saMsAra = Reincarnation?

[Mandakranta Bose]

SaMsAra in Bengali is used to mean, i) the human world, ii) the mundane 
existence, iii) the family, iv) the household, v) wife. "Punarjanma" means 
reincarnation in Bengali. .
Mandakranta Bose, University of British Columbia.
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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