Volume-XII, Issue-II, March 2026 |
মুক্তির আলোকে প্রাচীন ভারতীয় দর্শন: একটি তাত্ত্বিক বিশ্লেষণ অচিন্ত্য ঘোষ, রাজ্য সরকার অনুমোদিত কলেজ শিক্ষক, নারাজোল রাজ কলেজ, পশ্চিমবঙ্গ, ভারত |
Received: 25.03.2026 | Accepted: 27.03.2026 | Published Online: 31.03.2026 | Page No: | ||||
DOI: 10.29032/ijhsss.vol.12.issue.02W. | |||||||
Ancient Indian Philosophy in the Light of Liberation: A Theoretical Analysis Achintya Ghosh, SACT-I, Narajole Raj College, West Bengal, India | ||
ABSTRACT | ||
The concept of moksha (liberation) occupies a central position in Indian philosophy as the highest puruṣārtha (goal of human life). This paper examines the nature, relevance, and diverse interpretations of liberation across various classical Indian philosophical traditions. Both orthodox (āstika) and heterodox (nāstika) systems agree that the ultimate aim of philosophical inquiry is the complete cessation of suffering; however, they differ significantly in their understanding of the nature and means of attaining moksha. In Advaita Vedānta, liberation is understood as the realization of the non-dual identity of the individual self (jīva) and Brahman, achieved through the removal of ignorance (avidyā). Viśiṣṭādvaita, on the other hand, conceives moksha as the attainment of divine proximity and eternal bliss, while maintaining the distinction between the individual soul and God. In Sāṃkhya and Yoga, liberation (kaivalya) is attained through the discriminative knowledge of the difference between prakṛti and puruṣa, and through the cessation of mental modifications. Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika defines liberation as the absolute cessation of all forms of suffering, wherein the self exists devoid of all qualities. Mīmāṃsā interprets moksha as the complete dissolution of the bonds constituted by body, senses, and objects. Among the heterodox systems, Cārvāka rejects the notion of moksha altogether, identifying death as the only end of suffering. In contrast, Buddhism explains nirvāṇa as the cessation of craving, ignorance, and the cycle of rebirth, while Jainism conceives liberation as the soul’s release from karmic bondage and its establishment in a state of eternal bliss and purity. The paper concludes by arguing that moksha should not be interpreted merely as a negative state of the cessation of suffering. Rather, it is a positive condition of purified consciousness in which the individual realizes their true nature and manifests truth, goodness, and beauty. Thus, liberation lies not in the complete annihilation of desires, but in their purification and transformation. | ||
Keywords: Moksha, Puruṣārtha, Viśiṣṭādvaita, Sāṃkhya, Yoga, Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika, Mīmāṃsā, Nirvāṇa, Jain Philosophy, Cessation of Suffering, Self-realization. |