Shloka 64
यो येन संवसत्येषां स तल्लिङ्गो ऽभिजायते / संवत्सरेण पतति पतितेन सहाचरन्
yo yena saṃvasatyeṣāṃ sa talliṅgo 'bhijāyate / saṃvatsareṇa patati patitena sahācaran
यो येन संवसत्येषां स तल्लिङ्गोऽभिजायते। संवत्सरेण पतति पतितेन सहाचरन्॥
Lord Vishnu (in dialogue to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Association shapes character and destiny; living with the fallen makes one fall within a year through shared conduct.
Vedantic Theme: Saṅga as a driver of saṃskāra; mind takes the form of its objects/companions (saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ—broad Gītā echo).
Application: Curate one’s community; practice satsanga; set boundaries with harmful influences; adopt accountability and supportive ethical networks.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: social sphere (saṅga)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana admonitions on sadācāra and avoiding pāpa-saṅga in dharma-oriented passages
FAQs
This verse states that close company shapes one’s character; living with the unrighteous makes one adopt their “liṅga” (disposition) and leads to moral and spiritual decline.
By warning that habitual association with the fallen produces the same tendencies and sins, it explains how karmic patterns are formed—patterns that later influence one’s post-death condition and consequences described in the Preta Kanda.
Choose daily companionship, mentors, and communities that support dharma; avoid sustained intimacy with harmful influences, since repeated co-living and imitation quickly reshape conduct and values.