SB 4.29.70 · Srimad Bhagavatam

Devanagari

नाहं ममेति भावोऽयं पुरुषे व्यवधीयते । यावद् बुद्धिमनोऽक्षार्थगुणव्यूहो ह्यनादिमान् ॥ ७० ॥

Verse text

nāhaṁ mameti bhāvo ’yaṁ puruṣe vyavadhīyate yāvad buddhi-mano-’kṣārtha- guṇa-vyūho hy anādimān

Synonyms

na — not ; aham — I ; mama — mine ; iti — thus ; bhāvaḥ — consciousness ; ayam — this ; puruṣe — in the living entity ; vyavadhīyate — is separated ; yāvat — so long ; buddhi — intelligence ; manaḥ — mind ; akṣa — senses ; artha — sense objects ; guṇa — of the material qualities ; vyūhaḥ — a manifestation ; hi — certainly ; anādi — mān — the subtle body (existing since time immemorial) .

Translation

As long as there exists the subtle material body composed of intelligence, mind, senses, sense objects, and the reactions of the material qualities, the consciousness of false identification and its relative objective, the gross body, exist as well.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

The connection with the gross body expressed through me and mine does not cease for the jīva as long as the beginningless subtle body composed of intelligence, mind, senses and sense objects continues to exist. Because the subtle body is not destroyed when the gross body is destroyed, one cannot say that there is another doer and another enjoyer in each life. This has been explained. There is another doubt. “Through the gross body, the subtle body acts as a doer and enjoyer. But the subtle body never acts alone. In the absence of the gross body, the jīva no longer is a doer. He should then get liberation.” For the jīva (puruṣe) the connection with the gross body, the condition of me and mine, is not cut, as long as the subtle body (guṇa-vyūhaḥ), a transformation of the guṇas, in the form of intelligence, mind senses and sense objects, continues to exist. “When did this start?” That subtle body does not have a known time of beginning (anādimān).

Purport

The desires in the subtle body of mind, intelligence and ego cannot be fulfilled without a gross body composed of the material elements earth, water, air, fire and ether. When the gross material body is not manifest, the living entity cannot factually act in the modes of material nature. In this verse it is clearly explained that the subtle activities of the mind and intelligence continue due to the sufferings and enjoyments of the living entity’s subtle body. The consciousness of material identification (such as “I” and “mine”) still continues because such consciousness has been extant from time immemorial. However, when one transfers to the spiritual world by virtue of understanding Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the actions and reactions of both gross and subtle bodies no longer bother the spirit soul.