punarjanma

Punarjanma, also spelled punarjanman, is a Sanskrit term meaning "rebirth" or "reincarnation." It denotes the belief in the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth that is central to several religious and philosophical systems of South Asia. The term literally combines punar ("again") with janma ("birth").

In Hinduism, punarjanma refers to the cycle of samsara in which the soul (atman) undergoes successive births according to karma—the actions of past lives. The circumstances of each rebirth (family, health, status) are shaped by karmic results. The cycle continues until liberation (moksha), achieved through knowledge, devotion, and ethical living, leading to union with the divine or realization of the true self.

In Buddhism, rebirth is a continuity of causal processes, not a permanently existing self. Karma influences future existence, and the cycle of suffering (samsara) persists until awakening and nirvana, which ends the cycle. Buddhist teachings emphasize impermanence and the absence of a fixed self in the process of rebirth.

In Jainism, the jiva (soul) migrates through a succession of lives due to karmic matter attaching to it. Liberation (moksha) is attained by purifying conduct, belief, and knowledge, removing karmic bondage, and achieving a state of omniscience or perfect insight.

In contemporary usage, punarjanma appears in literary, scholarly, and popular contexts to discuss reincarnation concepts or as a cultural reference, sometimes crossing religious boundaries in discussion or fiction.