Punarjanman

<i>Punarjanman</i>

Punarjanman

Rebirth in Indian religions

Punarjanman (Sanskrit: पुनर्जन्मन्) in Hinduism is a Sanskrit word that refers to "repeated birth", "transmigration", "re-birth" or "a principle of diachronic ontogeny".[1][2][3][4] According to Y. Krishan, the ultimate goal of the Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, and that of the Upanishads, has been based on attainment of moksha, nirvana, and consequently the termination of punarjanman or 'rebirth'.[4]

Punarjanman in Hinduism

The concept of punarjanman or rebirth is a foundational belief in Hinduism, emphasizing the soul's eternal and undying nature alongside the importance of karma (actions). Portraying life and death as part of an ongoing cycle until one attains moksha (liberation), which contrasts with other religions that focus on a single life. Death is a transition where the eternal soul seamlessly moves from one body to another. The body is temporary and perishable, and the soul merely adopts new forms over time.[5]

In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna describes the soul as indestructible, unalterable, and timeless, unaffected by physical harm or elemental forces. The Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads explains the process and reasoning behind the soul's transition to new bodies, linking it to the concepts of sanskaras (impressions from past actions) and karma.[5]

References

  1. [1]
    Knut A. Jacobsen, ed. (16 May 2018). Routledge Handbook of Contemporary India (PDF). Routledge. pp. 322–324. ISBN 9781138313750.
  2. [2]
    Bodewitz, H. (2019). Table of Contents. In Heilijgers D., Houben J., & Van Kooij K. (Eds.), Vedic Cosmology and Ethics: Selected Studies (pp. V-X). LEIDEN; BOSTON: Brill. Retrieved September 8, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1163/j.ctvrxk42v.2
  3. [3]
    Bodewitz 2019, p. 9.
  4. [4]
    Krishan 2015, p. 196.
  5. [5]
    Yadav, Richa (2018), Jain, Pankaj; Sherma, Rita; Khanna, Madhu (eds.), "Rebirth (Hinduism)", Hinduism and Tribal Religions, Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, pp. 1–4, doi:10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_316-1, ISBN 978-94-024-1036-5, retrieved 2024-03-18

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