# मोक्ष (mokṣa)

Canonical page: https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/moksha

मोक्ष (mokṣa) is a Sanskrit word meaning emancipation, liberation, or release, release from worldly existence or final emancipation, death, certain sacred hymns leading to final emancipation, the end of an eclipse or liberation of an eclipsed planet, falling off or down. Its 28 recorded definitions are grouped into 13 contexts, among them Spiritual Liberation, Physical Acts of Release, General Liberation or Release.

- **Etymology:** E. मोक्ष् to let loose or free, aff. अच् — E. mokṣ to let loose or free, aff. ac
- **SLP1:** `mokza`  **IAST:** mokṣa  **Devanagari:** मोक्ष
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moksha
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/moksha/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### Spiritual Liberation (10 definitions)
- release from worldly existence or final emancipation  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > release from worldly existence or transmigration, final or eternal emancipation, Up.; Mn.; MBh. &c. ( Indian Wisdom, by Sir M. Monier-Williams (Title) 39 ) [ ID=168321 ]
- 1. Liberation, escape, or deliverance from further transmigration. 2. The end of an eclipse. 3. Falling or dropping off. 4. Effusion, shedding, or causing to flow. 5. Setting free, loosening, or untying. 6. The solution of a question. 7. Casting, shooting, discharging, or scattering. 8. Utterance, abandonment, or relinquishment.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > मोक्ष (mokṣa) [Printed book page 236-1 ] मोक्ष (mokṣa) mokṣ-a, m. realise, liberation, escape, from ( ab., rarely g. or —° ); deliverance from further transmigration, final emancipation; kind of chant conducive to deliverance; release of a heaven body swallowed by Rāhu, end of an eclipse; falling or dropping off or down ( of leaves etc. ); effusion; setting free ( a prisoner ); causing to flow, shedding ( of tears etc. ); loosening, untying ( hair ); solution ( of a question ); casting, shooting, discharging ( arrow etc. ); scattering ( of grains ); utterance ( of a curse ); abandonment, relinquishment: -ka, a. loosening, untying, setting free; —° a. = mokṣa, final emancipation. [ ID=14530 ]
- 1. Spiritual liberation and final beatitude. 2. Death. 3. Freedom. 4. The plant Ghantaparali. 5. Release from an obligation.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > मोक्ष (mokṣa) m. ( - क्षः (-kṣaḥ) ) 1 Final and eternal happiness, the liberation of the soul from the body, and its exemption from further transmigration. 2 Death. 3 Liberation, freedom. 4 A plant, commonly Ghaṇṭāpārali. 5 Acquittance of an obligation, as by a son to his father. E. मोक्ष (mokṣa) to let loose or free, aff. अच् (ac). [ ID=31028 ]
- 1. Final liberation. 2. Death.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > मोक्ष (mokṣa) [Printed book page 605-a ] मोक्ष (mokṣa) ( क्षः ) ((kṣaḥ)) 1. m. Final liberation; death. [ ID=30582 ]
- 1. Liberation or release. 2. Delivery or discharge. 3. Spiritual emancipation and liberation of the soul from rebirth. 4. Death. 5. Loosening or untying. 6. Falling or dropping down. 7. Acquittance of an obligation. 8. The end of an eclipse. 9. Scattering or strewing. 10. Shooting or discharging.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > मोक्ष (mokṣa) [Printed book page 586-28 ] मोक्ष (mokṣa) m. 1. Liberation, release, escape, शुकादयः । लब्धमोक्ष (mokṣa) ास्तदादेशाद्यथेष्टगतयोऽभवन् (śukādayaḥ. labdhamokṣāstadādeśādyatheṣṭagatayo'bhavan) R. xvii.20; 2. delivery, discharge, R. xvii.19; 3. final emanicipation, liberation of the soul from further transmigration (considered as the final aim of life), R. x.84, Bg. v.27; (See पुरुषार्थ (puruṣārtha) ); 4. death; 5. loosening, unbinding, untying, अबलावेणिमोक्ष (mokṣa) ोत्सुकानि (abalāveṇimokṣotsukāni) Megh. ii.36; 6. falling down, dropping down, स्थलीर्मर्मरपत्रमोक्ष (mokṣa) ाः (sthalīrmarmarapatramokṣāḥ) K.S. iii.31; 7. acquittance of an obligation; 8. end of an eclipse; 9. scattering, strewing; 10. shooting, discharging. [ ID=30960 ]
- 1. Spiritual liberation and eternal happiness. 2. Death. 3. Freedom. 4. Loosening or untying. 5. End of an eclipse. 6. Scattering. 7. Shooting. 8. A plant. 9. Acquittance of an obligation.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > मोक्ष (mokṣa) [Printed book page 579-b ] मोक्ष (mokṣa) m. ( - क्षः (-kṣaḥ) ) 1. Final and eternal happiness, the liberation of the soul from the body, and its exemption from further transmigration. 2. Death. 3. Libertion, freedom. 4. Loosening, untying. 5. End of an eclipse. 6. Scattering. 7. Shooting. 8. A plant commonly Ghaṇtāpārali. 9. Acquittance of an obligation, as by a son to his father. E. मोक्ष (mokṣa) ् (mokṣ) to let loose or free, aff. अच् (ac). [ ID=32209 ]
- 1. Untying. 2. Liberation. 3. Final beatitude and spiritual emancipation from the cycle of rebirth. 4. Death. 5. Acquittance of an obligation.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > मोक्ष (mokṣa) [Printed book page 0727-a ] मोक्ष (mokṣa) moksh + a ( moksh is an anomal. desider. of muc ), m. 1. Untying, Pañc. 109, 9; Megh. 97. 2. Libera- tion, Pañc. 109, 11; Chr. 4, 16. 3. Liberation of the soul from the body and from further transmigration, final beatitude, Man. 1, 114; Pañc. ii. d. 127. 4. Death. 5. Acquittance of an obligation. [ ID=11592 ]
- 1. Deliverance or release, especially final emancipation or death. 2. Loosening, unbinding, or solution. 3. Shedding of tears or blood, uttering of a curse, throwing, or shooting off. 4. Scattering or strewing. 5. Giving up or abandoning.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > मोक्ष (mokṣa) [Printed book page 421 ] मोक्ष (mokṣa) m. deliverance, release from ( abl., gen., or —°), esp. final emancipation, death; loosening, unbinding, solution (of a question), shedding (of tears or blood), uttering (of a curse), throwing, shooting off; scattering, strewing; giving up, abandoning. [ ID=25411 ]
- 1. Emancipation, liberation, release, or freedom. 2. Release from worldly existence and final spiritual bliss. 3. Death. 4. Specific sacred hymns leading to final liberation. 5. Delivery or discharge. 6. The act of loosening, untying, or solving. 7. Settling a question or fulfilling an obligation. 8. The end of an eclipse or the separation of celestial bodies. 9. Shedding or causing to flow. 10. Discharging, casting, shooting, strewing, or scattering. 11. Separating or falling down. 12. A species of tree.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > मोक्ष (mokṣa) [Printed book page 0797-b ] Mokṣa, as, m. emancipation, deliverance, free- dom, liberation, escape, release; release from worldly existence, final emancipation, eternal bliss resulting from the soul's final liberation and its exemption from further transmigration; death; epithet of particular sacred hymns conducive to final emancipation; de- livery, discharge; the act of loosing, loosening, untying, unbinding, undoing, solving, ( praśna-m°, the settling of a question); acquittance of an obli- gation; (in astronomy) the liberation of an obscured planet, end of an eclipse, the last contact or separa- tion of the eclipsed and eclipsing bodies; shedding, causing to flow; the act of discharging, casting, flinging, shooting; strewing, scattering; separating, falling off, falling down; a species of tree (= muṣkaka). —Mokṣa-kāṅkṣin, ī, iṇī, i, de- sirous of liberation or final emancipation. —Mokṣa- kriyā-samācāra, as, ā, am, affording a method for effecting liberation. —Mokṣa-jñāna, am, n. knowledge of the beatitude attained through final emancipation. —Mokṣa-tīrtha, am, n., N. of a Tīrtha. —Mokṣa-dā, f., N. of a female ascetic. —Mokṣa-deva, as, m. an epithet applied to Hiouen-thsang. —Mokṣa-dvāra, am, n. ‘gate of emancipation,’ an epithet of the sun. —Mokṣa- dharma, as, m. law or rule of emancipation. —Mokṣadharma-parvan, a, n. ‘section relating to the law or rules of emancipation,’ N. of a section of the twelfth book of the Mahā-bhārata, from Adhyāya 174 to the end. —Mokṣadharmārtha- dīpikā (°ma-ar°), f., N. of a commentary on the preceding section of the Mahā-bhārata. —Mokṣa- purī, f. ‘city of emancipation,’ an epithet of the city of Kāñcī. —Mokṣa-bhāj, k, k, k, receiving final emancipation. —Mokṣa-mahā-pariṣad, t, f. ‘great emancipation-assembly,’ the great Buddhist general council. —Mokṣa-mārga, as, m. ‘path of emancipation,’ N. of a Jaina work. —Mokṣa- lakṣmī-vilāsa, as, m., N. of a temple. —Mokṣa- vat, ān, atī, at, having final emancipation, con- Page0797-c+ 79 nected with eternal bliss. —Mokṣa-viṃśaka, am, n. ‘twenty verses on emancipation,’ epithet of the verses Hari-vaṃśa 14348 sqq. —Mokṣa-śāstra, am, n. the doctrine of final emancipation. —Mokṣa-sā- dhana, am, n. means of emancipation. —Mokṣān- taraṅ-ga (°ṣa-an°), as, ā, am, nearest or next to final emancipation. —Mokṣopāya (°ṣa-up°), as, m. means of emancipation; a sage, saint, de- votee (?). [ ID=38060 ]
- 1. Freedom from bondage. 2. Salvation. 3. Oneness with Brahman.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > मोक्ष (mokṣa) [Printed book page 2-741 ] Mokṣa — no bondage; three-fold mokṣa; renunciation by knowledge, diminution of rāga and loss of Tṛṣṇā; 1 dharma of; 2 is yogasiddhi; 3 salvation, attained at the sacred Benares; 4 oneness with Brahmam. 5 [ Footnote: 1) Br. IV. 3. 55; Vā. 23. 81; 102. 76, 78, 80, 93.] [ Footnote: 2) Br. III. 10. 116.] [ Footnote: 3) Ib. IV. 36. 52; 44. 108.] [ Footnote: 4) M. 180. 52; 183. 36-37; 185. 15; 193. 40.] [ Footnote: 5) Vā. 104. 94.] [ ID=11085 ]

### Physical Acts of Release (6 definitions)
- falling off or down  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > falling off or down, Kum.; VarBṛS. ( cf. गर्भ - (garbha-) ) [ ID=168325 ]
- effusion  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > effusion, VarBṛS. [ ID=168326 ]
- untying hair  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > loosing, untying (hair), Megh. [ ID=168328 ]
- shedding or causing to flow  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > shedding or causing to flow (tears, blood &c.), MārkP.; Suśr. [ ID=168331 ]
- casting, shooting, or hurling  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > casting, shooting, hurling, MBh.; Kāv.; Pur. [ ID=168332 ]
- strewing or scattering  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > strewing, scattering, Kum.; Kathās. [ ID=168333 ]

### General Liberation or Release (2 definitions)
- emancipation, liberation, or release  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 835,1] मोक्ष (mokṣa) m. ( ifc. f( आ (ā) ). ) emancipation, liberation, release from ( abl., rarely gen. or comp. ), MBh.; Kāv. &c. [ ID=168320 ]
- setting free  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > setting free, deliverance (of a prisoner), Gaut. [ ID=168327 ]

### As a Plant Name (1 definition)
- Schrebera swietenioides  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > Schrebera Swietenioides, L. [ ID=168337 ]

### As a Proper Name (Place/Mythology) (1 definition)
- the divine mountain Meru  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of the Divine mountain Meru, L. [ ID=168336 ]

### Death (1 definition)
- death  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > death, L. [ ID=168322 ]

### Discharge of Obligation (1 definition)
- discharge of a debt  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > acquittance of an obligation, discharge of a debt ( cf. रिण - (riṇa-) ) [ ID=168330 ]

### End of an Eclipse (1 definition)
- the end of an eclipse or liberation of an eclipsed planet  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (in astron. ) the liberation of an eclipsed or occulted planet, the last contact or separation of the eclipsed and eclipsing bodies, end of an eclipse, Sūryas.; VarBṛS. [ ID=168324 ]

### Means to Spiritual Liberation (1 definition)
- Certain sacred hymns leading to final emancipation  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of partic. sacred hymns conducive to final eman°, Yājñ. [ ID=168323 ]

### Relinquishment or Abandonment (1 definition)
- relinquishment or abandonment  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > relinquishment, abandonment, Kathās. [ ID=168335 ]

### Resolution of a Question (1 definition)
- settling a question  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > settling (a question), Kathās. [ ID=168329 ]

### Utterance of a Curse (1 definition)
- utterance of a curse  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > utterance (of a curse), R. [ ID=168334 ]

### Verbal Root: To Let Go/Release (1 definition)
- To let go, release, discharge, send, cast, or throw.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > मोक्ष (mokṣa) [Printed book page 675 ] मोक्ष (mokṣa) r. 1st and 10th cls. ( मोक्ष (mokṣa) ति मोक्ष (mokṣa) यति (mokṣati mokṣayati) ) To let go, to release, to discharge, to send, to cast or throw. [ ID=31027 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872); Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; The Purana Index; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

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