Vol. X, No. 3.] The Nature of moksa. 95 



[N.S.] 



Translation : — What is [the nature of] this liberation ? 

 Some 1 describe it thus: — the perpetual existence of the soul, 

 with all its special qualities [such knowledge, pleasure, pain 

 etc.] extinguished, is called Liberation (moksa) ; it may be 

 likened to the existence of ether (akaia) after the dissolution 

 of the world.' 2 How [is it possible that such an unconscious, 

 pleasureless state should be regarded as the supreme object of 

 human pursuit ?] [The reply turns on the recognition of the 

 fact that] pleasure is inseparable from pain, and hence it is not 

 possible to shun all pain and enjoy pure pleasure. Moreover, 

 pleasure is not the only object of human pursuit. Men are found 

 to exert themselves for removal of pain as well, e.g. when they 

 try to pull out a thorn from off their feet. [Here ends the 

 statement of the vaisesika and neo-naiyayika position. The 

 author now refutes this position and states his own, i.e. the 



really naiyayika position and concludes] Thus we 



have proved that when a person fully and finally rids himself 

 of all pain and gets into a state of perpetual pleasure, then he 

 is said to attain liberation or moksa. 



These several passages will make it abundantly clear that 

 the naiyayika conception of moksa had not always been iden- 

 tical with the vaisesika conception, as is now almost univer- 

 sally supposed to be the case. 



1 This "some " probably refers to a school of naiyayikas, who had 

 adopted the teaching of the vaiseaikas. According to the commentator. 

 some — the vaisesikas. *r% xfr( ^"WWI* I 



2 An extract from the commentary will make the passage clear : 



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