arthe hy avidyamÄne 'pi
saá¹sá¹›tir na nivartate
dhyÄyato viá¹£ayÄn asya
svapne 'narthÄgamo yathÄ
arthe - real cause; hi - certainly; avidyamÄne - not existing; api - although; saá¹sá¹›tiḥ - the material existential condition; na - not; nivartate - does cease; dhyÄyataḥ - contemplating; viá¹£ayÄn - objects of the senses; asya - of the living entity; svapne - in a dream; anartha - of disadvantages; Ägamaḥ - arrival; yathÄ - like.
Actually, the living entity is transcendental to material existence. But because of his mentality of lording it over material nature, his material existential condition does not cease, and, just as in a dream, he is affected by all sorts of disadvantages.
This same verse and other very similar verses occur elsewhere in the ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam: Third Canto, Chapter Twenty-seven, verse 4; Fourth Canto, Chapter Twenty-nine, verses 35 and 73; and Eleventh Canto, Chapter Twenty-two, verse 56. In fact, this verse completely explains the essence of illusion.
