LECTURE 5

DOCTRINE OF KARMA - I
Human Values
in
D R . N. L . K AC H H A R A

JAIN DARSHAN E M E R I T U S P R O F E S S O R , J A I N V I S H VA B H A R AT I I N S T I T U T E , L A D N U N

F O R M E R LY

P RO F E S S O R A N D H E A D O F M E C H A N I C A L E N G I N E E R I N G , H B T I K A N P U R

D I R E C T O R , K N I T, S U LTA N P U R

P R I N C I PA L , M N R E N G I N E E R I N G C O L L E G E , A L L A H A B A D
• Doctrine of karma
• We do experience happiness and misery without any apparent reason
• Many good men suffer and wicked persons have enjoyment in life
• Such events, and diversity of life, are explained by Doctrine of Karma
• We know soul has consciousness (Chetna) and is doer of actions of various kinds
• Every action of soul leaves an impression on the soul. This impression is known as
karma.
• Karma is a technical term of Jainism. It does not mean the action, as is commonly
understood, but it is the impression of the action on the soul.
• This impression, karma, defiles the soul, the soul becomes shrouded and impure.
• The soul is in impure state from the beginning less time, it was never pure
• Karma inhibits , clouds, expression of full powers of the soul. We experience only a
tiny fraction of the infinite powers of the soul.
• In addition to the gross material body the jiva has a subtle body called karman body.
• There is flow of subtle matter into the body of jiva for every action of the soul.
• The incoming subtle matter binds with the karman body already present, as the soul is in
impure state. This is known as binding of karma or karma bandh.
• The bonded karma carries the information of the action performed.
• Jiva also has another body called taijas body. This is source of prana.
• These two subtle bodies, karman body and taijas body, are always attached to the soul.
• When soul migrates from one body to another body on rebirth these two bodies also
migrate. So the soul has always been associated with these two.
• The karman body carries forward the information from one life to the next life and there
is a continuity of information in time journey of jiva.
• The karman body has the information of all the past lives.
• Activities can be physical, mental or verbal. These activities attract karma matter.
• The incoming karma matter binds to the existing karman body due to the passions,
kashaya, of the soul.
• The main kashaya are anger (krodh), ego or pride (maan), deceitfulness (maya), and greed
(lobh).
• Features of karma
• There are four defining features of the bonded karma:
• Prakriti: It means the particular quality of the soul that this karma obscures. There are eight
types of karma as given below.
• Pradesa: Quantity of karma particles bonding at any time.
• Sthiti: The duration for which the karma binds. The karma remains inactive for certain time
period and becomes active thereafter. When active it shows its effect, karmaphala, on the
soul. The inactive time can be up to thousands of years.
• Anubhaga: The effect and its intensity the soul experiences when karma becomes active.
• Punya and papa – Meritorious activities (punya) of the soul bind good karma that bring
happiness when karma becomes active. Demeritorious activities (papa) bind bad karma that
bring pain and misery to soul when karma becomes active.
• So there is inbuilt system in jiva for reward and punishment to soul for his activities ( and no
other agency like God is necessary).
• Eight types of Karma
• 1.–Jnanavarniya obscures infinite jnana of the soul.
• 2. Darshanavarniya – obscures the infinite perception ability of the soul
• 3. Antaraya – hinders soul powers and obstructs its passage to success.
• 4. Mohaniya – creates a delusion disabling the soul from knowing what is real happiness and
what is infatuation.
• 5. Ayu – determines nature and duration of next life
• 6. Naam – determines the character of physical personality of jiva like body etc.
• 7. Gotra – determines the family of birth, heredity
• 8. Vedniya – determines pleasure and pain that jiva experiences
• First four karmas are called ghatiya karma, these obscure the real nature of the soul and the
last four karmas are called aghatiya karma as these do not affect the essential nature of the
soul.