Parinirvana refers specifically to the Buddha’s passing into ultimate liberation at death, closing the cycle of samsara permanently. In Buddhist poetry and hagiography, it is depicted with solemn reverence, often surrounded by natural omens or celestial signs. Poets use it to reflect on impermanence, the culmination of the spiritual path, and the mystery of what lies beyond life and death, lending it a poignant, transcendent quality.

Parinirvana refers to the final nirvana entered into by an enlightened being (an Arhat or a Buddha) at the moment of physical death. It is the complete and final blowing out of the aggregates (skandhas) and the end of any possibility of rebirth. The Parinirvana of the Buddha is commemorated by Buddhists and is depicted in art by a reclining figure, symbolizing the final release from all conditioned existence and suffering.