Types of Karma (Jainism)


According to Jain karma theory, there are eight main types of karma which are categorized into the ‘harming’ and the ‘non-harming’; each divided into four types. The harming karmas directly affect the soul powers by impeding its perception, knowledge and energy, and also brings about delusion. These harming karmas are: darśanāvaraṇa, Jnanavarniya, antarāya and mohanīya. The non-harming category is responsible for the reborn soul's physical and mental circumstances, longevity, spiritual potential and experience of pleasant and unpleasant sensations. In other therms these non-harming karmas are: nāma, āyu, gotra and vedanīya respectively. Different types of karmas thus affect the soul in different ways as per their nature. Each of these types has various sub-types. Tattvārthasūtra generally speaks of 148 sub-types of karmas in all. These are: 5 of jñānavaraṇa, 9 of darśanavaraṇa, 2 of vedanīya, 28 of mohanīya 4 of āyuṣka, 93 of nāma, 2 of gotra, and 5 of antarāya.

Ghatiya karmas

Ghātiyā karmas directly affect the attributes of the soul. These are:
  1. Knowledge-obscuring karma – These karmas obscure the knowledge attribute of the soul.
  2. Perception-obscuring karma – These karmas diminish the powers of Perception of a soul.
  3. Deluding karma – These karmas are an instrumental cause of destruction the soul's right belief and right conduct. Of all karmas, deluding karma is the most difficult to overcome. Once this is eradicated, liberation is ensured within a few lifetimes.
  4. Obstructing karma – The fruition of these karmas creates obstructions to giving donations, obtaining gains, and enjoying things.
When ghātiyā karmas are totally destroyed, the soul attains kevala Jnana or omniscience. Liberation is guaranteed for such souls in the same lifetime as soon the aghātiyā karmas are exhausted in the due course.

Jnanavaraniya karma

Jñānāvaraṇīya karma or the knowledge-obscuring karma are of five types:
  1. mati jnanavarana-karma which causes the obscuration of the knowledge, transmitted through the senses,
  2. shruta jnanavarana-karma which produces the obscuration of knowledge acquired by interpreting signs,
  3. avadhi jnanavarana-karma which hinders transcendental knowledge of material things,
  4. manahparyaya jnanavarana-karma which hinders transcendental knowledge of the thoughts of others,
  5. kevala jnanavarana-karma which obscures the omniscience inherent in the jiva by natural disposition.
Of these, the last mentioned karman hinders omniscience altogether; the four others do not result in complete destruction of the corresponding faculties of knowledge, but often produce only greater or less disturbances.

Darshanavarana karma

Darshanavarana karma or the perception-obscuring karma are of four types:
  1. chakshur darshanavarana-karma which produces the obscuration of the darsana conditional upon the eye,
  2. achakshur darshanavarana-karma which causes the obscuration of the undifferentiated cognition, conditional upon the other senses and the organ of thinking,
  3. avadhi darshanavarana-karma which causes the obscuration of the transcendental undifferentiated cognition of material things,
  4. kevala darshanavarana-karma which hinder the absolute undifferentiated cognition.
The last mentioned karma hinders completely; the three others produce under certain circumstances only a disturbance of the respective cognition faculties.
In addition to these four darshanavarana karmas there are five others which produce physio-psychological conditions in which the sense organs are not active, and which, therefore, exclude all possibility of perception. These are the five nidra karmas,, namely:
  1. nidra-karma which produces a light, pleasant slumber, out of which the sleeper is already aroused by the clicking of finger nails.
  2. nidranidra-karma which produces a deep slumber, out of which the sleeper can only be awakened by being shaken violently,
  3. prachala-karma which sitting or standing upright
  4. prachalaprachala-karma which produces an exceedingly intensive sleep, that overcomes a person while walking,
  5. styanagriddhi karma which causes somnambulism, acting an unconscious state.

    Mohaniya karman

Mohaniya is derived from Moha which means attachment. Mohaniya karma is the most dangerous, out of all the eight karmas because `moha' is the root cause of all Kasayas. It is also most difficult karma to destroy. If mohaniya karma is destroyed fully, the self becomes free from all Kasayas and liberation is assured. Two main categories of Mohaniya karman are—darshana mohaniya and charitra mohaniya karma. With their subtypes there are 28 sub-types of mohaniya karman.

Darshana mohaniya karman

The darshana mohaniya-karma causes a disturbance of the knowledge of the religious truth inherent in the jiva by natural disposition. These are further divided into three types according as to whether the disturbance is an absolute or a partial one:
  1. mithyatva karma: This causes complete unbelief or heterodoxy. If it realize itself, the jiva does not believe in the truths as proclaimed by Mahavira; he believes false prophets to be saints and enjoins false doctrines.
  2. samyagmithyatva karma: This produces a mixed belief, i.e., if it operates the soul waves to and for betwixt true and false; it is indifferent to the religion of the Jina and has no predilection for, nor hatred against it.
  3. samyaktva karma: This induces the correct belief. This samyaktva is, however, not the correct faith in its completeness, but only in a preliminary degree; it is a so-called mithyatva, from which the mithyatva quality has been abstracted a mithyatva free from poison.

    Charitra mohaniya karman

The charitra mohaniya-karma disturbs the right conduct possessed innately by the jiva; it hinders the soul from acting according to the religious prescriptions. The disturbance of the conduct is produced through the sixteen passions ', the six emotions with are categorised as non-passions ' and the three genders .
The four main passions are krodha, maya, mana and lobha. The karmas are literally bound on account of the stickiness of the soul due to existence of various passions or mental dispositions Each of these is separated into 4 sub divisions, according to the intensity of their manifestation. The first one is anantanubandhin which completely hinders belief and conduct. The second one is apratyakhyanavarana It makes impossible every reninciation, but allows the existence of true belief and lasts for one year. The third one of still milder intensity is pratyakhyanavarana. It hinders the beginning of complete self-discipline, but does not prevent the existence of true belief and partial self-discipline. Its effect lasts for 4 months. The last one is samjvalana. It allows complete self-discipline, yet works against the attainment of complete right conduct . It lasts a fortnight.
The nokasayas or the six non-passions are: hasya, rati, arati soka, bhaya, and jugupsa. All these six emotions are charitra mohaniyas, because the soul which is subjected to them, is hindered through them in the practice of right conduct.
The vedas or the gender passion hinders the jiva from obeying the laws and from practicing self-discipline. It is of threefold variety, according to the three species of sexes:
The antaraya-karma hinders the energy of the jiva in a fivefold manner:
  1. Dana antaraya-karma hinders dispensing alms. When it operates a person who knows the merit in giving and who has something to give away, is not capable to give it, although there is someone worthy of the gift.
  2. Labha antaraya-karma hinders receiving. When it operates, a person is not capable of receiving a present, although a friendly giver and a suitable present are present.
  3. Bhoga antaraya-karma hinders the enjoyment of something which can only be taken once.
  4. Upabhoga antaraya-karma hinders the enjoyment of something which can be repeatedly used.
  5. virya antaraya-karma hinders the will power. When it operates, even a strong, full grown man is incapable of bending a blade of grass.

    Aghatiya karmas

These do not affect the soul directly; rather, they have an effect on the body that houses the soul. These are:
  1. Lifespan-determining karma – These karmas determine the subsequent states of existence and lifespan therein after death. The soul gets locked either into animal, infernal, human, or celestial bodies for its next birth.
  2. Body-determining karma – These karmas determine the type of body occupied by the soul.
  3. Status-determining karma - The fruition of these karmas gives one high status or low status in society.
  4. Feeling-producing karma - These karmas become an instrumental cause of the interruption of the soul's uninterrupted happiness. As a result of this, the soul remains agitated.
As soon as the Aghātiyā karmas gets exhausted soul attains moksa.

Ayu Karma

The ayus-karma confers on a being a certain quantum of life in one of the four states of existence. Therefore there are four types of ayu karmas: deva ayu, manusya ayus, tiryancha ayu, and naraka ayu. The ayu of the new existence is always bound during the life immediately preceding it, especially in the 3rd, 9th, or 27th part or within the last 48 minutes of life.

Nama Karma

The nama-karma causes the individual diversities of the jivas. It is divided into 93 uttara prakrtis, which are mostly quoted in a definitely fixed succession in 4 groups. They are the following:
The gotra karma or the status determining karma destines the rank occupied by a person through his birth. They are of two types:
The vedaniya karma or feeling producing karmas are of two types:
With gods and men the sata vedaniya is predominant, although, also with the former at the time of the downfall from the celestial world, and with the latter through cold and heat, death and accident, pain can be produced. Animals and infernal beings experience chiefly the asata vedaniya, although, also, at the birth of a Jina or on a similar occasion, they can experience a feeling of pleasure.

Duration of Karmas

The maximum duration of attachment of karma is 7 Quadrillion Sagaropama or 7 x 10^225 Years. A Sagaropama or "ocean measured year"equals 10^210 Years. It is derived from Sanskrit word sagara or ocean. The minimum amount of time is less than one muharta. The maximum and minimum time for which the karmas remain bound to our consciousness depends on the type of karma which is as follows:-
Type of KarmaMaximum durationMinimum duration
Jñānavaraṇa Karma3 x 10^225 Years<1 muhūrta
Darsanavarniya Karma3 x 10^225 Years<1 muhūrta
Mohaniya Karma7 x 10^225 Years<1 muhūrta
Antraya Karma3 x 10^226 Years<1 muhūrta
Ayu Karma3.3 x 10^211 Years<1 muhūrta
Nama Karma2 x 10^225 Years8 muhūrta
Gotra Karma2 x 10^225 Years8 muhūrta
Vedniya Karma3 x 10^225 Years12 muhūrta

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