saMsAra = Reincarnation?

J.K. Brzezinski brzezins at epas.utoronto.ca
Tue Feb 14 20:49:58 UTC 1995


saMsAra certainly does not exclusively refer to reincarnation, but the 
implication of rebirth is included in that of worldly life.  In modern 
languages of India (particularly Bengali and Hindi, with which I am more 
familiar), saMsAra has a much more pleasant familial sense, just as mAyA 
sas the sense of affection and love, both quite different from the slant 
on these terms found in the Vedantists.

But you are quite right, there does not seem to be a simple word in the 
modern vernaculars which carries quite the scholarly tone of 
*metempsychosis* or even *reincarnation*.  The Gita has dehAntaraprApti 
and AvRtti (8.23) or puranAvRtti. By implication also from apunarbhava is 
punarbhava.


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                            Jan Brzezinski 
                         Asian Studies Centre
		        University of Manitoba
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