ÄtmÄnaá¹ ced vijÄnÄ«yÄt
paraá¹ jñÄna-dhutÄÅ›ayaḥ
kim icchan kasya vÄ hetor
dehaá¹ puṣṇÄti lampaá¹aḥ
ÄtmÄnam - the soul and the Supersoul; cet - if; vijÄnÄ«yÄt - can understand; param - who are transcendental, beyond this material world; jñÄna - by knowledge; dhuta-ÄÅ›ayaḥ - one who has cleansed his consciousness; kim - what; icchan - desiring material comforts; kasya - for whom; vÄ - or; hetoḥ - for what reason; deham - the material body; puṣṇÄti - he maintains; lampaá¹aḥ - being unlawfully addicted to sense gratification.
Of course, everyone in this material world is interested in maintaining the body for sense gratification, but by cultivating knowledge one should gradually understand that the body is not the self. Both the soul and the Supersoul are transcendental to the material world. This is to be understood in the human form of life, especially when one takes sannyÄsa. A sannyÄsÄ«, one who has understood the self, should be engaged in elevating the self and associating with the Superself. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for elevating the living being for promotion back home, back to Godhead. Seeking such elevation is one’s duty in the human form of life. Unless one performs this duty, why should one maintain the body? Especially if a sannyÄsÄ« not only maintains the body by ordinary means but does everything to maintain the body, including even eating meat and other abominable things, he must be a lampaá¹aḥ, a greedy person simply engaged in sense gratification. A sannyÄsÄ« must specifically remove himself from the urges of the tongue, belly and genitals, which disturb one as long as one is not fully aware that the body is separate from the soul.