Sushmajee
Dictionary Of Hindu Religion | Dictionary
Dictionary-M | |
Moksh |
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P-Q R S T-U V-W-X Y-Z (1) Emancipation. (2) Beatitude. (3) No rebirth. (4) Being free from taking birth in this world. (5) Final Liberation. (6) Mukti, Nirvaan. Mukti is of five kinds - There are
four means of Mukti (emancipation) - Brahm Gyaan, Shraaddh in Gayaa,
death in Goshaalaa (where cows are kept), and living in Kurukshetra. Soorya said - "There
are four types of Moksh - Moksh or Mukti in Sanskrit language refers to liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth and thereby from all the sufferings and limitations of worldly existence. According to Hindu scriptures, liberation occurs when the individual soul (Jeevaatmaa) recognizes its identity with the Substratum, the Source of all phenomenal existence viz. Brahm or Paramaatmaa. Moksh is seen by the A-Dwait as a state of perfection and final release from one's worldly conception of Self, the loosening of the shackle of experiential duality and re-establishment in one's own fundamental nature. The Ultimate Truth, according to them, is oneness without form or being, something which is without manifestation. Moksh is union or merger with that One. The concept of Moksh and Buddhist Nirvaan or Enlightenment are more or less comparable. According to the Dwait (Dualists) and Vishisht Dwait (Qualified A-Dwait schools of the Vaishnav tradition), Moksh is a stage on the path to union or merger with God (Eeshwar) and is not considered as a state of Perfection. Our Scriptures tell us that Self-Realization (Aatm-Siddhi or Aatm-Saakshaatkaar) is true Moksh. The Bhagavad Geetaa describes four disciplines (Yog) or paths (Maarg) for attainment of Moksh. They are the path of selfless work (Karm Yog); path of Pure Devotion or Love (Bhakti Yog), path of absolute discernment or Knowledge (Gyaan Yog) and the path of royal meditative immersion (Dhyaan or Raaj Yog). Different schools of philosophy lay emphasis on different paths for attaining Liberation. This humble self, however, is of the view, that a proper synthesis of all the four Yog is a must for attaining Moksh or Mukti. While the path of selfless work is, no doubt, noble and lofty, it has to combine with it Devotion and Knowledge. Similarly, the path of Royal Meditation, bereft of Devotion and Knowledge, is not perfect and so on. Unless one can practice simultaneously the essence of all the four disciplines, Mukti or Moksh is not guaranteed.
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Created by Sushma Gupta on 3/15/06
Contact: sushmajee@yahoo.com
Updated on
09/12/12