The eternal soul pervades the body through consciousness and cannot be destroyed, remaining eternally individual.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Bhagavad-gītā 2.17 — August 23, 1973, London 730823BG-LONDON [35:57 Minutes] Bg-02.17_730823BG-LONDON Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [leads chanting of verse] [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam vināśam avyayasyāsya na kaścit kartum arhati [Bg. 2.17] [break] [leads chanting of synonyms] avināśi—imperishable; tu—but; tat—that; viddhi—know it; yena—by whom; sarvam—all of the body; idam—this; tatam—widespread; vināśam—destruction; avyayasya—of the imperishable; asya—of it; na kaścit—no one; kartum—to do; arhati—able.
[02:50] Translation: "Know that which pervades the entire body is indestructible. No one is able to destroy the imperishable soul." Prabhupāda: avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam vināśam avyayasyāsya na kaścit kartum arhati [Bg. 2.17] Now it is very clearly enunciated, the nature of the soul. Any sensible man can understand. This is practical.
Formerly, all the verses, they were more or less theoretical: dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā [Bg. 2.13]. This is..., it may be taken theoretical. Not theoretically, but actually the fact, but still less intelligent cannot understand that there is a soul within this body. But here it is explained very clearly: avināśi tu tad viddhi.
Tat—that thing which is spread all over the body. Avināśi tu tad viddhi. Tad—that, avināśi—imperishable. So what is spread all over the body? Consciousness.
That is spread all over the body. Everyone can understand that if I pinch any part of my body or your any part of the body, you feel pain. Or similarly, if you get some other facilities, pleasure, so pains and pleasure are felt so long there is consciousness. Any man can understand.
And as soon as the consciousness is not there—sometimes we are made unconsciousness by drugs, by chloroform and other anaesthetic medicine, or by nature—unconscious stage. There are three stages: jāgarti, svapna, suṣupti. Anyone has got this experience. One stage is that you are awakened, another stage is sleeping, and another stage is unconscious. Three stages: jāgarti, svapna and suṣupti, the Sanskrit name.
Jāgarti, when you are awakened, our consciousness is very acute, very strong. In sleeping stage there is consciousness, but it is not so active. And unconscious stage means consciousness is some way or other subdued, not working. Three stages.