This potent verse of the Yājñavalkya fundamentally frames the entire yogic project within the concept of māyā, a term resonant with the Upaniṣads and later elaborated upon in haṭha yoga. The assertion that “all bondage is created by māyā” signifies that the illusionary nature of the phenomenal world – our attachment to the perceived self and its desires – constitutes the very source of suffering and limitation. This bandha, or binding, arises from mistaking the ātman for the limited, conditioned puruṣa. Furthermore, the verse directly equates everything—the entire universe and our experience within it—as māyā, simultaneously identifying it with sat-chit-ananda – existence, consciousness, and bliss.

The phrase “liberation comes from the dissolution of māyā” isn’t merely a process of removing obstacles, but rather a return to the fundamental state of pure consciousness, the unmanifested reality described as sat-chit-ananda. This dissolution isn’t achieved through intellectual understanding alone, but through a direct experiential realization of the illusory nature of the self and its attachments. The term vilapana—often translated as ‘desire’ or ‘longing’—highlights the dynamic process of clinging that fuels this illusion, a process that must be actively overcome. Ultimately, this verse presents a concise and radical diagnosis of the human condition, pointing towards a path of transformative awareness that seeks to transcend the limitations imposed by māyā and realize the underlying reality of Brahman.