FolioCorpusCaitanya-caritāmṛta

Caitanya-caritāmṛta 22.88-90

satyaṁ śaucaṁ dayā maunaṁ buddhir hrīḥ śrīr yaśaḥ kṣamā śamo damo bhagaś ceti yat-saṅgād yāti saṅkṣayamteṣv aśānteṣu mūḍheṣu khaṇḍitātmasv asādhuṣu saṅgaṁ na kuryāc chocyeṣu yoṣit-krīḍā-mṛgeṣu cana tathāsya bhaven moho bandhaś cānya-prasaṅgataḥ yoṣit-saṅgād yathā puṁso yathā tat-saṅgi-saṅgataḥ
[satyam shaucham dayaa maunam buddhir hreeh shreer yashah kshamaa shamo damo bhagash cheti yat-sangaad yaati sankshayamteshv ashaanteshu moodheshu khanditaatmasv asaadhushu sangam na kuryaach chochyeshu yoshit-kreedaa-mrigeshu chana tathaasya bhaven moho bandhash chaanya-prasangatah yoshit-sangaad yathaa pumso yathaa tat-sangi-sangatah]
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
satyaṁ śaucaṁ dayā maunaṁ buddhir hrīḥ śrīr yaśaḥ kṣamā śamo damo bhagaś ceti yat-saṅgād yāti saṅkṣayamteṣv aśānteṣu mūḍheṣu khaṇḍitātmasv asādhuṣu saṅgaṁ na kuryāc chocyeṣu yoṣit-krīḍā-mṛgeṣu cana tathāsya bhaven moho bandhaś cānya-prasaṅgataḥ yoṣit-saṅgād yathā puṁso yathā tat-saṅgi-saṅgataḥ
“ ‘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 much attached to women.’

These verses, quoted from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (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 Kṛṣṇa. 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. puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇānkāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo ’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-gītā 13.22) According to Vedic civilization, one’s association with women should be very much restricted. In spiritual life there are four āśramas — brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. The brahmacārī, vānaprastha and sannyāsī are completely forbidden to associate with women. Only gṛhasthas are allowed to associate with women under certain very much restricted conditions — that is, one associates with women to propagate nice children. Other reasons for association are condemned.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
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