FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.19.34

सान्निध्यात्ते महायोगिन्पातकानि महान्त्यपि । सद्यो नश्यन्ति वै पुंसां विष्णोरिव सुरेतरा: ॥ ३४ ॥
sānnidhyāt te mahā-yogin
[saannidhyaat te mahaa-yogin]
pātakāni mahānty api
[paatakaani mahaanty api]
sadyo naśyanti vai puṁsāṁ
[sadyo nashyanti vai pumsaam]
viṣṇor iva suretarāḥ
[vishnor iva suretaraah]
sānnidhyāt — on account of the presence te — your mahā-yogin — O great mystic pātakāni — sins mahānti — invulnerable api — in spite of sadyaḥ — immediately naśyanti — vanquished vai — certainly puṁsām — of a person viṣṇoḥ — like the presence of the Personality of Godhead iva — like sura-itarāḥ — other than the demigods.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sānnidhyāt te mahā-yogin
sānnidhyāt
on account of the presence
te
your
mahā-yogin
O great mystic
pātakāni mahānty api
pātakāni
sins
mahānti
invulnerable
api
in spite of
sadyo naśyanti vai puṁsāṁ
sadyaḥ
immediately
naśyanti
vanquished
vai
certainly
puṁsām
of a person
viṣṇor iva suretarāḥ
viṣṇoḥ
like the presence of the Personality of Godhead
iva
like
sura-itarāḥ
other than the demigods.
Just as the atheist cannot remain in the presence of the Personality of Godhead, so also the invulnerable sins of a man are immediately vanquished in your presence, O saint! O great mystic!

There are two classes of human beings, namely the atheist and the devotee of the Lord. The devotee of the Lord, because of manifesting godly qualities, is called a demigod, whereas the atheist is called a demon. The demon cannot stand the presence of Viṣṇu, the Personality of Godhead. The demons are always busy in trying to vanquish the Personality of Godhead, but factually as soon as the Personality of Godhead appears, by either His transcendental name, form, attributes, pastimes, paraphernalia or variegatedness, the demon is at once vanquished. It is said that a ghost cannot remain as soon as the holy name of the Lord is chanted. The great saints and devotees of the Lord are in the list of His paraphernalia, and thus as soon as a saintly devotee is present, the ghostly sins are at once vanquished. That is the verdict of all Vedic literatures. One is recommended, therefore, to associate only with saintly devotees so that worldly demons and ghosts cannot exert their sinister influence.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O great yogī! The greatest sins are destroyed immediately by closeness to you, just as the demons are destroyed by closeness to the Lord.
As the atheist cannot remain in the presence of the Personality of Godhead, so the invulnerable sins of a man are immediately vanquished in your presence. Holy company is direct medicine.
Reflection Questions
  • What 'invulnerable sin' of mine might dissolve in the right company?
  • Where am I avoiding the company that would heal me?
📝 My note

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