Below are the shlokas from the Bhagavad Gita that emphasize rebirth (the cycle of birth and death, reincarnation, and transcending it), listed with their shloka numbers and one-line English descriptions.
- 2.12: Krishna explains that souls exist forever, beyond birth and death.
- 2.13: The soul transitions through bodies, like changing clothes, without perishing.
- 2.20: The soul is never born nor dies, remaining eternal and unchanging.
- 2.22: The soul discards old bodies and takes new ones, like worn-out garments.
- 2.26: Even if the soul seems perishable, one should not mourn its cycles.
- 2.27: Death is certain for the born, and birth follows death, so avoid sorrow.
- 2.51: The wise, detached from results, attain liberation from rebirth.
- 5.19: Those with equal vision conquer rebirth in this life.
- 6.41: The failed yogi reaches heavenly realms, then takes a good birth.
- 6.42: The yogi may be born in a wise family to continue practice.
- 6.43: Past efforts revive, urging the yogi toward perfection.
- 8.6: The final thought at death shapes one’s next existence.
- 8.15: Great souls, reaching Krishna, escape rebirth’s suffering.
- 8.16: All worlds, even Brahma’s, are subject to rebirth, unlike Krishna’s realm.
- 8.17: A day of Brahma spans a thousand ages, followed by an equal night.
- 8.18: Beings manifest at Brahma’s day and dissolve at night.
- 8.19: The same beings cycle through creation and dissolution endlessly.
- 8.23: Krishna explains the times when yogis attain liberation or return.
- 8.24: Departing in light, day, or auspicious times leads to liberation.
- 8.25: Departing in darkness or inauspicious times leads to rebirth.
- 8.26: Two paths—light for liberation, dark for rebirth—are eternal.
- 9.3: Without faith, one remains trapped in the cycle of rebirth.
- 9.21: After enjoying heaven, ritualists reenter the mortal world.
- 13.21: The soul, entangled in nature, faces karmic consequences.
- 13.23: Understanding nature and spirit frees one from rebirth.
- 14.14: Dying in Sattva leads to higher, pure realms.
- 14.15: Dying in Rajas or Tamas leads to lower births.
- 14.20: Transcending gunas frees one from birth and death.
- 15.7: The soul, a fragment of Krishna, is trapped by senses.
- 15.8: The soul carries mind and senses across bodies.
- 15.10: The deluded cannot see the soul’s journey through bodies.
- 16.19: Krishna casts demonic beings into repeated demonic births.
- 16.20: Repeated demonic births lead to eternal suffering.
Total: 33 shlokas
Notes
- Selection Criteria: The 33 shlokas were selected for their direct focus on rebirth, emphasizing the soul’s eternal nature and journey through bodies (e.g., 2.13, 15.8), the cycle of birth and death influenced by karma and gunas (e.g., 8.6, 14.15), and liberation from rebirth through devotion or knowledge (e.g., 8.15, 14.20), primarily from Chapters 2 (7 shlokas), 5 (1 shloka), 6 (3 shlokas), 8 (7 shlokas), 9 (2 shlokas), 13 (2 shlokas), 14 (3 shlokas), 15 (3 shlokas), and 16 (2 shlokas).