Shloka 49
Nīti-saṅgraha: Conduct, Association, Kali-yuga Decline, and the Supremacy of Vidyā
दुर्जनस्य हि संगेन सुजनो ऽपि विनश्यति / प्रसन्नमपि पानीयं कर्दमैः कलुषीकृतम्
durjanasya hi saṃgena sujano 'pi vinaśyati / prasannamapi pānīyaṃ kardamaiḥ kaluṣīkṛtam
ദുർജനസംഗം കൊണ്ടു സജ്ജനനും നശിക്കുന്നു; തെളിഞ്ഞ വെള്ളവും ചെളി കലർന്നാൽ മലിനമാകുന്നതുപോലെ.
Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda)
Concept: Saṅga (association) shapes character; avoid duṣṭa-saṅga to preserve virtue.
Vedantic Theme: Sattva is protected by viveka and saṅga-tyāga; guṇa-saṅga leads to guṇa-vikāra.
Application: Choose friends, workplaces, and media environments that reinforce integrity; set boundaries with harmful influences.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.115 (sadācāra/ethics section; surrounding verses on truth, elders, honoring the worthy)
FAQs
This verse teaches that association is morally contagious: even a good person can fall by keeping company with the wicked, so guarding one’s circle is part of dharma.
By warning that conduct is shaped by company, it implies that one’s karma—and thus one’s post-death trajectory—can be harmed when habits and values are corrupted through association.
Choose uplifting communities (satsanga), limit exposure to harmful influences, and cultivate environments that keep your mind and actions ‘clear’ like pure water.