Origins
The doctrine of transmigration of the soul, with respect to fateful retribution for acts committed, does not appear in the Rig Veda. However, a new translation of two stanzas of the Rig Veda indicate that the Rishis may have had the idea, common among small-scale societies around the world, that an individual cycles back and forth between the earth and a heavenly realm of ancestors. In this worldview, moral behavior has no influence on rebirth. The concept of karma first appears strongly in the Bhagavad Gita. The topic of karma is mentioned in the Puranas.
Read more about this topic: Karma In Hinduism
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