A Summary of Karma by Joseph Michael Soos

A ceiling decoration from a Jain temple in Ranakpur, Rajasthan, India.(1) The knots in the carving represent the interlinking aspect of karma; endless knots which symbolize the links of cause and effect, a karmic cycle that continues eternally.

A Summary of Karma
by Joseph Michael Soos

Karma: Sanskrit; Action, work, or deed; actions and reactions throughout the total of a soul's reincarnated lives.

“….Now advise me how the karmas can be exhausted; how the root of the three sorts of karmas, Sanchita, Prarabdha, and Vartamana, giving torments of birth, death, etc., the Avidya, the great ignorance, can be destroyed?”(2)

Sanchita Karma

Sanchita Karma (accumulated karma), the accumulated effects of Karmas incurred in past lives; it is a record of the effects of karma going back to the dawn of our creation. Out of the Sanchita Karmas done in our many previous births, some of these Karmas get ripe in due time, and they manifest themselves; those manifested Sanchita Karmas are called Prarabdha Karmas - those that are being enjoyed by an individual in the present birth. A Jiva (soul) cannot attain moksha (liberation) from the cycle of birth and death, until the accumulated sanchita karmas are completely exhausted (resolved).

“O King! Know this for certain that the effects of merits or demerits done previously must be borne by anybody, be he a Deva, or a man, or an Asura, or a Yaksa or a Gandharba. The acts done previously go to form the new births of all beings. When the Karma gets exhausted, then no more birth takes place.”(3)

Prarabdha Karma

Prarabdha Karma (commenced), at the time of birth, a part of the Sanchita Karma, the soul takes up for fructification. This part of Sanchita Karma is called Prarabdha Karma and these are commenced past Karmas that are “ripened” and that nature apportions as ready to yield their fruits. These Karmas, already done, are those acts out of all the previous acts done in previous births that are fully mature and ready to yield their fruits and cannot be averted; their effects must be experienced before then they can die away. They cannot be expiated by penances or any other remedial measures. This exhausts only when its effects have been fully borne out by the embodied soul. The beings cannot avoid or avert these Karmas, but must bear the effects of this Prarabdha Karma.

Vartamana Karma

Vartamana Karma is the karma that you are going through right now, the Karma at hand, in the present. It is the Karma that is being done by a Jiva (soul) in the current incarnation and that has not yet been completed, that then is Vartamana Karma. Theses karmas can be fruitful immediately, or later on in existence or another incarnation.

Bhavisya Karma

Bhavisya Karma is impending Karma, Karma in the future. Future actionable karma, it refers to the karma that is generated by your current actions and choices that will have consequences either in this lifetime, or in future lifetimes.

The Three Gunas: Sattvik, Rajasik, and Tamasik

Further, each of these Karmas mentioned previously are again subdivided into three sub-divisions or as it is known in Vedanta: the three gunas,(4) the “modes of existence”. All matter in the universe arises from the fundamental substrate called Prakriti. From this ethereal Prakriti the three primary gunas (qualities of energy) emerge creating the essential aspects of all nature—energy, matter, and consciousness.

These are: Sattvik, Rajasik, and Tamasik; or auspicious, inauspicious, and mixed (a combination of partly auspicious and partly inauspicious). Of these, the auspicious is the Sattvik Karma, the inauspicious is the Tamasik Karma, and the mixed is the Rajasic Karma. From this perspective, one could say then that there are 12 types of karma with these added subdivisions.

The Devi Bhagavata: The Supremacy of the Effects of Karma

Joseph Michael Soos

Joseph Michael Soos studied Aeronautical Engineering - University of Sydney - 1971-1972 (finished year 3 with high distinction (1 year yet to complete)), and also studied Accounting - Charles Sturt University at Bathurst NSW Australia (passed 3 units of a 30 unit course). He has completed a Certificate IV in Business at RMIT University Bundoora Victoria Australia.

Michael has been a Transcendental Meditation (TM) Meditator since 1971, TM-Sidha since 1978 and graduated from a TM Teacher Training Course (TTC) in Serbia 2005. He has extensive knowledge of Vedic Sciences and promotes World Peace.

For more on Joseph Michael Soos, see his website at: soos.me

Footnotes:
⁽¹⁾ Original image by Shakti. Uploaded by Mark Cartwright; December 2015. See: karma-ceiling-sculpture-ranakpur
⁽²⁾ The S'rimad Devi Bhagawatam, Chapter XV, First book, 1-67, on the dispassion of S'uka and the instructions of Bhagavati to Hari. Translated by Swami Vijnanananda.
⁽³⁾ The S'rimad Devi Bhagawatam, Chapter X, 6-29, Sixth Book, page 52, on the phase of Karma in the Mahapuranam S'rimad Devi Bhagawatam. Translated by Swami Vijnanananda.
⁽⁴⁾ Guna; Sanskrit: can be translated as “quality, peculiarity, attribute, property”.
⁽⁵⁾ Moksha; Sanskrit: (emancipation, liberation, or release) also called mukti. In its eschatological sense, or how it relates to death, judgment, and the final destiny of the soul, it refers to freedom from samsara: the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.
⁽⁶⁾ Maya; Sanskrit: (appearance, illusion, or magic). In the Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy, maya, is “the powerful force that creates the cosmic illusion that the phenomenal world is real”.
⁽⁷⁾ The Devi Bhagavata Purana by Swami Vijnanavada; Chapter II, Fourth book: On the supremacy of the effects of Karma; 12-17.

This article has been specially formatted for publication here at the Institute of Spiritual Sciences (ISS) by permission of author.

Copyright © 2024 editing and added footnotes for the Institute of Spiritual Sciences (ISS) by Ray J. Rousseau.

www.institutespiritualsciences.org

Source materials and supporting documentation for this article:
Srimad Devi Bhagavatam; Translated by Swami Sri Vijñanananda

Now advise me how the karmas can be exhausted; how the root of the three sorts of karmas, Sanchita, Prabodha, and Vartamana, giving torments of birth, death, etc., the Avidya, the great ignorance, can be destroyed?
From verses 51 - 59 of Chapter 12 On the Ambâ Yajna rules:
51-57. When he will see his own self in all the beings and all the beings in his own self, then
the Jiva will get the vision of the Goddess Mahavidya, giving auspicious liberation (Moksa). O King! After the high souled Munis have seen the Goddess, of everlasting intelligence and bliss, then he becomes the knower of Brahman. All the Maya, the cause of this Universe becomes burnt up; only, as long as the body remains, the Prabodha Karma remains.
58. Then the Jivas become liberated, while living; and when the body dissolves, he attains to final liberation. Therefore, O Child! Whoever worships the Mother becomes crowned with success; there is no doubt in this.
59. Therefore follow the advice of the Guru, the Spiritual Teacher; and with all attention, hear, think and
meditate on the Great Goddess of the World.

From Chapter XX
On the Svayamvara hall and the kings' conversation there:
36-38. No soul is independent; every one is under the effects of one's own Karma. The Pundits that have
realized the Truth, say that Karma is of three kinds, Accumulated, Present, and Prabodha

From Chapter II
On the supremacy of the effects of Karma:
7. These three again are subdivided into three. They are Sanchita (accumulated), Bhavisya (impending in
future) and Prabodha (commenced). All these Karmas are in dwelling always with the body.

From Chapter XXI
On the killing of the sons of Devaki:
19-20. Effort, application, and manifestation of energy are certainly the duties of man; but their effects are all under the Great Destiny or Fate. The Pundits knowing the ancient lore say that there are three kinds of Karma mentioned in the Puranas and Agamas: – First, the Sanchita Karma (done in past births); the Prabodha Karma, the Karma already done; and the Vartaman Karma (Karma in hand)

From Chapter XXI
On the killing of the sons of Devaki:
26. Therefore the collective effect of Karma done in previous births always exists in a Jiva's body. O Fair-eyed One! The effects of Prabodha Karma, ripened and ready to yield their fruits must have to be experienced by a Jiva, whether happy or unhappy.

From Chapter X
On the phase of Karma:
6-29. Vyasa said: – O King! Hear, then the causes that are certainly very wonderful. The seers say that Karma is of three kinds:
Sanchita (accumulated)
Vartamana (present)
Prabodha (commenced).
Each of these is again subdivided into three, Sattvik, Rajasik, and Tamasik. The accumulated effects of Karmas done in many past lives is called Sanchita, O King! The effects of this Sanchita Karma, be it auspicious or inauspicious, be it for a long or for a short time, must have to be enjoyed by the beings whether they be good or bad. This Sanchita Karma done by the embodied beings in several previous births, can never be totally exhausted even in hundred Koti Kalpas without their being enjoyed. The Karma that is being done by a Jiva and that has not as yet been completed, that is called Vartamana Karma. The Jivas do this Vartamana Karma, auspicious or inauspicious, in their present embodiments. At the time of birth, a part of the Sanchita Karma, the soul takes up for fructification. This part of Sanchita Karma is called Prabodha Karma. This exhausts only when its effects have been fully borne out by the embodied soul. The beings cannot but bear the effects of this Prabodha Karma. O King! Know this for certain that the effects of merits or demerits done previously must be borne by anybody, be he a Deva, or a man, or an Asura, or a Yaksa or a Gandharba. The acts done previously go to form the new births of all beings. When the Karma gets exhausted, then no more birth takes place. There is no doubt in this. Brahma, Visnu, Rudra, Indra, and the other Devas, the Danavas, Yaksas, Gandharbas, all are under the control of this Karma. O King! Were it not so, how could they get bodies that are the causes of the enjoyments of pains and pleasures of all the beings. Therefore, O King! Out of the Sanchita Karmas done in many previous births, some Karmas get ripe in due time and they manifest themselves; those manifested Sanchita Karmas are called Prabodha Karmas (those that are being enjoyed by an individual in the present (birth).

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