anvÄ«ká¹£etÄtmano bandhaá¹
moká¹£aá¹ ca jñÄna-niṣṭhayÄ
bandha indriya-viká¹£epo
moká¹£a eá¹£Äá¹ ca saá¹yamaḥ

 anvÄ«ká¹£eta - one should see by careful study; Ätmanaḥ - of the soul; bandham - the bondage; moká¹£am - the liberation; ca - also; jñÄna - in knowledge; niṣṭhayÄ - by steadiness; bandhaḥ - bondage; indriya - of the senses; viká¹£epaḥ - deviation to sense gratification; moká¹£aḥ - liberation; eá¹£Äm - of these senses; ca - and; saá¹yamaḥ - complete control.


Text

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.