Jivanmukta

Part of a series on Hindu philosophy

Schools Samkhya · Yoga · Nyaya · Vaisheshika · Purva Mimamsa · Vedanta (Advaita · Vishishtadvaita · Dvaita · Achintya Bheda Abheda)

Persons Ancient Gautama · Jaimini · Kanada · Kapila · Markandeya · Patañjali · Valmiki · Vyasa Medieval Adi Shankara · Dnyaneshwar · Chaitanya · Kabir · Madhusudana · Madhva · Namdeva  · Nimbarka  · Ramanuja · Vedanta Desika · Tukaram · Tulsidas · Vallabha Modern Asaram Bapu · Aurobindo · Coomaraswamy · Dayananda Saraswati · Gandhi · Narayana Guru · Prabhupada · Ramakrishna · Ramana Maharshi · Shirdi Sai Baba · Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan · Sivananda · Vivekananda · Yogananda · Sathya Sai Baba

This box: view • talk • edit

Jivanmukta (from the Sanskrit words jiva and mukti) is someone who, in the Advaita philosophy of Hinduism, has attained nirvikalpa samadhi - the realization of the Self, Parasiva - and is liberated from rebirth while living in a human body. ^[1][2]

Jivanmukta is a unique concept in Hindu philosophy, particularly in the school of philosophy known as advaita. The ultimate goal of Hinduism is liberation from the cycles of re-birth. This liberation is technically called 'moksha'. In all schools of Hindu philosophy except advaita, liberation is necessarily an event beyond the experience of human being. But the advaita school of Shankara envisages that human is already liberated and the soul is already free - one only has only to realise, and to accept, this freedom. Souls who have had this realisation are called jivanmuktas.

There are three kinds of Prarabdha karma: Ichha (personally desired), Anichha (without desire) and Parechha(due to others' desire). For a self realized person, a Jivan mukta, there is no Ichha-Prarabdha but the two others, Anichha and Parechha, remain ^[3], which even a jivan mukta has to undergo ^[3][4].

In the sramanic traditions the jivanmukta is called an arhat.

References

1. ^ Jivanmukta: Hindu - Hinduism Dictionary on Jivanmukta
2. ^ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on the Bhagavad-Gita, a New Translation and Commentary, Chapter 1-6. Penguin Books, 1969, p 132 (v 46)
3. ^ ^{a b} The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi - Karma and Destiny Sri Ramana Maharshi.
4. ^ 3: Action and Prarabdha karma Paths to Transcendence: According to Shankara, Ibn Arabi, and Meister Eckhart, by Reza Shah-Kazemi. Published by World Wisdom, Inc, 2006. ISBN 0941532976.Page 59-60.