lust

Krodha: anger;

Moha: delusion, infatuation, bewilderment

smritibhramsa: loss of memory

Buddhinaasa: loss of intellect

Sarvanaasa: total ruin

Kaaranatwaat: being the cause of.

Desire is born of Rajas. It generates both greed and anger. It is the cause for commission of sin.

The opposite of evil company “dussanga” is “Satsanga”.

The natural tendency of the mind is to stick to something. It is normally sticking to vishayas or objects. If this tendency is to be annihilated, it must be turned to God or Atma .

“Buddhinasa” or loss of discrimination refers to the inability to distinguish between truth and falsehood, the permanent and the impermanent, good and bad, right and wrong, etc .

Lord Krishna says : 

“Man thinking on the objects of sense, develops an attachment to these ; 

from attachment arises desire (to own / enjoy the object to whom he gets attached)

from desire anger proceeds; (anger is there when he is not able enjoy / attain the object to which he gets attached)

from anger arises delusion; (when anger arises, it obstructs the reasoning capacity of man and he is deluded thus)

from delusion confused memory; (A deluded man loses sharp memory)

from confused memory the destruction of reason; (On losing memory, man ceases to use his power of reasoning / discrimination)

from destruction of reason he perishes.” (The last stroke, without discrimination, man is not a man, so Krishna says, he perishes, i.e., The value / preciousness of human birth is lost, though he may still be alive and leading a life which is of no use)

Gita Ch. 11-62-63.

Sutra 45. Tarangaayita apeeme sangaatsamu- draayanti.

[Though they (evil tendencies, lust, anger etc.) appear only in the form of ripples in the beginning, they become like an ocean as a result of evil company.]

Tarangaayitah : acting as ripples

api : even though

Ime :  these (lust, anger, etc.)

Sangaat : by (evil) association ;

Samudraayanti : become like an ocean.

An aspirant should be afraid of even faint traces of evil till they are totally eradicated. Just as fire under the ashes may assume the form of a huge flame by the blowing of a strong wind, so also suppressed evil may assume a huge form through evil company.

Therefore the aspirant should be ever vigilant and avoid evil company ruthlessly.

In the beginning lust and anger may be checked when they are in the form of ripples ;. but it is very difficult to curb them when they assume the form of a big ocean owing to evil company.

Swami  very often says these lines "Tell me your company and I will tell you what you are".

Mind seeks gratification of senses, fulfillment of lower passion etc. 

When such a man puts himself in bad company, those who are there in that company, fuel his thoughts and convince him that he is not doing a sin by resorting to fulfillment of sensual desires / passions etc. 

Man always wants people around to appreciate his thoughts, his feelings, his actions and thus, man falls prey to such false recognition of his evil desires in the company of evil.

Whereas, when he opts for satsangh, such noble men to whom he approaches will never tell some thing just to please him, but they will tell only what is right and what is wrong.

That is why, it is said, even if you are not able to reform yourself, just be in good company, never leave satsangh, make satsangh a part of your daily routine, always try to listen to words of noble / learned men and try your best to practice what they say / teach.

Love.