Within the Lingayat tradition, moksha is understood as aikya, the complete union of the individual soul with Shiva. This liberation is not primarily projected into a distant afterlife, but is envisioned as a realized state attainable in this very lifetime. The devotee comes to recognize no real separation between the self and Shiva, so that liberation is experienced as an inner transformation rather than merely a post‑mortem reward. Death, in this view, simply confirms and makes irreversible a union already cultivated and realized while living.

Central to this understanding is the iṣṭaliṅga, the personal emblem of Shiva that every Lingayat wears and worships. The liṅga is not treated as a mere symbol but as the living, immediate presence of Shiva, with whom the devotee maintains unbroken relationship. Through constant remembrance, intimate worship, and devotion directed toward this personal liṅga, consciousness is gradually aligned with the divine. Moksha, then, is the state in which this relationship matures into complete merger, where the distinction between worshipper and worshipped falls away.

Ethical and social dimensions are inseparable from this spiritual ideal. Lingayat teachings emphasize that liberation is open to all, irrespective of caste, gender, or social position, and that ritual privilege or birth status has no bearing on the attainment of aikya. A life grounded in truthfulness, non‑violence, service to the community, and rejection of social discrimination is regarded not as an optional ornament, but as the natural expression of genuine devotion. In this way, spiritual bondage is understood to include social ignorance and injustice, and liberation implies freedom from these as well.

Guidance from the guru, or jangama, is also held to be crucial for navigating this path of devotion and discernment. The guru helps the aspirant understand the meaning of the iṣṭaliṅga, the nature of aikya, and the ethical responsibilities that flow from such a vision. Thus, moksha in Lingayatism is not an escape from worldly engagement, but a mode of being in which every action, relationship, and duty becomes a field for realizing and embodying oneness with Shiva.