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arthe hy avidyamāne 'pi

saḿsṛtir na nivartate

dhyāyato viṣayān asya

svapne 'narthāgamo yathā

TRANSLATION

Actually a 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.

PURPORT

The example of a dream is very appropriate. Due to different mental
conditions, in dreams we are put into advantageous and disadvantageous
positions. Similarly, the spirit soul has nothing to do with this
material nature, but because of his mentality of lording it over, he
is put into the position of conditional existence.

Conditional existence is described here as dhyāyato viṣayān asya.
Viṣaya means "an object of enjoyment." As long as one continues to
think that he can enjoy material advantages, he is in conditioned
life, but as soon as he comes to his senses, he develops the knowledge
that he is not the enjoyer, for the only enjoyer is the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (5.29), He is
the beneficiary for all the results of sacrifices and penances
(bhoktāraḿ yajña-tapasām), and He is the proprietor of all the three
worlds (sarva-loka-maheśvaram). He is the actual friend of all living
entities. But instead of leaving proprietorship, enjoyment and the
actual position as the friend of all living entities to the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, we claim that we are the proprietors, the
enjoyers and the friends. We perform philanthropic work, thinking that
we are the friends of human society. Someone may proclaim himself to
be a very good national worker, the best friend of the people and of
the country, but actually he cannot be the greatest friend of
everyone. The only friend is Kṛṣṇa.

One should try to raise the consciousness of the conditioned soul to
the platform of understanding that Kṛṣṇa is his actual friend. If
one makes friendship with Kṛṣṇa, one will never be cheated, and he
will get all help needed. Arousing this consciousness of the
conditioned soul is the greatest service, not posing oneself as a
great friend of another living entity. The power of friendship is
limited. Although one claims to be a friend, he cannot be a friend
unlimitedly. There are an unlimited number of living entities, and our
resources are limited; therefore we cannot be of any real benefit to
the people in general. The best service to the people in general is to
awaken them to Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that they may know that the
supreme enjoyer, the supreme proprietor and the supreme friend is
Kṛṣṇa. Then this illusory dream of lording it over material nature
will vanish.

- Srimad Bhagavatam :: 3.27.4