SB 7.2.43 · Srimad Bhagavatam

Devanagari

यथानलो दारुषु भिन्न ईयते यथानिलो देहगत: पृथक् स्थित: । यथा नभ: सर्वगतं न सज्जते तथा पुमान् सर्वगुणाश्रय: पर: ॥ ४३ ॥

Verse text

yathānalo dāruṣu bhinna īyate yathānilo deha-gataḥ pṛthak sthitaḥ yathā nabhaḥ sarva-gataṁ na sajjate tathā pumān sarva-guṇāśrayaḥ paraḥ

Synonyms

yathā — just as ; analaḥ — the fire ; dāruṣu — in wood ; bhinnaḥ — separate ; īyate — is perceived ; yathā — just as ; anilaḥ — the air ; deha — gataḥ — within the body ; pṛthak — separate ; sthitaḥ — situated ; yathā — just as ; nabhaḥ — the sky ; sarva — gatam — all-pervading ; na — not ; sajjate — mix ; tathā — similarly ; pumān — the living entity ; sarva — guṇa — āśrayaḥ — although now the shelter of the modes of material nature ; paraḥ — transcendental to material contamination .

Translation

As fire, although situated in wood, is perceived to be different from the wood, as air, although situated within the mouth and nostrils, is perceived to be separate, and as the sky, although all-pervading, never mixes with anything, so the living entity, although now encaged within the material body, of which it is the source, is separate from it.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Just as fire is perceived to be different from wood, and air within the body is different from the body, so ātmā, situated in the body, is different from it. Just as ether, all-pervading, does not mix with anything, the ātmā, shelter of the body and senses, is different from the body. Examples of being situated in the same place but being different are given. Fire, though situated in wood, is perceived as different from wood because of its power to burn and illuminate. Air, though within the body, is perceived to exist separately in the nostrils. An example is given to show how the ātmā, though situated in the body, does not take on the qualities of the body. Just as ether does not mix with other things, the jīva, though the shelter of body and senses (sarva-guṇa), or, though it takes shelter of them, remains separate. Why do you not become detached from this body of your husband, who died by his karma and was ignored by the Lord?

Purport

In Bhagavad-gītā the Supreme Personality of Godhead has explained that the material energy and spiritual energy both emanate from Him. The material energy is described as me bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā, the eight separated energies of the Lord. But although the eight gross and subtle material energies — namely, earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego — are stated to be bhinnā, separate from the Lord, actually they are not. As fire appears separate from wood and as the air flowing through the nostrils and mouth of the body appear separate from the body, so the Paramātmā, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appears separate from the living being but is actually separate and not separate simultaneously. This is the philosophy of acintya-bhedābheda-tattva propounded by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. According to the reactions of karma, the living being appears separate from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but actually he is very intimately related with the Lord. Consequently, even though we now seem neglected by the Lord, He is actually always alert to our activities. Under all circumstances, therefore, we should simply depend on the supremacy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and thus revive our intimate relationship with Him. We must depend upon the authority and control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.