Within Hindu thought, reincarnation (punarjanma or saṃsāra) is understood as the ongoing cycle of birth, death, and rebirth through which the eternal self, or ātman, passes. This ātman is regarded as timeless and distinct from the physical body, which is treated as a temporary garment that is worn for a time and then set aside. While bodies arise and perish, the self continues, carrying with it the subtle impressions of experience. In many theological interpretations, this ātman is related to Brahman, the ultimate reality or universal consciousness, and its journey through many lives unfolds within that larger metaphysical context.

The engine that drives this cycle is karma, the moral causality generated by intentional actions in thought, word, and deed. Karma from past and present lives shapes the conditions of each new birth: the type of body, the general circumstances of life, and many of the tendencies and challenges that arise. This can include rebirth in human, animal, plant, or celestial forms, depending on the accumulated karmic residue. Consciousness and karmic impressions (saṃskāras) are understood to continue when the body dies, providing continuity across lifetimes even when explicit memory of previous births is not present.

Reincarnation is not viewed merely as repetition, but as a process of moral and spiritual evolution. Through successive lives, beings experience the fruits of past actions and are given fresh opportunities to live in accordance with dharma, refine character, and purify karma. Human birth is often regarded as especially significant because it offers a particularly clear arena for ethical choice and spiritual practice. Some traditions hold that advanced souls or accomplished practitioners may even recall past lives, further deepening their understanding of this process.

The ultimate aim is not endless rebirth, but moksha, liberation from the cycle of saṃsāra. Moksha is described as freedom from the compulsion to take birth again, attained when ignorance is dispelled and binding karma is exhausted. Different philosophical schools articulate this in distinct ways: some emphasize the realization that ātman is one with Brahman, while theistic traditions highlight the soul’s eternal relationship with a personal God and the role of divine grace and devotion in bringing the cycle to an end. In all of these perspectives, reincarnation is framed as the soul’s long journey toward a final state in which it no longer needs to traverse the realms of birth and death.