Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 11 Chapter 13 Verse 37

Canto 11: General History | Chapter 13: The Haḿsa-avatāra Answers the Questions of the Sons of Brahmā

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.13.37

deho 'pi daiva-vaśa-gaḥ khalu karma yāvat

svārambhakaḿ pratisamīkṣata eva sāsuḥ

taḿ sa-prapañcam adhirūḍha-samādhi-yogaḥ

svāpnaḿ punar na bhajate pratibuddha-vastuḥ

SYNONYMS

dehaḥ — the body; api — even; daiva — of the Supreme; vaśa-gaḥ — under the control; khalu — indeed; karma — the chain of fruitive activities; yāvat — as long as; sva-ārambhakam — that which initiates or perpetuates itself; pratisamīkṣate — goes on living and waiting; eva — certainly; sa-asuḥ — along with the vital air and senses; tam — that (body); sa-prapañcam — with its variety of manifestations; adhirūḍha — highly situated; samādhi — the stage of perfection; yogaḥ — in the yoga system; svāpnam — just like a dream; punaḥ — again; na bhajate — does not worship or cultivate; pratibuddha — one who is enlightened; vastuḥ — 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 Kṛṣṇa 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 Kṛṣṇa conscious person pays proper attention to the maintenance of the body, is there danger of again becoming attached to it? Lord Kṛṣṇa here states that one who is highly elevated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, having understood Lord Kṛṣṇa 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 Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
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