58
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 7, Ch. 7]
Śrī-sampradāya, and Kumāra-sampradāya.  Sampradāya-vihīnā ye mantrās te niṣphalā matāḥ.  The knowledge of the Supreme received from such a  sampradāya , or disciplic succession, can give one enlightenment. If one does not take to the path of disciplic succession, it is not possible for one to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If one understands the Supreme Lord through devotional service with faith in the disciplic succession and then advances further, he awakens his natural love for God, and then his success in life is assured.
TEXT 18
जन्माद्याः षडिमे भावा दृष्टा देहस्य नात्मनः ।
फलानामिव वृक्षस्य कालेनेश्वरभूर्तिना ॥१८॥
janmādyāḥ ṣaḍ ime bhāvā dṛṣṭā dehasya nātmanaḥ phalānām iva vṛkṣasya kāleneśvara-mūrtinā
janma-ādyāḥ —beginning with birth;  ṣaṭ —the six (birth, existence, growth, transformation, dwindling and at last death);  ime —all these;  bhāvāḥ —different conditions of the body;  dṛṣṭāḥ —seen;  dehasya —of the body;  na —not;  ātmanaḥ —of the soul;  phalānām —of the fruits;  iva —like;  vṛkṣasya —of a tree;  kālena —in due course of time;  īśvara-mūrtinā —whose form is the ability to transform or control the bodily activities.
TRANSLATION
Just as the fruits and flowers of a tree in due course of time undergo six changes—birth, existence, growth, transformation, dwindling and then death—the material body, which is obtained by the spirit soul under different circumstances, undergoes similar changes. However, there are no such changes for the spirit soul.
PURPORT
This is a very important verse in understanding the difference between the spiritual soul and the material body. The soul is eternal, as stated in  Bhagavad-gūtā  (2.20):