Krishna, who is the Master of illusory energy, may well, out of affection for a being who is His pure devotee, His righteous servant, His beloved son, out of infinite mercy for the surrendered soul, command this invincible force to release its grip and restore the soul to freedom. Therefore, it is only by surrendering oneself to the Supreme Lord that one can escape the powerful clutches of material nature.
The Lord advises: Do not associate with unbelieving materialists.
A spiritual being who has received a human body, which is inherently more conducive to the realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and who has placed himself in the duties of loving and devoted service to the Lord, becomes capable of realizing Him, the very identity of spiritual bliss. Such a living being, entirely dedicated to Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is freed from the influence of maya. Even if he continues to reside in this world created by illusion, he is completely unaffected by it. On the other hand, unbelieving materialistic embodied souls, bound by maya (the energy of illusion), are devoted only to their wombs and genitals. They are impure, and by associating with them, they will fall into the dark pit of ignorance.
One who is intelligent must renounce bad company and not associate with unbelieving materialistic people, but instead allow himself to be attracted to holy beings, great souls. By their transcendental instructions, the saintly devotees of the Lord can break the false attachments of their minds. True saints are always liberated and devoted to the Supreme Person.
Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, says: Having attained this human form of life [the Lord is speaking of a soul that has obtained incarnation in a human body], which gives the opportunity to know Me, and being situated in My devotional service, one can realize Me, the reservoir of all pleasure and the Supersoul of all existence, residing in the heart of every living being. A person fixed in transcendental knowledge is liberated from conditioned life by renouncing his false identification with the attributes and modes of influence of material nature: virtue, passion, and ignorance. Considering these attributes and modes of influence of material nature to be mere illusion, he (the embodied soul) avoids becoming entangled with them. Because the attributes and modes of influence of material nature are simply not real, he does not accept them. One should never associate with materialists, those who devote themselves to satisfying their genitals and wombs. By following them, one falls into the depths of darkness, just as a blind man follows a blind man. An intelligent person must reject all evil associations and instead resume union with the holy devotees (the holy servants of God), whose words sever excessive attachment of the mind. My faithful devotees fix their minds on Me and do not depend on anything material. They are always peaceful, endowed with equal vision, and free from possessions, false ego, duality, and greed. In union with these holy devotees, there is constant discussion about Me, and those who participate in this chanting and listening to My glories are certainly purified of all their sins.