ŚB 3.25.25
Kapildev Speaking to His mother Devahuti.
सतां प्रसङ्गान्मम वीर्यसंविदो
भवन्ति हृत्कर्णरसायना: कथा: ।
तज्जोषणादाश्वपवर्गवर्त्मनि
श्रद्धा रतिर्भक्तिरनुक्रमिष्यति ॥ २५ ॥
satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido
bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ
taj-joṣaṇād āśv apavarga-vartmani
śraddhā ratir bhaktir anukramiṣyati
Synonyms
satām — of pure devotees; prasaṅgāt — through the association; mama — My; vīrya — wonderful activities; saṁvidaḥ — by discussion of; bhavanti — become; hṛt — to the heart; karṇa — to the ear; rasa-ayanāḥ — pleasing; kathāḥ — the stories; tat — of that; joṣaṇāt — by cultivation; āśu — quickly; apavarga — of liberation; vartmani — on the path; śraddhā — firm faith; ratiḥ — attraction; bhaktiḥ — devotion; anukramiṣyati — will follow in order.
Translation
In the association of pure devotees, discussion of the pastimes and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very pleasing and satisfying to the ear and the heart. By cultivating such knowledge one gradually becomes advanced on the path of liberation, and thereafter he is freed, and his attraction becomes fixed. Then real devotion and devotional service begin.
Vedabase
(This is in the section describing the glories of Sadhus after Kapildev has said, "Every learned man knows very well that attachment for the material is the greatest entanglement of the spirit soul. But that same attachment, when applied to the self-realized devotees, opens the door of liberation.")
Purport in Srimad Bhagavatam by Srila ACBV Swami Srila Prabhupad:
"The process of advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and devotional service
is described here. The first point is that one must seek the association
of persons who are Kṛṣṇa conscious and who engage in devotional
service. Without such association one cannot make advancement. Simply by
theoretical knowledge or study one cannot make any appreciable
advancement. One must give up the association of materialistic persons
and seek the association of devotees because without the association of
devotees one cannot understand the activities of the Lord. Generally,
people are convinced of the impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth.
Because they do not associate with devotees, they cannot understand that
the Absolute Truth can be a person and have personal activities. This
is a very difficult subject matter, and unless one has personal
understanding of the Absolute Truth, there is no meaning to devotion.
Service or devotion cannot be offered to anything impersonal. Service
must be offered to a person. Nondevotees cannot appreciate Kṛṣṇa
consciousness by reading the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
or any other Vedic literature wherein the activities of the Lord are
described; they think that these activities are fictional, manufactured
stories because spiritual life is not explained to them in the proper
mood. To understand the personal activities of the Lord, one has to seek
the association of devotees, and by such association, when one
contemplates and tries to understand the transcendental activities of
the Lord, the path to liberation is open, and he is freed. One who has
firm faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes fixed, and his
attraction for association with the Lord and the devotees increases.
Association with devotees means association with the Lord. The devotee
who makes this association develops the consciousness for rendering
service to the Lord, and then, being situated in the transcendental
position of devotional service, he gradually becomes perfect."
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Verse is also quoted as verse 60 in 1st chapter of Sr Chaitanya Charitamrta Adi Lila. Purport:
This verse appears in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.25.25),
where Kapiladeva replies to the questions of His mother, Devahūti,
about the process of devotional service. As one advances in devotional
activities, the process becomes progressively clearer and more
encouraging. Unless one gets this spiritual encouragement by following
the instructions of the spiritual master, it is not possible to make
advancement. Therefore, one’s development of a taste for executing these
instructions is the test of one’s devotional service. Initially, one
must develop confidence by hearing the science of devotion from a
qualified spiritual master. Then, as he associates with devotees and
tries to adopt the means instructed by the spiritual master in his own
life, his misgivings and other obstacles are vanquished by his execution
of devotional service. Strong attachment for the transcendental service
of the Lord develops as he continues listening to the messages of
Godhead, and if he steadfastly proceeds in this way, he is certainly
elevated to spontaneous love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
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Page 39 (p. 71/336) of of the PDF document of Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu Bindu talks about this sloka and the previous two:
In this connection it is said in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.25.25):satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvidobhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥtaj-joṣaṇād āśv apavarga-vartmaniśraddhā ratir bhaktir anukramiṣyati. In the association of pure devotees one hears descriptions of My heroic deeds, which are very pleasing to the ear and the heart. Such descriptions bestow real knowledge of My excellence. By regular hearing and contemplation of such topics one is liberated from ignorance, as a result of which one successively attains śraddhā, rati (bhāva-bhakti) and prema-bhakti toward Me.According to the above-mentioned conclusion, sādhu-saṅgais the passageway which brings one face to face with the Lord. By the influence of sādhu-saṅga, the living entity who is averted from the Lord becomes turned toward Him. Furthermore, by that association, śraddhā, rati and prema arise one after another.By the association of sādhus whose attention is not incessantly and exclusively drawn upon the Lord, and in whom śraddhā, rati and prema have not arisen, the conditioned soul cannot be turned toward the Lord, nor can śraddhā, rati or prema develop in him. By the association of sādhus who are attached only to the rituals of proper conduct that are in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Vedas, bhagavad-unmukhatā (attentiveness toward the Lord) and śraddhā, rati and prema cannot arise.Sādhu-saṅga is of two types: the association of siddha-mahāpuruṣas, or perfected souls, who pursue the path of knowledge (jñāna-mārga) and the association of siddha-mahāpuruṣas who pursue the path of bhakti (bhakti-mārga). By the association of jñānīs, śraddhā, rati and prema cannot awaken. Although material attachments may be dissipated by the association of such persons, śraddhā, rati and prema toward the personal form of the Lord do not arise in the jīva. Therefore, their association is irrelevant.Siddha-mahāpuruṣas who pursue the path of bhakti are of three types: (1) bhagavat-pārṣada-deha-prāpta (those who have obtained perfected spiritual bodies as eternal associates of the Lord), (2) nirdhūta-kaṣāya (those who have thrown off all material impurities) and (3) mūrcchita-kaṣāya (those in whom a trace of material contamination still lies dormant)
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P. 149 of Madhurya Kadambini (p. 189/ 516 of the PDF) says this:
In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.25.25),Bhagavān Kapiladeva addresses His mother, Devahūti, thus:satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvidobhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥtaj-joṣaṇād āśv apavarga-vartmaniśraddhā ratir bhaktir anukramiṣyati In the association of exalted devotees, one gains the opportunity to hear of My chivalrous pastimes, which deliver knowledge of My prowess and which are pleasing to the ear and heart. By hearing these pastimes, the path to abolishing ignorance promptly manifests, first as śraddhā,thenrati, and finally prema-bhakti to Me.From this verse it is understood that śraddhā is obtained by receiving the association of mahāpuruṣas, exalted personalities. The type of faith generated by their association or mercy is svābhāvikī, natural. It is also called śāstrīya-śraddhā. This type of faith is advantageous in the performance of pure bhajana to attain love for Kṛṣṇa. Faith that is awakened by force, or ordinary, temporal materialistic faith(laukika-śraddhā), is faith that has not arisen from the association or mercy of exalted devotees. Rather, it has been adopted artificially by imitating others. This type of śraddhā has no particular use in the execution of pure bhajana. Upon attaining the association of exalted devotees, however, a person with such laukika-śraddhā can make his life successful by achieving svābhāvikī-śraddhā, or śāstrīya-śraddhā.
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Text 36 of Bhajan Rahasya (p. 111 of the book, p. 143 of the PDF) says
Bhajana-rahasya-vṛtti: By great fortune, the living entity wandering throughout material existence may attain that kind of sukṛti which bestows bhakti. When this sukṛti accumulates over many births, it gives rise to faith (śraddhā) in exclusive devotion. When śraddhā arises, the desire to associate with pure devoteesand true saints manifests, and by this association, one will gradually develop a taste for sādhana and bhajana. When anarthas are removed and this śraddhā becomes pure, it transforms into niṣṭhā, which in turn, when pure, transforms into ruci. The beauty of bhakti makes this ruci very fixed, and thus turns it into āsakti. Gradually this āsakti gains perfection and transforms into bhāva. When bhāva combines with its corresponding components in the right proportion, rasa appears. This is the gradual development leading to the appearance of prema.
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Initiation Lecture by Srila Prabupad AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupad.
Prabhupāda: So those who are initiated now, your path is now open to Kṛṣṇa's abode. Satāṁ prasaṅga: by association of devotees. Satām. Satām means devotees. Sat, sat means that exists eternally is called sat. Kṛṣṇa is sat, oṁ tat sat. So devotees are also sat. So satāṁ prasaṅga, by association . . . prasaṅga means very intimate association. Saṅga means association, and pra means still elevated or intimate association.
Kṛṣṇa's words, Kṛṣṇa's teachings, Kṛṣṇa's topics, they become
very palatable in the association of devotee. In the association of
non-devotee one cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, neither it becomes very
palatable. Bhagavad-gītā is well known in your country since a very long time. There are so many editions of Bhagavad-gītā in your country, Indian and foreign editions. Many.
But nobody could become a Kṛṣṇa conscious . . . a Kṛṣṇa's
devotee, because they were not discussed amongst the devotees. They took
it, Bhagavad-gītā, as table talks or some sort of philosophical .
. . they could not seriously understand Kṛṣṇa, because the writing or
discussing or discourses took place amongst the non-devotees. Satāṁ prasaṅgāt.
But if you want actually Kṛṣṇa, then you have to talk of Kṛṣṇa
amongst devotees. We are opening different centers just to give people
chance they may have intimate association with the devotees. Satāṁ prasaṅgāt mama vīrya-saṁvido. Vīrya-saṁvida. Vīrya means full potency. Mama vīrya-saṁvida bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ. Hṛd means heart, and karṇa means ear. Rasāyanāḥ means pleasing, very pleasing, tasteful, rasāyanāḥ. So:
- satāṁ prasaṅgam mama vīrya-saṁvido
- bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ
- (SB 3.25.25)
First of all, in order to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one has to be engaged about Kṛṣṇa. Just like Bhagavad-gītā: Kṛṣṇa is preaching a philosophy to Arjuna. People try to understand. That is kṛṣṇa-kathā. That kṛṣṇa-kathā becomes effective when they're discussed within the circle of devotees. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido. Actually it is full of potency.
Just contrary to this, there is another injunction, by Sanātana Gosvāmī: avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam na suryatram (Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, quoted from Padma Purāṇa). When kṛṣṇa-kathā, Kṛṣṇa topics, is discussed by a person who is not a vaiṣṇava, dedicated life to Kṛṣṇa, that is not to be heard. Avaiṣṇava mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam.
One fashionable speaker is teaching Bhagavad-gītā . . . just like the other day a rascal came, he, he's announcing that he's the authority of Bhagavad-gītā.
You know that rascal? (laughter) Very well. Yes. (indicating devotee)
He wanted to study from Sanskrit from the rascal. You could not
understand; that I see. So śāstra says, śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam (Hari-bhakti-vilāsa): one should not hear from him. Why? Kṛṣṇa-kathā is nice. Why it should not be heard from a person who is not a devotee, but he may be scholar? But Sanātana Goswami says, śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam, never.
He recites the first half of the sloka several times, there's audio at the link.
