निर्वाण
Nirvana
(nirvāṇa)The extinguishing of the ego; liberation from suffering and the cycle of rebirth
Full Meaning
Nirvāṇa literally means "blowing out" or "extinguishing" — like a flame going out. In Buddhism, it is the extinguishing of greed, hatred, and delusion. In Hindu usage (as in the Bhagavad Gita), nirvāṇa-brahman is the peace of merging with the absolute. Not annihilation — the dissolution of the separate self.
Etymology
Nir (out) + √vā (to blow). The blowing out of the flame of ego, desire, and suffering.
Usage in Sanskrit Texts
The Bhagavad Gita uses the term "brahma-nirvāṇa" — the nirvāṇa of Brahman, the peace found in merging with universal consciousness. (BG 2.72, 5.24–26)
एष ब्राह्मी स्थितिः — This is the state of Brahman. The one who attains it is never again deluded. (Bhagavad Gita 2.72)
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