Man Is Collored By His Fellowship

mallagrāma nyāyaḥ (village of wrestlers)

There was a village famous for the wrestlers living in it. But there were living also other men, who were far from it being wrestlers. Yet they enjoyed almost the same popularity as those wrestlers only because they were inhabitants of the same village.

This is common sense rule. The spiritual society is based on common sense of this kind, and it is applicable to both, spiritual and material sense. If somebody associates with drunkards, he is considered as bad as them, even he is not yet drunkard. Similarly, if somebody associates with Kṛṣṇa bhaktas, he is to be considered as saintly as them, though not yet quite purified. That is the power and benefit of association.