If you look at tons of Bollywood movies (especially movies like Om Shanti Om), then you will realize that the concept of reincarnation is prevalent across India. It’s not just in India, however, there are tribes across the globe that accept rebirth as a form of natural phenomenon.
Quick Answer
Reincarnation in Hinduism, known as Punarjanma, is the belief that the soul is immortal and takes a new body after death according to its karma. The body is only a container, like clothes, while the soul moves on. The eight facts covered here are: unfulfilled wishes can leave a soul as a ghost, Hindu death rituals wipe the body’s memories, those memories stay stored in the unconscious, all beings live seven lives (Saat Janma) before moksha, the wheel of karma governs rebirth, rebirth is not immediate, the third eye is the eye of enlightenment, and un-expiated sins lead to rebirth in lower forms.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Sanskrit term for reincarnation: Punarjanma
- Lives before liberation: Seven (Saat Janma)
- What decides the next body: Karma
- Timing of rebirth: Not immediate – can take a year or even decades
- Body and soul: The body is a container, like clothes; the soul is immortal
- Classical text quoted: Manusmriti 11.53
What really is reincarnation? It comes from the Latin language which means “entering the flesh again”. For Hindus, the process is known as ‘Punarjanma’. It’s been explained in detail in the Hindu scripts, more so when Lord Vishnu incarnated times and again in human form to protect people from evil.
In Hinduism, the body is only a form of container. It is like clothes. The main essence is the soul. The soul is immortal, and when a person dies, it takes another body just like how we wear new clothes. The rebirth, however, is on the basis of one’s karma. You can incarnate as birds, animals, or humans, or other forms as per your karma.
Interesting Reincarnation Facts in Hinduism
To know how reincarnation actually happens, you need to know these seven interesting facts about reincarnation in Hinduism
1. Rebirth in case of unfulfilled wishes
If a person dies with many unfulfilled wishes, then the soul will take the form of a ghost. It will wander around the spiritual world and the material world until the wishes are fulfilled.
2. Hitting the head of the dead
As the soul is immortal, Hindu rituals believe that the soul needs to be freed from the memories of the body. When performing death rituals, Hindus beat the head of the body really hard so that the memories of that life are washed away from the conscious and won’t affect the body that’s reincarnated.
3. Memories are still stored
Even though the memories are washed away, they are still stored in the unconscious. Hindu sages believe that the unconscious mind has all the memories since the time of the evolution of the earth. But due to our impure souls, we haven’t been able to connect with Brahma to revitalize it completely. Only a few who practice meditation and sadhana can. It’s even said that some can remember their past lives through meditation.
4. It’s not only cats that have seven lives
All living beings have it. It’s called “Saat Janma” in Hindu dharma. Till that seven lives, living beings will reincarnate over and over again, after which that soul will attain liberation (moksha).
5. The wheel of karma
Birth, death, and rebirth is the natural process of reincarnation in Hinduism. As per Hindu beliefs, when the soul takes the form of the body if the ego gets the better of the person, then it will make the soul impure. But death only destroys the body, and the soul will remain impure, which will then take another body. That is why Hindus believe that what people have today is the outcome of their past lives.
6. Reincarnation is not immediate
The soul doesn’t take another body as soon as it leaves the old one. It can take a year or even decades to find a new form, all based on the karma of the soul.
7. The Third Eye
Hindu scriptures show that we all have third eyes, but we haven’t been able to open them. Because of that, we haven’t been able to look into our own karma. The third eye is the eye of enlightenment, and we can only do so through sadhana or Dhyana, and uplift our souls to the spiritual world. This was also how Gautam Buddha achieved enlightenment.
8. Sins are meant to expiated
evaṃ karmaviśeṣeṇa jāyante sadvigarhitāḥ |
Manusmiriti, 11.53
jaḍamūkāndhabadhirā vikṛtākṛtayastathā ||
caritavyamato nityam pryascittam viśuddhaye |
nindyairhi lakṣaṇairyuktā jāyante’niṣkṛtainasaḥ ||
If sins are not expiated, human beings are to be born with deformities. The un-expiated sinners would lead to hell and then attain various rebirths. Sinners, who have not performed an expiation will have to go to hell and then take birth in animal bodies and then as human beings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is reincarnation called in Hinduism?
In Hinduism reincarnation is known as Punarjanma. The English word reincarnation comes from Latin and means entering the flesh again.
How many lives does a soul have in Hinduism?
Hindu dharma speaks of Saat Janma, seven lives. A living being reincarnates over and over for those seven lives, after which the soul attains liberation, or moksha.
Is rebirth immediate after death?
No. The soul does not take another body as soon as it leaves the old one. It can take a year or even decades to find a new form, all based on the karma of the soul.
Why do Hindus hit the head of the dead during death rituals?
Hindu rituals hold that the soul must be freed from the memories of the body. The head of the body is struck so that the memories of that life are washed away and do not affect the body that is reincarnated.
What happens if a person dies with unfulfilled wishes?
If a person dies with many unfulfilled wishes, the soul takes the form of a ghost. It wanders around the spiritual world and the material world until those wishes are fulfilled.
What decides which body a soul takes next?
Karma decides it. A soul can incarnate as a bird, an animal, a human or another form according to its karma, and un-expiated sins are said to lead to birth in animal bodies before returning as a human being.