# Cc. Madhya 22.131 > শ্রীমদ্ভাগবতার্থানামাস্বাদো রসিকৈঃ সহ । > সজাতীয়াশয়ে স্নিগ্ধে সাধৌ সঙ্গঃ স্বতো বরে ॥১৩১॥ ## Text > śrīmad-bhāgavatārthānām > āsvādo rasikaiḥ saha > sajātīyāśaye snigdhe > sādhau saṅgaḥ svato vare ## Synonyms *śrīmad-bhāgavata*—of *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam*; *arthānām*—of the meanings; *āsvādaḥ*—enjoying the taste; *rasikaiḥ saha*—with the devotees; *sa-jātīya*—similar; *āśaye*—endowed with a desire; *snigdhe*—advanced in devotional affection; *sādhau*—with a devotee; *saṅgaḥ*—association; *svataḥ*—for one's self; *vare*—better. ## Translation **“ 'One should taste the meaning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the association of pure devotees, and one should associate with the devotees who are more advanced than oneself and endowed with a similar type of affection for the Lord.** ## Purport The words *sajātīyāśaye snigdhe sādhau saṅgaḥ svato vare* are very important items. One should not associate with professional *Bhāgavatam* reciters. A professional *Bhāgavatam* reciter is one who is not in the disciplic succession or one who has no taste for *bhakti-yoga.* Simply on the strength of grammatical knowledge and word jugglery, professional reciters maintain their bodies and their desires for sense gratification by reading *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.* One should also avoid those who are averse to Lord Viṣṇu and His devotees, those who are Māyāvādīs, those who offend the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra,* those who simply dress as Vaiṣṇavas or so-called *gosvāmīs,* and those who make a business by selling Vedic *mantras* and reciting *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* to maintain their families. One should not try to understand *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* from such materialistic people. According to the Vedic injunctions: *yasya deve parā bhaktiḥ. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* can only be recited by one who has unflinching faith in the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and His devotee, the spiritual master. One should try to understand *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* from the spiritual master. The Vedic injunction states: *bhaktyā bhāgavataṁ grāhyaṁ na buddhyā na ca ṭīkayā.* One has to understand *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* through the process of devotional service and by hearing the recitation of a pure devotee. These are the injunctions of Vedic literature—*śruti* and *smṛti.* Those who are not in the disciplic succession and who are not pure devotees cannot understand the real mysterious objective of *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* and *Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā.*