Canto 11: General HistoryChapter 13: The Hamsa-avatara Answers the Questions of the Sons of Brahma

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 11.13.37

deho 'pi daiva-vasa-gah khalu karma yavat

svarambhakam pratisamikshata eva sasuh

tam sa-prapancam adhirudha-samadhi-yogah

svapnam punar na bhajate pratibuddha-vastuh

SYNONYMS

dehah -- the body; api -- even; daiva -- of the Supreme; vasa-gah -- under the control; khalu -- indeed; karma -- the chain of fruitive activities; yavat -- as long as; sva-arambhakam -- that which initiates or perpetuates itself; pratisamikshate -- goes on living and waiting; eva -- certainly; sa-asuh -- along with the vital air and senses; tam -- that (body); sa-prapancam -- with its variety of manifestations; adhirudha -- highly situated; samadhi -- the stage of perfection; yogah -- in the yoga system; svapnam -- just like a dream; punah -- again; na bhajate -- does not worship or cultivate; pratibuddha -- one who is enlightened; vastuh -- in the supreme reality.

TRANSLATION

The material body certainly moves under the control of supreme destiny and therefore must continue to live along with the senses and vital air as long as one's karma is in effect. A self-realized soul, however, who is awakened to the absolute reality and who is thus highly situated in the perfect stage of yoga, will never again surrender to the material body and its manifold manifestations, knowing it to be just like a body visualized in a dream.

PURPORT

Although Lord Krishna recommended in the previous verse that a self-realized soul not give attention to the body, it is clear from the Lord's statement here that one should not foolishly starve or injure the body, but should patiently wait until the chain of one's previous fruitive work has completely exhausted itself. At that time the body will automatically die according to destiny. The following doubt may then arise: If a Krishna conscious person pays proper attention to the maintenance of the body, is there danger of again becoming attached to it? Lord Krishna here states that one who is highly elevated in Krishna consciousness, having understood Lord Krishna to be the actual vastu, or reality, never again surrenders to the illusory identification with the material body, which is just like the body seen in a dream.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
His Holiness Hrdayananda dasa Goswami
Gopiparanadhana dasa Adhikari
Dravida dasa Brahmacari