2. The General Conception of Mokṣa

The state of mokṣa is not a particular thing that can be seen with our own eyes. Usually, people think that it is a state which is attained after death. Again, no one can describe the state which is attainable after death. The question always remains that what happens when one attains mokṣa or liberation.

Certain possibilities exist for each individual ātman, upon attaining liberation.

1. The seeker experience oneness with the ultimate reality.

2. The person realizes his own self and Parabrahman while living in this world.

3. The individual secures a place in heaven to enjoy the pleasures of heavenly life. If they indulged in righteous actions and acquired merit during its existence upon earth.

4. The self goes to hell to suffer significantly as a part of its purification and penitentiary correction if it deviated from the path of righteousness and indulged in sinful actions.

5. The self goes neither to heaven nor to hell. Instead, it remains in an intermediary state of limbo in the middle atmospheric region as a ghost or a spirit because of some peculiar circumstances.

6. The self attains eternal liberation if it has managed through spiritual practice and past life actions to rid itself of all kāma and impurities. It enters the highest abode of Brahman and remains there for eternity in the presence of Parabrahman, the Universal Supreme Being.

Of these, which is considered temporary liberation and which is permanent? What is the connection between the individual’s kārma and liberation? Having exhausted the merit or demerit of their previous kārmas in these worlds, do the individual ātman return to earth to take another birth as mortal beings and continue their existence? If those who achieve liberation never return to earth, then what happens to them when they achieve liberation? How do they exist and in what state? What will be the relation between the individual self and Parabrahman? This is all indeed our research in this chapter.