Talk:Moksha or Liberation from the Cycles of Births and Deaths
In the previous five cases, the Puryaṣhṭaka transmigrates with the Jīvātmā. But not so in this last case. Here, the individual is spiritually enlightened, and has eliminated his entire stock of fruit of karma through Jnāna, bhakti, or meditation. When this individual dies physically, his body as well as the Puryaṣhṭaka separate from the Jīvātmā to dissolve in Prakriti. There is no forcible rebirth for the Jīvātmā thereafter. As this Jīvātmā has escaped the repeated cycle of births and deaths, it is said to have achieved Liberation (‘Moksha’). The Jīvātmā follows the path of the Suṣhumnā artery and leaves the body through the crown of the head.
Now as for these arteries (channels) of the heart, they consist of a fine substance which is reddish-brown, white, blue, yellow, and red. Verily, the sun yonder is reddish-brown, he is white, he is blue, he is yellow, he is red. Even as a great extending highway runs between two villages, this one and that yonder, even so, these rays of the sun go to both these worlds, this one and that yonder. They start from the yonder sun and enter into these arteries. They start from these arteries and enter into yonder sun... But when thus he departs from this body, then he goes upwards by these very rays or he goes up with the thought of aum. As his mind is failing, he goes to the sun. That, verily, is the gateway of the world, an entering in for the knowers and a shutting out for the non-knowers. On this, there is this verse: A hundred and one are the arteries of the heart, one of them leads up to the crown of the head. Going upward through that, one becomes immortal: the others serve for going in various other directions, for going in various other directions. Chhāndogya Upanishad 8.6.1-2, 5-6 A hundred and one are the arteries of the heart; one of them leads up to the crown of the head. Going upward through that, one becomes immortal; the others serve for going to various other directions. Katha Upanishad 2.3.16 Then Raikva asked thus: Venerable Sir, How and by what means does this self which is a mass of intelligence after leaving its seat and moving upward have its exit? To him he replied. In the center of the heart is a red mass of flesh. In it is the white lotus called the dahara which has bloomed like a red lotus with its petals spread in different directions. In the middle of it is an ocean. In the middle of the ocean is a sheath. In it are four nadis called Rama, Arama, Iccha, and Apunarbhava. Of these, Rama leads (the practitioner of righteousness) through righteousness to the world of righteousness. Arama leads (the practitioner of unrighteousness) through unrighteousness to the world of the unrighteous. Through Iccha one attains whatever object of desire one recalls. Through Apunarbhava one breaks through the sheath. Having broken through the sheath one breaks through the shell of the crust (skull). Having broken through the skull, he breaks through the Prithivi. Having broken through the earth element he breaks through water. Having broken through Jala, he breaks through Agni. Having broken through Agni, he breaks through Vayu. Having broken through the Vayu, he breaks through Aakasha. Having broken through ether he breaks through mind. Having broken through the mind, he breaks through the subtle elements. Having broken through the subtle elements, he breaks through the mahat tattva. Having broken through the mahat tattva he breaks through the Unmanifested. Having broken through the Unmanifested, he breaks through the imperishable. Having broken through the imperishable, he breaks through Death. Then Death becomes one with the Supreme. In the Supreme, there is neither existence nor non-existence nor existence and non-existence. This is the doctrine leading to liberation. This is the doctrine of the Veda. This is the doctrine of the Veda. Subāla Upanishad 11.1 Of the arteries, one stands above; (by it the knower goes) piercing the orb of the Sun and passing beyond the world of Brahmā, it reaches the supreme goal. Yājnavalkya Smriti 3.167 Now (about him) who does not desire, who is desireless, who is free from desire, whose desires have been fulfilled, who is desirous of the Ātmā, his Prāṇa-s do not depart from the body. He being Brahman alone, attains Brahman. Brihadāraṇyaka Upanishad 4.4.6
A modern Hindu teacher summarizes Moksha as the final goal that transcends the cycles of births and deaths-
“The goal of life, according to Sanatana Dharma, is to put an eventual end to the perpetual cycle (samsara) of births and deaths that form the process of reincarnation, along with the accompanying suffering that we experience as a result of our egoic attachment to the results of our activities, and to eventually transcend this cycle altogether through spiritual liberation (moksha). In the ecstatic state of radical existential freedom known as moksha, we are no longer in illusion; therefore we do not act out of false ego; therefore we no longer produce karma; therefore we no longer need to reincarnate in a series of material forms designed as vehicles through which we can meet our ultimate spiritual purpose. At liberation, all material name and form (nama and rupa, respectively) has served its purpose and can be left behind as we joyfully commence our final journey toward our blissful and eternal spiritual Source.”
In the Hindu tradition (scriptural as well as non-scriptural), the descriptions of the physical death of an enlightened person who is heading to Moksha often include sparks of light emanating from the crown of his head (Brahmarandhra aperture) or another aperture in the head. For instance, when Swami Vivekananda passed away, his fellow Sannyāsīs reported sparks coming from his mouth after which it started bleeding. Some other near-contemporary cases are also discussed in the next section. The liberated person doesn't need to die in the bright half of the month, during the day, or the northward movement of the sun. According to one view, these simply refer to guiding light within the body of the person, that the Jīvātmā follows as a guide to leave the body from the Brahmarandha. Whereas according to another view, even if such an individual leaves the body during the night, or the dark half of the lunar month, or during the southward movement of the sun, his Jīvātmā merely rests in the Moon realm or somewhere else till the time is favorable and then it attains Moksha. The Gita and other scriptures declare that the path of a knower of Brahman through Suṣhumnā and Brahmarandhra do not need the light of the day, sun, stars or any other source, because it is lit by the Lord Himself.
The sun does not illuminate that (abode), nor the moon, or fire, to which, having gone, no one returns. That is My supreme abode. Gita 15.6
Therefore, he who is uniting with Brahman can die at any time and reach the highest state.