contact with bad fellows can result in acquiring evil propensities

 

अपां प्रवाहो गाङ्गोऽपि समुद्रं प्राप्य तद्रसः।

भवत्यवश्यं तद्विद्वान्नाश्रयेदशुभात्मकम्॥

कामन्दकीनीति

apāṁ pravāho gāṅgo'pi samudraṁ prāpya tadrasaḥ|

bhavatyavaśyaṁ tadvidvānnāśrayedaśubhātmakam||

kāmandakīnīti

The water, even if it is flowing from the river Ganga would forcibly assume the salty taste of the ocean when it mixes with the seas.

Likewise, learned and nice people, when they are in contact with bad fellows in all likelihood would assume the evil propensities and attitudes of such nasty people.

Therefore, good and virtuous people should never seek company of the nasty ones.

Word by word meaning

(Of course, I have filled in the gaps)

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गाङ्गोऽपि even if it is from Ganga (the river of pure water)

अपां प्रवाहो flow of waters

समुद्रं प्राप्य reaching the ocean

अवश्यं तद्रसः भवति indeed becomes one with it in taste

तद विद्वान् ( नरः) the sensible man who knows that

अशुभात्मकं न आश्रयेत् should never depend on keep company with impure and bad things..