deho ’pi daiva-vasa-gah khalu karma yavat

 svarambhakam pratisamiksata eva sasuh

tam sa-prapañcam adhirudha-samadhi-yogah

 svapnam punar na bhajate pratibuddha-vastuh

 

Translation: 

 

The material body certainly moves under the control of supreme destiny and therefore must continue to live along with the senses and vital air as long as one’s karma is in effect. A self-realized soul, however, who is awakened to the absolute reality and who is thus highly situated in the perfect stage of yoga, will never again surrender to the material body and its manifold manifestations, knowing it to be just like a body visualized in a dream.

 

Purport: 

 

Although Lord Krsna recommended in the previous verse that a self-realized soul not give attention to the body, it is clear from the Lord’s statement here that one should not foolishly starve or injure the body, but should patiently wait until the chain of one’s previous fruitive work has completely exhausted itself. At that time the body will automatically die according to destiny. The following doubt may then arise: If a Krsna conscious person pays proper attention to the maintenance of the body, is there danger of again becoming attached to it? Lord Krsna here states that one who is highly elevated in Krsna consciousness, having understood Lord Krsna to be the actual vastu, or reality, never again surrenders to the illusory identification with the material body, which is just like the body seen in a dream.