“Moksha” (मोक्ष), the fourth and the ultimate human objective — the cardinal one — literally means “to get rid off” but ironically the word has neither been defined in the Vedas nor unambiguously defined in the Upanishads. Still it is considered by the Hindus as the very essence of human life, the summum bonum of existence. Bhagawadgita describe the word “moksha” as emancipation or salvation. The Buddhists call it “Nirvana” (निर्वाण) while the Jains term it “Kevalya” (कैवल्य) which literally translates to mean Only.
The state of salvation or Moksha (मोक्ष), according to Hindu dharma, can be achieved at death when the soul is emancipated from the bondage of human body, but the Upanishads and the Bhagawadagita describe ways and means whereby a person can attain salvation by this very body, and within this living body.
The Sankhya philosophy, the oldest among the Indian philosophies, says that the essence of salvation lies in complete and everlasting riddance from three kinds of sorrows:
spiritual or metaphysical sorrows;
divine sorrows and
terrestrial or physical sorrows.
Both, the Sankhya philosophy and the Hindu scriptures say that the root cause of all our sorrows lies in our ‘desires’ or trishna (तृष्णा) and hence the scriptures suggest ways and means to get rid of them.
The Bhagawadagita in its teachings describe two specific ways — the Gyan Yoga and the Karma Yoga — through which a human being can achieve salvation or ‘moksha by this very body, and within this living body.
लोकेऽस्मिन्द्विविधा निष्ठा पुरा प्रोक्ता मयानघ |
ज्ञानयोगेन साङ्ख्यानां कर्मयोगेन योगिनाम् ||3.3||
(Krishna says : I have described two ways in the preceding chapter by which a person can attain salvation in this world. One is Gyan Yoga and the other is Karma Yoga.)
In Christian eschatology the priest commits “the body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life”. The matter ends there.
In the Hindu eschatology “moksha” is possible in this very life — when you are still alive. Death then simply means “earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust” for this earthly body. The soul lives on and on.
The 17th mantra of Isha Upanishad says:
वायुरानिलम्मृतमथेदं भस्मान्तं शरीरम्।
ॐ । क्रतो स्मर कृतं स्मर क्रतो स्मर कृतं स्मर ॥ 17 ॥
(This mantra is often chanted by the priest or the mahapatra at the time of cremation.)
O Breath/Soul immortal, now dissipate into the universal spirit and let this body burn down to ashes,
O soul plan your future deeds, O soul remember your past deeds ….. O soul plan your future deeds, O soul remember your past deeds.
The Hindus cremate the body while the Christians and Muslims bury the body so as to commit it to dust and ashes to ashes. The difference lies in the approach and belief. The Hindus theology and philosophy firmly believe that the soul lives on for ever, passing over, as a caterpillar does, from one straw to another.
Brihadaranyak Upanishad mantra 4.4.3
तद्यथा तृणजलायुका तृणस्यान्तं गत्वान्यमाक्रममाक्रम्यात्मानमुपसंहरति, एवमेवायमात्मेदं शरीरं निहत्य, अविद्यां गमयित्वा, अन्यमाक्रममाक्रम्यात्मानमुपसंहरति ॥ ३ ॥
Just as a leech, having reached the end of a straw or grass blade, takes hold of another straw and withdraws itself on the new perch, so does the soul/self. It casts aside the old body, takes hold of the new one and settles on it.