Mukti or Muksha in Hinduism: the Work on Reputation in the Next Life

Introduction:

Mukti salvation or liberation is the same things with respect to their meaning. It is the release of the soul from the cycle of samara. In order to understand about the concept of Mukti in Hinduism, it is essential to know about Hinduism and Mukti separately. In Hinduism, four main goals of a person’s life are explained which include Artha, karma, dharma, and Mukti. The ultimate goal of one’s life is Mukti or Muksha.

Hinduism:

According to the population Hinduism is considered as the third-largest country of the world after Christianity and Islam. It is considered as the oldest religion of the world. Almost 950 million people are believers of Hinduism in the world that comprising approximately 14% of the world’s population. Hinduism is dominant in India. Also, the believers of this religion are present throughout the world in minority. Among these most important countries are Nepal and Sri Lanka. The origin of Hinduism is not clear, no one knows the exact date and founder of this religion. Due to the absence of a proper founder this religion is considered as unique from other religions of the world. Moreover, it also lacks proper religious writings.

Different writers and critics expressed their ideas about Hinduism in the following words. Sir Charles Eliot's remarks expressed their notion about Hinduism in such words;

“Hinduism has not been made but has grown. It is a jungle, not a building.”

Similarly, K. M. Sen remarks about Hinduism his book Hinduism that;

“Hinduism is more like a tree that has grown gradually than like a building that has been erected by some great architect at some definite point in time. It contains within itself the influences of many cultures and the body of Hindu thought thus offers as much variety as the Indian nation itself.” 

Another writer Thomas Patrick Burke describes the same concept in his words that are stated as

“Hinduism is not a unified and single entire, but the sum total of the traditional religious beliefs and practices of the Indian people, a colorful, diverse, and complex set of traditions inherited from a long history, and sometimes only loosely.”

From this statement, we can deduce that Hinduism is not a single root rather it is further divided into different branches on the basis of their concepts and the God which they believe.

The doctrine of Karma is the major belief of Hinduism according to which four aims of life are mentioned. These four principles of Karma are dharma(duty), Artha(wealth), kama(wish), and moksha(liberation). Hence muksha is considered as the final destination of every soul in Hinduism. Hindus believe that every soul is trapped in the cycle of birth and rebirth and it can only be set free from this cycle when he attains muksha. Therefore, it is obligatory for each and every person to attain muksha. For the attainment of muksha many methods are described in Hinduism. These methods include good deeds, pious life, and a life in which a person follows all the orders of God. These principles are the definition of ideal dharma. A person can only get muksha when he follows all these principles.

Mukti Muksha:

The dictionary meaning of Mukti or Muksha is salvation or liberation. According to different scholars, normal man(purush) is the primary cause of this universe's creation. Purusharatha (aims of life) helps us in achieving muksha. If we complete our reason of creation, then we can attain muksha easily. Muksha actually is the release of the soul and moves towards its eternal life. It is also believed in Hinduism that the soul is mortal. After attaining muksha, the soul does not vanish it only transfers from person’s body to eternal life. This concept is also explained in Bhagavad Gita, according to this liberation is just the renewal of the soul. It is exactly matched to the concept that just like a person changes its old clothes and wears new ones, the soul does this same thing and this cycle repeats until a person attains muksha.

Concept of Moksha in Hinduism:

The concept of moksha is present in every religion but it is quite different in every religion. Hindus strongly believe in the cycle of birth and rebirth and they claim that the resent life of a person is the result of rebirth from a previous life. They also believe that the next rebirth of a person’s soul is a result of Karma that he done in his previous life and the result of that karmas reveals at every moment in his present life. If a person does good deeds in his previous life, then his soul will be transformed into a pious personality in the next life and vice versa. A person’s personality describes his deeds of his previous life. Hence, the cycle of birth and rebirth moves on with the cycle of desire, actions, and its results, and the soul remains entrapped in this world.

Hindus considered that the main source of recreation is the desire and actions (karmas) that we do in our life. This cycle of rebirth is known as samsara in Sanskrit. But the final aim of life in Hinduism is the attainment of moksha or to break this cycle of rebirth.

Types of Muksha or Mukti in Hinduism:

In Hinduism, different types of moksha or mukti is attained by their different Sufi or believers. Different believers adopt different methods of moksha such as yoga, bhakti, etc. In different books of the Hindu religion, eight different types of moksha are mentioned that are as follows.

1. Salokya Mukti.
2. Samipya or Sannidhya Mukti.
3. Sarupya Mukti.
4. Sayujya Mukti.
5. Krama muktiAvantara Mukti.
6. Vishishtadvaita Moksha.
7. Purva- Mimamsa Mukti.
8. Apavarga Mukti.

The detailed discussion on all these eight types of muksha are as follow.

1. Salokya Mukti:

In this type of muksha or mukti Hindus believes that the final destination of the released soul is ishta-lokathat is towards the dwelling of God (Vishnu) and remains there peacefully. A person who devotes himself for Vishnu God and abides by all the rules and regulation of God can attain such moksha. For this, a person has to follow all the ethical disciplines, do the right actions, and meditate.

2. Samipya or Sannidhya Mukti:

In this type of mukti the released soul relishes the pleasure of closeness to Personal God. a person who dedicates himself for Vishnu God and follows all the rules and regulations of God can attain such mukti. For this, a person has to follow all the ethical disciplines, do the right actions, and meditate.

3. Sarupya Mukti:

In this type of mukti the released soul adores intense happiness by gaining the form of God.

4. Sayujya Mukti:

In this type of muksha, the released soul becomes the part of Personal God by absorbing in it. According to Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita, Sayujya Mukti has two further types.

i. Brahma Sayujya.

ii. Ishvara Sayujya.

Brahma Sayujya –The literal meaning of Brahma Sayujya is that person who fused in Brahman or Brahmajyoti. Brahman is the pure soul which is a spiritual spark and isolated itself from the process of samara (the process of birth and rebirth).

Ishvara Sayujya – it is the type of muksha in which the soul is directly fused with the Lord. One is to merge into the body of the Lord directly like Shishupala's soul and is considered even more ghastly by the devotees. Because when we merge in the impersonal effulgence of the Lord, some great devotees can come there and save us and make us qualified to go to the Vaikuntha planets to directly serve the Lord. But when the soul merges in the body of the Lord, the soul is doomed to never achieve direct devotional service to the Lord.

5. Krama muktiAvantara Mukti:

It is the type of mukti in which a person goes through different stages to attain such mukti. In this, the person uses particular sounds such as Aum and some other methods during meditation. After the attainment of mukti the particular person goes Brahma-Loka after his death. This is the place where he got the knowledge of Saguna Brahman. When the entire universe is dissolved at the end of the Kalpa, he becomes one with Brahman and is not born again. This is called krama-mukti or avantara-mukti.

6. Vishishtadvaita Moksha:

In Hinduism, Vaikuntha is considered as the monarchy of Personal God, and the person who attains this type of muksha after death remains there peacefully. Also that person attains some powers of God which include omniscience, etc. opposite to God that devotee cannot create the world. While living in Vaikuntha devotee has to be obedient to God. They believe that Bhakti Yoga is the key to attaining such a type of muksha.

7. Purva- Mimamsa Mukti:

In order to gain the grace of God, every religion has certain rules and ethics that have to follow. Similarly, in Hinduism, if a person wants to gain Purva-Mimamsa Mukti then he has to follow certain rules such as the right performance of rituals. These particular rules are described in Vedas. It is believed that when a person gains mukti his soul moves towards heaven and lives there peacefully. While some people consider it as the end of pain and suffering that a person has to face, according to them mukti is just a state in which a person gains release from the cycle of rebirth. For them, there is no concept of heavenly bliss.

8. Apavarga Mukti:

In Apavarga mukti the person is liberated from all the worldly qualities. In order to gain such type of liberation person has to reject all the worldly qualities and emotions such as pleasure, joy, anger, rage or any other experience of life. Moreover, such liberation is achieved by doing good deeds, following all the ethical values, and gaining knowledge of reality. If someone became successful in achieving liberation, then he is free from the cycle of birth and rebirth.

Stages of Muksha Mukti in Hinduism:

In Hinduism, the religion moksha is divided into two different stages. These two stages are;

• Jivanmukti.
• Videhamukti.

Jivanmukti:

In Jivanmukti liberation is attained in this life. In this stage of mukti the person realizes his self and universe in true meaning. He realizes the true reason of the formation of this universe and human beings. Hence, this stage is also known as Atma Jnani (person who spiritually knows himself) as well as Brahma Jnani (person who has the spiritual knowledge of the universe). Therefore, at the end of the life of that person that has attained the Jivanmukti ultimately got the paramukti which is considered as the final liberation. When this person became a preacher then teaches the knowledge of self and universe that person is known as Avadhutas.

Videhamukti:

Videhamukti is another stage of mukti and it is totally different from Jivanmukti. It is the liberation of the soul after death. This stage indicated that the soul is released from the cycle of birth and rebirth that is the process of samara.

Methods to attain Mukti Muksha:

The first step to attain mukti is to isolate itself from worldly desires such as sadness, happiness, wrath, anxiety, and frustration, etc. This is the basic step of liberation in one’s life. This creates a path for someone who wants to attain liberation in this life or after death.

According to the famous book of Hinduism religion Bhagwat Gita, there are three major pathways that a Hindu can adopt in order to gain mukti. These three ways are as follows;

• The Way of Works.
• The Way of Knowledge.
• The Way of Devotion.

The Way of Works:

According to this method, a person can attain salvation only by his karma. He has to do good deeds and perform all the religious duties. Karma plays a key role in attaining salvation in this method. Thus The Way of Works is also termed as Karma marga.

The Way of Knowledge:

As it is discussed in detail that the necessary condition to achieve salvation is to gain knowledge of self and God. Also, person has to gain the knowledge of his creation in this world. Self-realization and God’s realization help in attaining mukti in this method.

The Way of Devotion:

Another important method of attaining mukti is the way od devotion. It is a dedication to God and His creature. Devotion to God’s creature includes the love of family, love of human beings, etc. when a person starts caring of God’s creature then he forgot himself and perform his duties towards humanity which leads the person to God’s bliss and he became able to attain salvation. In Bhagwat Gita, the person's attention is brought on this topic. Hence commitments and action also play an important role in attaining salvation.

According to the different philosophies of Vedanta, it is not compulsory for someone to leave this world in order to gain liberation, he can also attain liberation in this life. The necessary condition for this purpose is to release himself from worldly desires and negativity. Also, a person has to gain the spiritual meaning of the soul as well as the life and reason of its creation. Moreover, there is another stage of liberation that a person can achieve after his death which is termed as Videhamukti. In this the soul releases itself from the sufferings and desires of life. A person who is Jivanmukta confronts both stages of mukti that is Jivanmukti and Videhamukti. Hence, such type of person is termed as paramukti.

After Muksha Mukti attainment:

According to the spiritual concept of life, life is all about gaining the knowledge of self and recognizing the identity of the creator. It is not about gaining achievement in a particular field of life, gaining a large amount of money, and collecting materialistic things. After spending a couple of years in this world and passing from the cycle of birth and rebirth soul recognizes his reason of creation and started struggling for the attainment of mukti. Mukti can be attained by different methods that are persuaded by different religious people such as yoga. In yoga, the Hindus got indulged in God’s reality. God’s grandeur dominates over his intellect and now he is called as Janani. The literal meaning of Janani is the knower od the Known. After continuous practice of yoga, he is able to stabilize himself and repeatedly refresh his God’s realization. In this situation, the Janani lost his worldly life and his need of physical body and rebirth vanishes, As the reason of his creation completes and became completely aware of God and His magnificence and that person’s soul is liberated from the samara process.

After mukti the soul starts struggling in its inner world so that it can again merge in God which is its origin. The terms mukti or moksha in Hinduism is used solely to describe the process in which the soul in which is set free from the cycle of samara. According to Hinduism, muksha is attained only when a person became completely aware of himself and God. It is not a process that every person can experience yet the great effort is required to gain this state of self-realization. The released soul sometimes is also termed as Atma.

In Hinduism, every Hindu has an extreme desire to gain muksha. Also, they knew about this fact that it is not compulsory that mukti is attained in this world. It might be possible that if a person is struggling to attain muksha he might attain it after his death. Hence Hindus did not give all the time to this. They have a belief that they can gain muksha in their next life or after death. Also, only those souls can attain muksha that gain the state of self and God-realization.

Hindus have a concept that the soul undergoes from the process of samara and its next life is completely dependent on the karmas of its previous life. When a person spends a couple of years in this world he performs certain actions that may be good or bad. If he had done good deeds more in his previous life, then he must be a good person in his next life but if he had done bad actions more in his previous life then he must be a bad person in his next life. This is because that he became responsible for his actions and knows that he has to pay back the consequences of his actions in his next life. Just like life death also has key importance it is the end of one cycle in the process of samara and is considered as the 'last sacrifice'.

Conclusion:

Having intense and vast history Hinduism is considered as a complex religion.it is evolved to a large extent from the time of the Dravidian and Aryan people until today. The major religion in India and many other countries of the world nowadays is Hinduism. It is observed that Hinduism is one of the most effective religions of the world. Many of its concepts are adopted by different other religions such as the concept of karma and moksha etc. religions that follow the concept of Hinduism are Buddhism and Jainism. The central idea of this religion is based on the belief that all the things either living or non-living are directly or indirectly connected with a soul which is often termed as Brahman in the Hindu religion. Also, the final goal of Brahman is to achieve muksha. If we conclude this discussion, then we can say that majority of the Hindu community people have a strong belief that a person has to sacrifice different things in order to gain salvation. Moreover, some other notions are also present about salvation achievement. Among all the three basic ways mentioned in the discussion are crucial for gaining liberation. When a person became able to control his five senses then he can gain muksha as he had overcome on the most difficult task of a person’s life.

Since God is considered as Absolute and one but in Hinduism, different people worship different forms of God and it became difficult for them to unite over the presence of a single God hence, today’s Hinduism is not a single entity rather it is divided into different groups. But more or less all these different categories of Hindus follow and practice almost the same teachings. The teachings that different groups of Hindus follows have striking resemblance with one another that creates a loose connection between all these groups of Hindus. Although some differences are present in different groups of Hindus but all follow the almost the same theme. Also, the concept of mukti is the same in all groups of Hindus in Hinduism that contribute to showing the different communities of Hindus as a single entity.

Moksha mukti is considered as the end of the cycle of birth and rebirth. Hindus considered it as the final destination of life. It can be gained by overwhelming worldly desires and ignorance. It is achieved either in this world or the world hereafter (world after death). Shortly, moksha mukti is an escape of the soul from the cycle of birth and rebirth. Hindus believe that it is obligatory for all the souls of human beings to gain muksha either they are Hindus or belong to other religions. During the cycle of birth and rebirth, the next life of the soul is determined by the deeds of a previous life. If a person had done good deeds in his previous life, then he would be a pious person in the second world and vice versa.