Britannica AI Icon

Mokshadharma

chapter of “Mahabharata”

Quick Summary

The "Mokshadharma" is a section within the Shanti Parvan, the 12th book of the epic Mahabharata. This part of the epic synthesizes various religious and philosophical ideas, reflecting Brahmanism's adaptation to new circumstances.123

Within the Mokshadharma, there are early theories about the origin of kingship and the concept of rajadharma (the law of the king). It also contains proto-Samkhya texts, presenting an early version of Samkhya philosophy, which posits a dualistic cosmology of eternal matter (prakriti) and consciousness (purusha). The Mokshadharma also includes Vedanta texts that emphasize the unity of spirits and theistic ideas, such as the doctrine of the avatar. The ultimate goal discussed is moksha, liberation from the cycle of birth and death.12435

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.