88 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 8, Ch. 19
TRANSLATION

When a tree is uprooted it immediately falls down and begins to
dry up. Similarly, if one doesn’t take care of the body, which is
supposed to be untruth—in other words, if the untruth is
uprooted—the body undoubtedly becomes dry.

PURPORT
In this regard, Srila Ripa Gosvami says:
prapancikataya buddhya
hari-sambandhi-vastunah
mumuksubhih parityago
vairagyam phalgu kathyate

“One who rejects things without knowledge of their relationship to
Krsna is incomplete in his renunciation.” (Bhakti-rasémrta-sindhu
1.2.266) When the body is engaged in the service of the Lord, one should
not consider the body material. Sometimes the spiritual body of the spiri-
tual master is misunderstood. But Srila Ripa Gosvami instructs,
prapafcikataya buddhya hari-sambandhi-vastunah. The body fully
engaged in Krsna’s service should not be neglected as material. One who
does neglect it is false in his renunciation. If the body is not properly
maintained, it falls down and dries up like an uprooted tree, from which
flowers and fruit can no longer be obtained. The Vedas therefore enjoin:

om iti satyam nety anrtam tad etat-pusparm phalam vaco yat satyam
sahesvaro yasasvi kalydna-kirtir bhavita. puspam hi phalam vacah
satyam vadaty athaitan-milam vaco yad anrtam yad yatha urksa
Gvirmiilah susyati, sa udvartata evam evdnrtam vadann avirmiilam
atmanam karoti, sa Susyati sa udvartate, tasmad anrtam na vaded
dayeta tv etena.
The purport is that activities performed with the help of the body for the
satisfaction of the Absolute Truth (om tat sat) are never temporary, al-
though performed by the temporary body. Indeed, such activities are
everlasting. Therefore, the body should be properly cared for. Because
