mukti

Mukti, also transliterated moksha, is a Sanskrit term meaning release or liberation. In Indian religious thought, it denotes liberation from samsara, the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, and from karmic bondage. The exact understanding of mukti varies across traditions, but in general it signifies the soul’s freedom from limitation and suffering and, in many cases, union with the divine or realization of ultimate reality. In some contexts it may also refer to freedom from social or moral bondage.

In Hinduism, moksha is the supreme goal, attained through knowledge (jnana), action and discipline (karma and yoga), or devotion (bhakti). Different philosophies describe moksha differently: Advaita Vedanta teaches the realization of the oneness of atman (self) with Brahman (absolute reality); other schools emphasize personal devotion to a chosen deity. Some Vaishnava and other theistic traditions describe several forms of mukti or ways of being liberated, such as sayujya (union with God), sārūpya (assimilated form with the divine), sālokya (dwelling in the divine realm), and sāmipya (being near the divine).

In Jainism, moksha is the complete shedding of all karmic particles, freeing the jiva to attain infinite knowledge, perception, and bliss; after liberation the soul resides in Siddha-loka, timeless and perfect.

In Buddhism, liberation is typically described as nirvana—a cessation of craving and suffering that ends the cycle of rebirth. The term mukti is less central in mainstream Buddhist usage, though some traditions use vimukti or speak of liberation similarly.

In Sikhism, mukti is freedom from the cycle of birth and death achieved through devotion to the divine, ethical living, and remembrance of God (Naam). Union with Waheguru is described as the ultimate realization.

Etymologically, mukti comes from Sanskrit mukta, meaning “freed” or “liberated,” related to muc- meaning “to free.”