Rebirth and Samsara in the Bhagavad Gita
Learn how karmic impressions carry over into future lives and how to break the cycle of rebirth (Moksha).
Definition & Meaning
Rebirth (Punarjanma) is the continuation of the soul's evolutionary journey through successive physical lifetimes.
Meaning in the Bhagavad Gita
Spiritual effort is never lost. If one dies before reaching perfection, Krishna promises in Chapter 6 that they are reborn in a righteous or wise family to continue.
Important Verses on rebirth
Having attained to the worlds of the righteous and having dwelt there for everlasting years, he who fell from Yoga is born in a house of the pure and wealthy.
Or he is born in a family of even the wisest of yogis; verily, such a birth is very difficult to obtain in this world.
By that same former practice, he is borne on in spite of himself. Even he who merely wishes to know Yoga goes beyond the Brahmanic word.
When the Lord, as the individual soul, obtains a body and when He leaves it, He takes these with Him, just as the wind takes the scents from their seats (flowers, etc.).
Practical Application in Daily Life
Never despair about slow progress. Every good thought and noble deed is permanently credited to your soul's account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is spiritual effort lost if someone dies incomplete?
No. BG 6.40 guarantees that no spiritual seeker meets with destruction; they resume progress in their next life.
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