Association shapes our nature; therefore devotees must carefully choose saintly company to avoid spiritual contamination.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.15.34 — December 12, 1973, Los Angeles 731212SB-LOS ANGELES [38:34 Minutes] SB-01.15.34_731212SB-LOS ANGELES Pradyumna: [leads chanting of verse] [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] yayāharad bhuvo bhāraṁ tāṁ tanuṁ vijahāv ajaḥ kaṇṭakaṁ kaṇṭakeneva dvayaṁ cāpīśituḥ samam [SB 1.15.34] [break]
Prabhupāda: Word meaning. Pradyumna: yayā—that by which; aharat—took away; bhuvaḥ—of the world; bhāram—burden; tām—that; tanum—body; vijahau—relinquished; ajaḥ—the unborn; kaṇṭakam—thorn; kaṇṭakena—by the thorn; iva—like that; dvayam—both; ca—also; api—although; īśituḥ—controlling; samam—equal. [02:14] Translation: "The Supreme Unborn, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, caused the members of the Yadu dynasty to relinquish their bodies, and thus He relieved the burden of the world. This action was like picking out a thorn with a thorn, though both are the same to the controller." Prabhupāda: So Kṛṣṇa's two business is going on in this material world.
One is paritrāṇāya sādhūnām [Bg. 4.8], and the other is vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām. One business is to give protection to the law-abiding devotees. Devotee means who accept the Supreme Lord as the supreme controller and accept himself as subordinate. This is devotee.
Devotee is not very... Actually, we are subordinate to the laws of nature, and the nature is being manipulated by the Lord. Therefore, ultimately we are subordinate to the Supreme Lord. God is great; everyone knows it.
But I am not great; I am subordinate. Acceptance of this philosophy means, I mean to say, godly conscious or Kṛṣṇa conscious. Very simple thing. There is no difficulty. But the demons are so rascal, they will not admit it.
They are already under control—prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ [Bg. 3.27]—under the control of the stringent laws of material nature. Still, foolishly that rascal demon is thinking that he is free. This is rascaldom. Just like a outlaw: an outlaw is thinking that he doesn't care for the government.
Although he is put into jail, he is punished there, still, he is declaring, "No, I don't care for the government." Madness. So as Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given us to understand, that jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. A living entity is eternally servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is his position.