60 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 7, Ch. 7

understands this truth should not be very much anxious about the main-
tenance of his body. There is no possibility of maintaining the body per-
manently or eternally. Antavanta ime dehd nityasyoktah Saririnah. This
is the statement of Bhagavad-gita (2.18). The material body is antavat
(perishable), but the soul within the body is eternal (nityasyoktah
Saririnah). Lord Visnu and the individual souls, who are part and parcel
of Him, are both eternal. Nityo nityandm cetanas cetananadm. Lord
Visnu is the chief living being, whereas the individual living entities are
parts of Lord Visnu. All the various grades of bodies—from the gigantic
universal body to the small body of an ant—are perishable, but the
Supersoul and the soul, being equal in quality, both exist eternally. This
is further explained in the next verses.

TEXTS 19-20

MA MSHI: AY TH: ay AAT: |
aR Ret: TET ATS ATTA: 1128
Cdaeatararrcat wat: a: |
Me WARK Feet Atel AA Roll

atma nityo ’vyayah suddha
ekah ksetra-jna asrayah

avikriyah sva-drg hetur
vydpako ’sangy andvrtah

etair dvadasabhir vidvan
atmano laksanaih paraih

aham mamety asad-bhavam
dehddau mohajam tyajet

atma—the spirit soul, the part of the Supreme Personality of God-
head; nityah—without birth or death; avyayah—with no possibility of
dwindling; suddhah—without the material contamination of attachment
and detachment; ekah—individual; ksetra-jiah—who knows and is
