What Moksha Means in Sri Vaishnavism
Moksha (Sanskrit: मोक्ष) — from muc (to release, to free) — means liberation from the cycle of birth and death (saṃsāra). But in Viśiṣṭādvaita, moksha is far richer than mere cessation of rebirth. It is the positive attainment of eternal, joyous proximity to and service of Śrīman Nārāyaṇa in Śrī Vaikuṇṭham.
The Nature of the Liberated State
Upon attaining moksha:
- The soul (jīvātmā) reaches Paramapada — Śrī Vaikuṇṭham, the transcendental abode
- Its dharma-bhūta-jñāna (attributive knowledge) expands fully and infinitely — no more contraction from karma
- It directly perceives Śrīman Nārāyaṇa and His consort Śrī in their full divine glory (archirādi-gati — the path of light)
- It performs eternal, loving kainkaryam (service) — the soul's natural, joyous activity
- There is no return to samsāra (na ca punarāvartate)
Moksha is Not Dissolution
Unlike Advaita's view (dissolution of the individual self into Brahman), Viśiṣṭādvaita holds that the liberated soul remains distinct — it retains its individual consciousness and identity but sheds all the limitations imposed by material association. The mukta is a conscious, blissful servant of the Lord — not an absorbed, undifferentiated awareness.
How Moksha is Attained
For Śrī Vaiṣṇavas, moksha is attained either through bhakti yoga (for those with the eligibility and tenacity for the long path) or through prapatti (for all souls, immediately efficacious). In the current age (Kali Yuga), prapatti is the prescribed path.