Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.20.8

ya evam santam ātmānam

ātma-stham veda pūrushah

nājyate prakriti-stho 'pi

tad-gunaih sa mayi sthitah

SYNONYMS

yah — anyone who; evam — thus; santam — existing; ātmānam — the individual ātmā and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Paramātmā; ātma-stham — situated within his body; veda — knows; pūrushah — person; na — never; ajyate — is affected; prakriti — in material nature; sthah — situated; api — although; tat-gunaih — by the material modes of nature; sah — such a person; mayi — in Me; sthitah — situated.

TRANSLATION

Although within the material nature, one who is thus situated in full knowledge of the Paramātmā and ātmā is never affected by the modes of material nature, for he is always situated in My transcendental loving service.

PURPORT

When the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears in this material world, He is not affected by the modes of material nature. Similarly, those who are always connected with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, even though they be within the material body or the material world, are not affected by the material qualities. That is explained very nicely in Bhagavad-gītā (14.26):

mām ca yo 'vyabhicārena

bhakti-yogena sevate

sa gunān samatītyaitān

brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

[Bg. 14.26]

"One who is unflinchingly engaged in the devotional service of the Lord surpasses the material qualities and attains Brahman realization." In this connection Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī says that if a person is always engaged in the service of the Lord with his body, words and mind, he is to be considered liberated, although living in the material world.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness