The scriptures say saints don't die, yet we see their bodies perish. How is this paradox explained?

Chapter 43 addresses this apparent contradiction by using the analogy of a solar eclipse. When we say the sun has been eclipsed, it is merely a defect of our own vision; the sun itself is unchanged. Similarly, the 'death' of a saint is a misperception from our limited viewpoint. The body is described as merely an adjunct. For a saint who has conquered duality and is filled with their true form, the separation of body and senses is not an end. Their spiritual attainment remains, and they may continue to wander in an invisible form as a part of their spontaneous play for the salvation of devotees.