Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism

Frauwallner, Erich 70

Frauwallner, Erich

(1898–1974)

Professor of Indian and Iranian studies

at the University of Vienna. His contri-

butions to the study of Hinduism are

mainly in the areas of SÄßKHYAand

MÏMÄßSÄ. He had planned to write a

five-volume history of Indian philosophy,

of which only two volumes appeared,

containing valuable information on

Säƒkhya, YOGAand VAIŸEÆIKA.

freedom (mok•a, mukti, vimukti)

A central notion in Hinduism. It pre-

supposes the condition of BONDAGE,

whose most conspicuous manifestation

is the existence in SAßSÄRAand the

KARMA(2)-induced necessity of bodily

REBIRTH. All Hindu systems are paths to

freedom, which is understood as the

proper condition of the soul. A major

difference concerns the understanding

of the relationship between bondage

and freedom and the paths leading from

bondage to freedom. ADVAITAVEDÄNTA

holds that freedom results from divest-

ing oneself of ÄVIDYÄ; Theistic VEDÄNTA

(2) considers freedom a gift of God’s

grace and an enhancement of the natur-

al condition.

Political freedom fighters in the 19th

and 20th centuries adopted some of the

Vedäntic notions and transferred them

to the socio-political arena. Thus

GANDHIconsidered colonial rule ‘sinful’

and liberation from it an act of (reli-

gious) salvation.

funeral rites

See ŸRADDHA.

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