saMsAra = Reincarnation?

[Madhav Deshpande]

On saMsAra:
	Marathi indeed uses the term "punarjanma" for reincarnation.  The 
word "saMsAra" in many modern languages does not have its classical 
meaning.  In Hindi it refers to 'the world', while in Marathi it refers 
to the household or affairs of the household.
	Madhav Deshpande

On Tue, 14 Feb 1995, Lance Nelson wrote:

> Since everyone is busy discussing the momentous issue of moderation, I 
> thought this might be a good time to ask a question that, however dumb, 
> relates to the actual subject matter of the list.
> 
> I notice that in most English language textbooks, the word "saMsAra" is 
> given as the Indic translation of "reincarnation."  However, I notice 
> that in my reading of VedAnta texts, "saMsAra" generally means something 
> more like "world."  So, my question is: What is the correct translation 
> for the noun "reincarnation" (or, I suppose, "transmigration") in 
> Sanskrit, Hindi, and other Indian languages?  Is there a word, such as 
> "punarjanma," that is actually in use to designate reincarnation without 
> reference to the cyclic world in which it occurs?
> 
> ---------------------------
> Lance Nelson
> Religious Studies 
> University of San Diego
> lnelson at pwa.acusd.edu
> ---------------------------
> 
> 
> 
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