Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvitiya Skandha, Shloka 22
Parīkṣit’s Comprehensive Inquiries and the Bhāgavata as Śabda-avatāra
यो वानुशायिनां सर्ग: पाषण्डस्य च सम्भव: । आत्मनो बन्धमोक्षौ च व्यवस्थानं स्वरूपत: ॥ २२ ॥
yo vānuśāyināṁ sargaḥ pāṣaṇḍasya ca sambhavaḥ ātmano bandha-mokṣau ca vyavasthānaṁ sva-rūpataḥ
Wahai Bhagavan, jelaskan juga bagaimana makhluk yang menyatu dalam tubuh Tuhan diciptakan, dan bagaimana golongan pāṣaṇḍa (penolak dharma) muncul di dunia. Terangkan hakikat ikatan dan pembebasan jiwa, serta keadaan makhluk yang tidak terikat menurut sifat asalnya.
The progressive devotee of the Lord must inquire from the bona fide spiritual master how living entities merged in the body of the Lord again come back at the time of creation. There are two kinds of living entities. There are the ever-liberated, unconditioned living beings as well as the ever-conditioned living beings. Of the ever-conditioned living beings, there are two divisions. They are the faithful and the infidels. Of the faithful there are again two divisions, namely the devotees and the mental speculators. The mental speculators desire to merge into the existence of the Lord, or to become one with the Lord, whereas the devotees of the Lord desire to keep separate identities and constantly engage in the service of the Lord. The devotees who are not fully purified, as well as the empiric philosophers, become conditioned again during the next creation for further purification. Such conditioned souls become liberated by further progress of devotional service to the Lord. Mahārāja Parīkṣit asked all these questions from the bona fide spiritual master in order to become fully equipped in the science of God.
FAQs
This verse frames bandha and mokṣa as topics to be understood in relation to the soul’s true nature (svarūpataḥ), implying that liberation is clarity of the self beyond misidentification, and bondage arises from contrary conditioning.
Parīkṣit seeks a complete, Bhagavata-based account of how misguided doctrines arise within creation, so that one can recognize them and remain aligned with genuine spiritual realization and devotion.
By noticing recurring inner habits that drive choices, one can deliberately cultivate sādhana and devotion that replace harmful impressions with God-centered remembrance, reducing the causes of bondage.