Within the vision of Sanātana Dharma, moksha is understood as the highest aim of human existence, a state of complete liberation from saṃsāra—the ceaseless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth driven by karma and desire. It signifies freedom from all forms of bondage, including attachment, fear, and sorrow, as well as the ignorance that leads one to identify solely with body, mind, and ego. When this liberation is attained, there is no further compulsion to take birth, and the soul abides in an unshakable peace and fulfillment that does not depend on external circumstances.

At the heart of moksha lies self-realization: the direct recognition of one’s true nature as ātman, the pure, eternal Self. This realization dispels avidyā, the fundamental ignorance that obscures the truth of being. In the non-dual understanding preserved in the Upaniṣads, this means recognizing that the individual self and Brahman, the ultimate reality, are not two separate entities but one, as expressed in the mahāvākya “tat tvam asi” (“Thou art That”). In such realization, the apparent duality between individual and universal, subject and object, is transcended, giving rise to a non-dual awareness in which all separation falls away.

This liberated state is described as abidance in sat–cit–ānanda—being, consciousness, and bliss—which is the very nature of the Absolute and, by extension, of the realized Self. It is characterized by the complete cessation of suffering born of ignorance and attachment, and by a stable inner serenity and joy. Until such realization dawns fully, life aligned with dharma—living in harmony with the cosmic order and truth—supports and prepares the seeker for this ultimate awakening. Moksha thus represents the culmination of spiritual evolution and the fulfillment of the deepest potential of human life: to rest in one’s own eternal, luminous nature, free from the compulsion of rebirth and the limitations of conditioned existence.