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TULSI-PRAJNĀ, July-Sept., 1991
ledge about this authority, the supreme soul or the transcendental reality is gained after attaining salvation. Similarities Relating to Salvation
The development of the nature of the concept of salvation in the Indian religions has been gradual. Cărvāka bas treated the end of the body as salvation. Nyāya-Vaišeşika, Pūrva Mimāmsā and Vaibhāşikas have recognised separation of adventitious qualities--consciousness and pleasure etc. as salvation. The Sautrāntikas (Buddhists) have called the negation of the expression of power as 'Nirvāna' or salvation. Sāṁkhyas define salvation as the gaining of knowledge about the real nature of the power and state of consciousness as 'Kevalya' or salvation. They do not recognise the element of pleasure in it. Jaina philosophers are of the view that gaining knowledge of the real nature of the soul is salvation. In this state the liberated soul is the master of infinite knowledge, infinite faith, infinite bliss and infinite power. Such free souls are infinite. According to the Vedānta philosophy the free soul after attaining similarity to God submerges itself into Brahma (Transcendental Reality) and feels as one with God. In the enjoyment of knowledge and happiness the free soul is like God. In the Vedānta philosophy of Sankara the free soul is identified with the transcendental reality. A close analysis of the process of the liberation of the soul in these different philosopbies reveals that almost all of them have regarded self-realization gained after overcoming ignorance necessary for the liberation of the soul. And they have also admitted the end of sorrows and freedom from the circle of birth and rebirths.4
Among the various Indian philosophies almost all the thinkers have accepted in one form or another the concepts of liberation in this very life after realising truth (Jeevan-mukti) and liberation after death (Videhamukti). In the tradition of Gītā and Vedānta the complete conquest of attachment and the end of the physical body of such a mendicant is treated as disembodied liberation. In the Buddhist philosophy after complete destruction of cravings the Sopādiśeșanirvāṇadhātu is gained and Anupādiśeşanirvāṇadhātu is gained only after death. The Jaina philosophers call the extinction of attachment, aversion etc. as the spiritual freedom (Bhāva-mokşa) and the liberation after death as absolute emancipation (Dravya-mokşa). The soul which attains the above two stages is known as 'Sayogakevalin' (Liberated soul with activities) and Ayogakevalin (liberated soul free from all activities) respectively. In the Gītā the state of liberation in this very life is called as Sthitaprajña and in Vedānta it is named as the individual soul (Jivātmā). In Buddhist philosophy a living being who secures liberation in his own
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