Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.7.41
Mukti· LiberationYou Are Not the Temporary Body
“Although a self-realized soul may live in various material bodies while in this world, experiencing their various qualities and functions, he is never entangled, just as the wind which carries various aromas does not actually mix with them.”
What the purport teaches
- The wind carries different aromas without changing its actual nature. Similarly, bodily qualities cover the spirit soul but do not belong to the soul itself.
- A Kṛṣṇa conscious person experiences bodily changes, pains and pleasures without thinking, 'I am this body.' He understands himself to be an eternal spirit soul, part and parcel of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
- One should not judge a Kṛṣṇa conscious person by bodily designations. Rather, one should see him as an eternal servitor of the Lord.
Try this today
When a bodily label comes to mind today, pause and remember: 'I am an eternal spirit soul, part and parcel of Lord Kṛṣṇa.'
Ask yourself
Which bodily label do I most often mistake for my true identity?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.