nÄhaá¹ mameti bhÄvo 'yaá¹
puruṣe vyavadhīyate
yÄvad buddhi-mano-'ká¹£Ärtha-
guṇa-vyÅ«ho hy anÄdimÄn
na - not; aham - I; mama - mine; iti - thus; bhÄvaḥ - consciousness; ayam - this; puruá¹£e - in the living entity; vyavadhÄ«yate - is separated; yÄvat - so long; buddhi - intelligence; manaḥ - mind; aká¹£a - senses; artha - sense objects; guṇa - of the material qualities; vyÅ«haḥ - a manifestation; hi - certainly; anÄdi-mÄn - the subtle body (existing since time immemorial).
The desires in the subtle body of mind, intelligence and ego cannot be fulfilled without a gross body composed of the material elements earth, water, air, fire and ether. When the gross material body is not manifest, the living entity cannot factually act in the modes of material nature. In this verse it is clearly explained that the subtle activities of the mind and intelligence continue due to the sufferings and enjoyments of the living entity’s subtle body. The consciousness of material identification (such as “I†and “mineâ€) still continues because such consciousness has been extant from time immemorial. However, when one transfers to the spiritual world by virtue of understanding Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the actions and reactions of both gross and subtle bodies no longer bother the spirit soul.