Punarjanman

''Punarjanman'' () in Hinduism refers to "repeated birth", "transmigration", " re-birth" or "a principle of
diachronic ontogeny". The Ultimate goal of Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, and that of the Upanishads, has been the attainment of ''moksha'' or nirvana, and consequently the termination of ''punarjanman'' or 'rebirth'.

Punarjanman in Hinduism

In the Vedas

Although ''punarjanman'' does not appear in the Vedas, ''punarmṛtyu'', or re-death, is theorized in them which may suggest that concepts around death predetermined theories of birth. There is a tension between ''punarjanman'' and ''punamṛtyu'' because preventing the suffering of repeated death also means preventing rebirth.

In the Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita

Sage Yajnavalkya is the first recorded speaker of transmigration. Describing the self that undergoes ''punarjanman'', the ''Brihadaranyaka Upanishad'' delineates that the ''ātman'' is the consciousness that controls a person's vital functions. It uses analogies such as a caterpillar moving from one blade of grass to another, or gold being moulded into different forms, to illustrate that the ''atman'' moves to different bodies. According to the Upanishads, even ''devas'' are subject to re-death.

In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna describes the soul as indestructible, unalterable, and timeless, unaffected by physical harm or elemental forces. He analogizes the process of ''punarjanman'' in verse 2.22: "Just as a man, having thrown away his worn-out clothes, takes on new ones, so does the ''jīva'', having abandoned worn-out bodies, connect with other new ones." 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''.

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.

''Punarjanman'' results from ''karma''; the effect of performed actions from previous births play out in the present birth. According to the Brahma Purana, the ''jiva'', while an embryo, remembers previous lives and repents. It determines to make better use of its coming life, but at each birth, the ''jiva'' forgets its previous lives, and with that its resolution.

Sankhya, Yoga, and Purva-Mimamsa

Of the six orthodox Hindu schools of thought, the Sankhya and Purva-Mimamsa schools, like the rest, accept transmigration, and that it embodies justice. Unlike the other schools, however, Sankhya and Purva-Mimamsa do not believe that a higher entity is required to govern the process of transmigration and the allocation of the fruits of ''karma''.

According to the Sankhya school, the coarse material body, which is visible, of the soul decays after death. The subtle material body follows the soul throughout rebirths.

Both Sankhya and Yoga accept that ''samskaras'' and ''vasanas'' follow the self through rebirths. These are residues from previously performed action. Yoga is a way to prevent future actions from producing ''samskaras''. Once all previous actions have had their effects, one attains liberation.

Vishishtadvaita

Ramanuja does not take the end of punarjanman alone to be ''moksha''. ''Moksha'' is the joy from contemplating on God.

In the Charvaka school

The Charvaka school of thought asserts that we have only one life, rejecting the idea of an afterlife or reincarnation, which many other Indian philosophical schools accept. Charvaka school promote a "live for the moment" attitude, believing that enjoying the present is better than hoping for future rewards. This approach is often seen as a form of hedonism, emphasizing the pursuit of pleasure (''kama'') as the main goal in life and rejecting conventional moral ideas of right and wrong.

References

Citations

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Hindu philosophical concepts
Moksha
Reincarnation

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