This article will be permanently flagged as inappropriate and made unaccessible to everyone. Are you certain this article is inappropriate? Excessive Violence Sexual Content Political / Social
Email Address:
Article Id: WHEBN0014657979 Reproduction Date:
Moksha (Sanskrit: मोक्ष, leration) or Mokkha (Jain Prakrit: मोक्ख) means liberation, salvation or soul. It is a blissful state of existence of a soul, completely free from the karmic bondage, free from saṃsāra, the cycle of birth and death. A liberated soul is said to have attained its true and pristine nature of infinite bliss, infinite knowledge and infinite perception. Such a soul is called siddha or paramatman and considered as supreme soul or God. In Jainism, it is the highest and the noblest objective that a soul should strive to achieve. In fact, it is the only objective that a person should have; other objectives are contrary to the true nature of soul. With right view, knowledge and efforts all souls can attain this state. That is why Jainism is also known as mokṣamārga or the “path to liberation”.
However, from the point of view of potentiality of mokṣa, Jain texts bifurcates the souls in two categories–bhavya and abhavya. Bhavya souls are those souls who have faith in mokṣa and hence will make some efforts to achieve liberation. This potentiality or quality is called bhavyata.[1] However, bhavyata itself does not guarantee mokṣa, as the soul needs to expend necessary efforts to attain it. On the other hand abhavya souls are those souls who cannot attain liberation as they do not have faith in mokṣa and hence never make any efforts to attain it.
According to Jainism, Samyak darsana (Rational Perception), Samyak Gyaan(Rational Knowledge) and Samyak Caritra (Rational Conduct) collectively also known as Ratnatraya or the three Jewels of Jainism constitute true Dharma. According to Umasvati, Samyak Darsana, Gyaan Caritra together constitutes mokṣamarga or the path to liberation.[2]
Samyak Darsana or rational perception is the rational faith in the true nature of every substance of the universe.[3]
Samyak Caritra or rational conduct is the natural conduct of a (soul) living being. It consists in following austerities, engaging in right activities and observance of vows, carefulness and controls.[4] Once a soul secures samyaktva, mokṣa is assured within a few lifetimes.
Nirvāna means final release from the karmic bondage. When an enlightened human, such as, an Arhat or a Tirthankara extinguishes his remaining aghatiya karmas and thus ends his worldly existence, it is called nirvāna. Technically, the death of an Arhat is called nirvāṇa of Arhat, as he has ended his wordly existence and attained liberation. Moksa, that is to say, liberation follows nirvāṇa. However, the terms moksa and nirvana are often used interchangeably in the Jain texts.[5][6] An Arhat becomes a siddha, the liberated one, after attaining nirvana.
Kalpasutra gives an elaborate account of Mahavira’s nirvāṇa.[7]
In the fourth month of that rainy season, in the seventh fortnight, in the dark (fortnight) of Karttika, on its fifteenth day, in the last night, in the town of Papa, in king Hastipala's office of the writers, the Venerable Ascetic Mahavira died, went off, cut asunder the ties of birth, old age, and death; became a Siddha, a Buddha, a Mukta, a maker of the end (to all misery), finally liberated, freed from all pains. (123)
That night in which the Venerable Ascetic Mahavira died, freed from all pains, was lighted up by many descending and ascending gods. (125)
In that night in which the Venerable Ascetic Mahavira, died, freed from all pains, the eighteen confederate kings of Kasi and Kosala, the nine Mallakis and nine Licchavis, on the day of new moon, instituted an illuminations on the Poshadha, which was a fasting day; for they said: 'Since the light of intelligence is gone, let us make an illumination of material matter!'(128)
The terms moksa and nirvana are often used interchangeably in the Jain texts.[8][9]
Uttaradhyana Sutra provides an account of Gautama explaining the meaning of nirvāṇa to Kesi a disciple of Parsva.[10]
Buddhism, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Digambara, Shaivism
Jainism, Karma in Jainism, Yoga, Jain philosophy, Digambara
Jainism, Jain philosophy, Jain Agamas, Gautama Buddha, Samsara (Jainism)
Jainism, Jain philosophy, Jain schools and branches, Nudity in religion, Śvētāmbara
Jainism, Karma in Jainism, Jain Agamas, Swastika, Jain cosmology
Jainism, Varanasi, Karma in Jainism, Tirthankara, Jain cosmology
Buddhism, Jainism, Gautama Buddha, Nirvana, Digambara
Tirthankara, Jainism, Varanasi, Mahavira, Digambara
Jainism, Karma in Jainism, Sulfur, Jain Cosmology, Mercury (element)