Nirvana is associated commonly with Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism. It means salvation, enlightenment, extinguished, freedom and liberation. In Sanskrit, Nirvana means ‘blown out’ in the literal sense. Nirvana represents freedom from repeated rebirth in samsara or ultimate salvation. The term Nirvana has great similarity with Mukti and Moksha, in various religions in India. Religions in India assert Nirvana to be a state of complete happiness, freedom, quietude and ending or liberation from repeating cycle of birth, life and death.
Nirvana is referred to a state of realization of emptiness or non-self in non-Buddhist and Buddhist traditions. In Buddhist tradition it is described as cessation of suffering, rebirth, all actions and all afflictions that are a result of actions and afflictions.
Depending upon the Hindu tradition, Nirvana is described as realization or union of the identity of the Brahman with the Atman, in the Hindu philosophy. Freedom of the soul from Samsara and karmic bondage is represented by Nirvana, in the Jainism tradition. The first ones to introduce the term Nirvana are the Buddhists. Upanishads and Vedic texts however use the concept of Brahman and soul with a different terminology to describe the idea of spiritual liberation.
Nirvana is a state of extensive peace of mind which is attained with release from a state of suffering, freedom from Samsara and Moksha after performing respective sadhana or spiritual practice.
According to the Four Noble Truths in Buddhism, Nirvana is a part of the Third Truth on ‘the ending of dukkha’. As far as the Noble Eightfold Path is concerned, Nirvana is the ultimate goal. Nirvana was attained by the very first Tirthankara named Rishabhanatha, millions of years ago.
