SB 11.28.41 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

केचिद् देहमिमं धीरा: सुकल्पं वयसि स्थिरम् । विधाय विविधोपायैरथ युञ्जन्ति सिद्धये ॥ ४१ ॥

Verse text

kecid deham imaṁ dhīrāḥ su-kalpaṁ vayasi sthiram vidhāya vividhopāyair atha yuṣjanti siddhaye

Synonyms

kecit — some ; deham — the material body ; imam — this ; dhīrāḥ — self-controlled ; su — kalpam — fit ; vayasi — in youth ; sthiram — fixed ; vidhāya — making ; vividha — by various ; upāyaiḥ — means ; atha — thus ; yuṣjanti — they engage ; siddhaye — for the achievement of material perfections .

Translation

By various methods, some yogīs free the body from disease and old age and keep it perpetually youthful. Thus they engage in yoga for the purpose of achieving material mystic perfections.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

By various methods, some yogīs free the body from disease and old age and keep it perpetually youthful. Thus they engage in yoga for the purpose of achieving siddhis. Some keep the body youthful, free from old age and sickness (sukalpam) by other methods and engage in yoga with meditation for siddhis like entering others’ bodies which do not have disease. But this yoga is not centered on jṣāna.

Purport

The process described here is meant to fulfill one’s material desires, not to bring one transcendental knowledge. Therefore this process cannot be accepted as devotional service to the Lord, according to Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. Despite all such mystic perfections, the material body will ultimately die. Actual eternal youth and happiness are available only on the spiritual platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.