Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 36
Guṇa-viveka, Haṁsa-gītā, and the Yoga that Cuts False Ego
देहं च नश्वरमवस्थितमुत्थितं वा सिद्धो न पश्यति यतोऽध्यगमत् स्वरूपम् । दैवादपेतमथ दैववशादुपेतं वासो यथा परिकृतं मदिरामदान्ध: ॥ ३६ ॥
dehaṁ ca naśvaram avasthitam utthitaṁ vā siddho na paśyati yato ’dhyagamat svarūpam daivād apetam atha daiva-vaśād upetaṁ vāso yathā parikṛtaṁ madirā-madāndhaḥ
Như kẻ say không để ý mình đang mặc áo khoác hay áo trong, cũng vậy, bậc đã thành tựu nhờ chứng ngộ tự tánh không bận tâm thân tạm này đang ngồi hay đứng. Dù theo ý Trời thân này chấm dứt, hay theo ý Trời lại nhận một thân mới, người tự giác ngộ vẫn không xao động, như kẻ say chẳng biết đến y phục bên ngoài.
A Kṛṣṇa conscious person who has achieved his spiritual identity does not accept sense gratification in the material world as the goal of his life. He is constantly engaged in the service of the Lord and knows that the temporary body and flickering mind are material. By superior intelligence in Kṛṣṇa consciousness he remains engaged in the Lord’s service. The example of a drunken man in this verse is very nice. It is common knowledge that at mundane social gatherings men become drunk and lose all awareness of their external situation. Similarly, a liberated soul has already achieved his spiritual body and therefore knows that his continued existence does not depend on the material body. A liberated soul does not, however, inflict punishment on the body but rather remains neutral, naturally accepting his destiny as the will of the Supreme.
FAQs
This verse says the body is perishable and that a perfected sage, having realized his true self (svarūpa), no longer mistakes bodily states—stillness or activity—as the identity of the soul.
King Yadu inquired about the Avadhuta’s fearlessness and freedom; Dattātreya explains that realizing the self makes one indifferent to the body’s coming and going, which is governed by destiny.
Treat bodily conditions—health, fatigue, aging, social image—as temporary “garments,” and anchor identity in the soul through steady sādhana (hearing, chanting, remembrance) and calm witness-consciousness.