MOKSH "PATH TO GOD"

Moksha, release from worldly existence, final or eternal emancipation, the liberation of the soul from the recurring cycle of birth and death, salvation. It is the spiritual union of the soul, atman, with the supreme soul, Brahman. The Hindus believe in transmigration of the soul: that the soul does not die with the body, but, after a while, takes birth again in some other form. Immediately after death, the soul is believed to travel to Yamapuri, the court of Yama. Here Chitragupta, his record keeper, reads out an account of all the good and the bad deeds committed by that soul during its life. The soul is then given a chance to explain itself. After this, Yama passes judgement and the soul is accordingly sent to heaven or hell. The Hindu hell, however, is not an endless ordeal of misery, as in other beliefs. After serving its allotted term of punishment, the soul is taken to heaven on account of its good deeds. Heaven is also not an endless term of bliss. Hence, after its term there, the soul is reborn in this world in one form or another and the whole process is repeated.

The form in which the soul is reborn depends on the deeds of its previous life. If a soul has done well, it may be born a king. If evil and cruel, it could be reborn as a jackal or a donkey. A soul is not always reborn on earth. It may reappear in any of the fourteen worlds , as a god, a demon or a snake (see   Snake Worship).

Birth in any form is considered undesirable, as it brings pain and suffering. Therefore everyone is exhorted to achieve liberation from this tiresome cycle of birth and death, by attaining moksha. Such a state is acquired only by a very saintly person, who has become a perfected soul with no worldly requirements and true knowledge of Brahman.

All sacrifices, pilgrimages, and acts of charity that one performs are directed towards improving the self in order to be born in a higher form, which ultimately leads to the final destination, moksha. This is also the reason why penance or prayashchit is considered so important.

The three paths to moksha are-

1. Bhakti yoga (through devotion), the most popular, in which a devotee chooses a 'personal' deity and prays to it with intense love and devotion.

2. Karma yoga (through action), by devoting one's life to good causes, to the betterment of society with sincerity and faith.

3. Gyana yoga (through knowledge), through perfecting oneself in a particular discipline and meditating on it. Their belief in the transmigration of souls makes the Hindus a fatalistic people. As a result, all one's troubles are attributed to the bad deeds of one's previous birth.