114
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 7, Ch. 2]
embracing a young woman in a dream; for some time it may be pleasing, but actually the basic principle is false. The mental concoctions of happiness and distress in this material world are compared to dreams because of their falseness. All thoughts of obtaining happiness by using the material senses have a false background and therefore have no meaning.
TEXT 49
अथ नित्यमनित्यं वा नेह शोचन्ति तद्विदः । नान्यथा शक्यते कर्तुं स्वभावः शोचतामिति ॥४९॥
atha nityam anityam vā neha śocanti tad-vidaḥ nānyathā śakyate kartum sva-bhāvaḥ śocatām iti
atha —therefore;  nityam —the eternal spirit soul;  anityam —the temporary material body;  vā —or;  na —not;  iha —in this world;  śocanti —they lament for;  tat-vidaḥ —those who are advanced in knowledge of the body and soul;  na —not;  anyathā —otherwise;  śakyate —is able;  kartum —to do;  sva-bhāvaḥ —the nature;  śocatām —of those prone to lamentation;  iti —thus.
TRANSLATION
Those who have full knowledge of self-realization, who know very well that the spirit soul is eternal whereas the body is perishable, are not overwhelmed by lamentation. But persons who lack knowledge of self-realization certainly lament. Therefore it is difficult to educate a person in illusion.
PURPORT
According to the  mīmāṁsā  philosophers, everything is eternal,  nitya , and according to the  Śāṅkhya  philosophers everything is  mithyā , or  anitya —impermanent. Nonetheless, without real knowledge of  ātmā , the soul, such philosophers must be bewildered and must continue to lament as  śūdras . Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī therefore said to Parikṣit Mahārāja: