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ŚB 11.18.22

Devanagari

अन्वीक्षेतात्मनो बन्धं मोक्षं च ज्ञाननिष्ठया ।
बन्ध इन्द्रियविक्षेपो मोक्ष एषां च संयम: ॥ २२ ॥

Text

anvīkṣetātmano bandhaṁ
mokṣaṁ ca jñāna-niṣṭhayā
bandha indriya-vikṣepo
mokṣa eṣāṁ ca saṁyamaḥ

Synonyms

anvīkṣeta — one should see by careful study; ātmanaḥ — of the soul; bandham — the bondage; mokṣam — the liberation; ca — also; jñāna — in knowledge; niṣṭhayā — by steadiness; bandhaḥ — bondage; indriya — of the senses; vikṣepaḥ — deviation to sense gratification; mokṣaḥ — liberation; eṣām — of these senses; ca — and; saṁyamaḥ — complete control.

Translation

By steady knowledge a sage should clearly ascertain the nature of the soul’s bondage and liberation. Bondage occurs when the senses are deviated to sense gratification, and complete control of the senses constitutes liberation.

Purport

By carefully understanding one’s eternal nature, one will not again be bound up in the shackles of material energy, and by constant engagement in the service of the Absolute Truth, one is liberated. Then the flickering material senses can no longer drag one into the false consciousness of being a material enjoyer. Such steady sense control gives one relief from the harassment of material sense gratification.