The word ‘Moksha’ is derived from ‘moksh’ which can mean emancipation or liberation etc. Sometimes it might also refer to salvation but salvation may not do justice to the word since it has a kind of Christian connotation to it rather than a Hinduism one. But it is frequently used to translate the word moksh. So instead of it meaning only freedom from sin, it includes freedom from the human life itself. In soteriological terms, moksha means freedom from samsara, the cycle of birth and death. Moksha as a concept is also found across various religions like Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism. But it is the moksha of Hinduism that we are concerned with in this paper. This essay tries to explore whether there is a difference between how different people
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Mahabharata is one of the two major works of ancient India which is a narrative of the Kurukshetra war which takes place between Pandavas and Kaurvas. But it is not only an epic which depicts hatred, jealousy and the lust for power but also deals with concepts of purusarthas and moksha. It provides the opportunity to find out about the history of India while today it is also considered as a guide for many Hindu believers and provides them with a way of life in the form of dharma. But even in the context of Mahabharata, scholars do not have a consensus on the exact meaning of the word moksha, they refer to it either as self realization, liberation or even …show more content…
It is man's task to overcome maya, the illusion that the physical world is real, and to see Absolute Reality beyond this. And so it is avidya(ignorance) that keeps man back from liberation.
Bhakti (the path of love and worship)- It is the path of love and devoted worship of the Deity. Among the means used are prayer, meditation, rituals and constant awareness of God. This total surrender to God will attract God's grace and love, which in turn will lead to liberation.
But even when the various ways are described, it is seen that depending on the social hierarchy of the person the way towards liberation is decided. For example the yog marg is said to be a path that is not meant for the common people. But the category of the common people as they are refered is not fixed, changes in the groups which are included in this category are observed throughout the Mahabharata. This points out the fact that certain groups might have found acceptance and were incorporated into the
varna
Mahabharata is one of the two major works of ancient India which is a narrative of the Kurukshetra war which takes place between Pandavas and Kaurvas. But it is not only an epic which depicts hatred, jealousy and the lust for power but also deals with concepts of purusarthas and moksha. It provides the opportunity to find out about the history of India while today it is also considered as a guide for many Hindu believers and provides them with a way of life in the form of dharma. But even in the context of Mahabharata, scholars do not have a consensus on the exact meaning of the word moksha, they refer to it either as self realization, liberation or even …show more content…
It is man's task to overcome maya, the illusion that the physical world is real, and to see Absolute Reality beyond this. And so it is avidya(ignorance) that keeps man back from liberation.
Bhakti (the path of love and worship)- It is the path of love and devoted worship of the Deity. Among the means used are prayer, meditation, rituals and constant awareness of God. This total surrender to God will attract God's grace and love, which in turn will lead to liberation.
But even when the various ways are described, it is seen that depending on the social hierarchy of the person the way towards liberation is decided. For example the yog marg is said to be a path that is not meant for the common people. But the category of the common people as they are refered is not fixed, changes in the groups which are included in this category are observed throughout the Mahabharata. This points out the fact that certain groups might have found acceptance and were incorporated into the
varna