True knowledge is understanding the soul is eternally distinct from the body it temporarily occupies.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Bhagavad-gītā 13.2–4 — December 31, 1972, Bombay 721231BG-BOMBAY [32:05 Minutes] Bg-13.02–04_721231BG-BOMBAY Pradyumna: “I am also the knower in all bodies, and to understand this body and its owner is called knowledge. That is my opinion.” [Bg. 13.3]
Prabhupāda: So everyone, everyone gives his opinion. Kṛṣṇa also says opinion. So whose opinion we shall accept? If we take votes, whose opinion we shall accept?
Kṛṣṇa says, mataṁ mama: “This is My opinion.” Knowledge means to understand the owner of the body and the body. The body and the owner-body—not the same thing. Just like the owner of the house and the house, they’re not the same thing. And knowledge means one should know what is this house and who is the owner.
That is knowledge. But they’re mixing. In the modern age they are mixing the owner of the house and the house. Mixing together.
And this is ignorance. They’re identifying this body as self. The self is the owner of the body, and the body is different. Body is made of matter: earth, water, air, fire, ether, mind, intelligence, ego.
This is the combination of the body. And the soul is different. The soul is governing the body, utilizing the body, working on the body. Therefore it is, in the beginning, it is said, idaṁśarīraṁ kaunteya kṣetram ity abhidhīyate [Bg. 13.2] This body is kṣetra, field of activity.
Just like we are in Bombay, everyone is busy actively. So Bombay is the field of activity; you are not Bombay. If one identifies himself with this Bombay city—“I am Bombay”– this is foolishness. Bombay city is different from me, but I am working in Bombay city in different capacity.