Shloka 23
Citraketu Offends Śiva, Is Cursed by Pārvatī, and Is Glorified as a Vaiṣṇava
तथापि तच्छक्तिविसर्ग एषां सुखाय दु:खाय हिताहिताय । बन्धाय मोक्षाय च मृत्युजन्मनो: शरीरिणां संसृतयेऽवकल्पते ॥ २३ ॥
tathāpi tac-chakti-visarga eṣāṁ sukhāya duḥkhāya hitāhitāya bandhāya mokṣāya ca mṛtyu-janmanoḥ śarīriṇāṁ saṁsṛtaye ’vakalpate
ถึงกระนั้น ด้วยการแผ่ฤทธิ์แห่งศักติของพระองค์ พระผู้เป็นเจ้าทรงจัดให้ผู้มีร่างกายตามกรรมมีสุข–ทุกข์ ดี–ร้าย พันธะ–โมกษะ และเกิด–ตาย เพื่อให้กระแสสังสารวัฏดำเนินต่อไป
Although the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the ultimate doer of everything, in His original transcendental existence He is not responsible for the happiness and distress, or bondage and liberation, of the conditioned souls. These are due to the results of the fruitive activities of the living entities within this material world. By the order of a judge, one person is released from jail, and another is imprisoned, but the judge is not responsible, for the distress and happiness of these different people is due to their own activities. Although the government is ultimately the supreme authority, the justice is administered by the departments of the government, and the government is not responsible for the individual judgments. Therefore the government is equal to all the citizens. Similarly, the Supreme Lord is neutral to everyone, but for the maintenance of law and order His supreme government has various departments, which control the activities of the living entities. Another example given in this regard is that lilies open or close because of the sunshine, and thus the bumblebees enjoy or suffer, but the sunshine and the sun globe are not responsible for the happiness and distress of the bumblebees.
FAQs
This verse explains that the same divine energy-manifestation can result in bondage or liberation for embodied souls, depending on how it is engaged and understood.
Because embodied life in saṁsāra experiences dualities—benefit/harm, pleasure/pain—through the Lord’s energies operating under karma, which can either bind one further or lead one toward freedom.
See life’s dualities as educative and temporary, and redirect experiences toward spiritual growth—cultivating devotion and detachment so the same circumstances become a path toward liberation rather than bondage.