Skip to content
  • Learn Jainism
  • JAINpedia
  • Blog
JainpediaJainpedia
  • Menu
  • Home
  • Themes
  • Manuscripts
  • Gallery
  • Timeline
  • e-Library
  • Resources
  • About
  • Support Us
Home  » Resources » Glossary » Karma

Karma

Action or act, thought of as physical in Jainism. Created by mental or physical action, karma enters the soul, which then needs religious restraints and practices to make it flow out. Karma can be both:

  • negative – deriving from harmful acts
  • positive – arising from beneficial actions.

Both types of karma trap a soul in continual rebirth. A pan-Indian concept, karma has extremely complex, detailed and technical divisions and subdivisions in Jainism.

Synonyms:
Karman
Related Articles:
  • Ananta
  • Dharma
  • Glossary: Dhyāna
  • Glossary: Ghātīya
  • Glossary: Gotra-karma
  • Glossary: Hindu
  • Glossary: Hinduism
  • Home
  • Indian languages
  • Jain Beliefs
  • Jainism in scientific terms
  • JAINpedia the website
  • Glossary: Jina
  • Glossary: Jīva
  • Glossary: Jñāna-āvaraṇīya-karma
  • Glossary: Karma-grantha
  • Karma-prakr̥ti
  • Glossary: Karma-prakṛti
  • Glossary: Karma-vāda
  • Glossary: Kaṣāya
  • Glossary: Kṣapakaśreṇi
  • Leśyā
  • Glossary: Mārgaṇā
  • Glossary: Mohanīya-karma
  • Glossary: Mokṣa
  • Glossary: Mysticism
  • Glossary: Nāma-karma
  • Glossary: Niyati
  • Glossary: Phala
  • Principles
  • Glossary: Puṇya
  • Puṣpadanta or Suvidhi
  • Glossary: Saṃsāra
  • Scales of Perfection
  • Śītala
  • Soul
  • Glossary: Sthiti
  • Glossary: Tapas
  • Glossary: Tattva
  • Glossary: Tattvārtha-sūtra
  • Themes
  • Glossary: Tīrthaṃkaranāma-karman
  • Glossary: Tīrthankara
  • Glossary: Uttarādhyayana-sūtra
  • Glossary: Vedanīya-karma
  • Vimala
  • What's New
« Back to Glossary Index
Please consider the environment before printing
Kamaṭha
Karma-bhūmi
  • A to Z Index
  • Sitemap
  • Pronunciation
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Copyright
  • Cookie Policy
Copyright © 2009 - 2025 The Institute of Jainology |
  • Home
  • Themes
  • Manuscripts
  • Gallery
  • Timeline
  • e-Library
  • Resources
  • About
  • Support Us
  • The JAIN UNIVERSE ONLINE
Open toolbar

Accessibility

  • Increase Text Size
  • Decrease Text Size
  • High Contrast
  • Negative Contrast
  • Light Background
  • Links Underline
  • Reset
  • Sitemap
  • Help