Shloka 4
अविद्याबीज-निरूपणं, योगस्वरूप-उपदेशः, मूर्तहरिधारणा-समाधि, जनकवंशीय-राजर्षिसंवादः
यत्राशक्तस्य मे दोषो नैवास्त्य् अपहृते त्वया बन्धायैव भवत्य् एषा अविद्याप्य् अक्रमोज्झिता
yatrāśaktasya me doṣo naivāsty apahṛte tvayā bandhāyaiva bhavaty eṣā avidyāpy akramojjhitā
In that matter, I—being powerless—incur no fault, once you have taken it away. Yet this ignorance, though removed in due order, still becomes a cause of bondage alone.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreyā in dialogue)
Concept: Even when an external cause is removed and one is blameless due to incapacity, ignorance (avidyā) persists as the root of bondage unless uprooted in the proper way.
Vedantic Theme: Moksha
Application: Do not rely only on changing circumstances; pursue sustained self-knowledge and devotion-based discernment to remove the underlying patterns that recreate bondage.
Vishishtadvaita: Bondage is due to ignorance of one’s dependence on the Lord; liberation requires right knowledge and grace, not merely external rearrangement.
Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
Avidyā is presented as the binding force: even when it is being removed in an orderly way, it can still function as bondage until it is fully dispelled.
He frames blame as not attaching to one who is powerless when the obstructing factor has been removed by another—highlighting the role of higher agency in releasing the bound soul.
Though not named in the verse, the logic aligns with Vaishnava Vedanta: liberation ultimately depends on the Supreme’s grace removing ignorance, while bondage persists as long as avidyā remains operative.