Videhamukti

Videhamukti, from Sanskrit videha meaning “without a body” and mukti meaning “liberation,” is a Hindu philosophical term describing liberation from the cycle of birth and death that occurs after the death of the physical body. In this state, the individual soul (atman) is said to remain in, merge with, or stand in relation to the ultimate reality (Brahman) and is no longer subject to reincarnation.

The concept is most closely associated with Advaita Vedanta, though it appears in other Hindu traditions as well. It is often contrasted with jivanmukti, which denotes liberation while one is still embodied. In many accounts, videhamukti represents the final culmination of moksha—after the body dies, the soul remains eternally liberated from karma and samsara. Some schools describe videhamukti as the natural end-point of the liberated state, while others emphasize that the essential freedom of moksha already exists even before death, with videhamukti marking the post-death transition.

In practice, discussions of videhamukti focus on the nature of liberation after death, the permanence of Brahman-tenancy, and the elimination of rebirth. The term is primarily used in Hindu scriptural and exegetical contexts and is less common in non-Hindu Indian traditions that articulate liberation differently.

See also: moksha, jivanmukti, atman, Brahman.