50 Mantra, Sloka And Prayer Poems
Rebirth and Harvest of Deeds
RebirthRebirth means to be born again. Death after birth and birth after
death again - this is a distinctive theory of Hindu religion. There is a
soul in every creature or living being. Men remain alive because of
this soul existing in their body. Human body is inanimate and the
soul is animate. As long as the soul exists in our inanimate body, it
remains alive. The body becomes an inanimate object, if the soul
leaves it. The soul has no birth and no death. It is said in Gita,
Na Jayate mriate ba kadachin nayang
bhutba Bhabita ba na bhuyah.
Ajo nityah shashwato thayang
purano na hanyate hanyamane sharire.
(Shrimadbhagabatgita, 2/20)
-- The soul is never born, it never dies. It does not grow or increase
again and again. The soul is birth-forsaken, eternal, constant and
ancient. It does not perish, although the body perishes.
The soul only takes shelter from one body to another. This is called
rebirth. Like the Gita, the soul and the rebirth are also mentioned in
the Upanishada.
According to Hindu religious belief, man does not have only one
birth. He has many births. Man goes to heaven for his virtuous acts
and enters into hell because of his sins. After passing the prescribed
period in heaven or hell, he takes a new birth in a new form in a new
body. However, his soul remains the same. The reason behind this is
the harvest of his deeds. His birth in a particular form depends on
the harvests of his deeds.