कायवाङ्मनःकर्म योगः
kāyavāṅmanaḥkarma yogaḥ
The activity of body, speech and mind is called yoga.
Jainism · Acharya Umaswati
Chapter 6: Inflow of karma (asrava)
The one text accepted by Digambara and Svetambara Jains alike: the whole Jain path in short Sanskrit sutras.
सम्यग्दर्शनज्ञानचारित्राणि मोक्षमार्गः
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This chapter in brief
This chapter explains asrava, the inflow of karma into the soul. In Jain teaching, karma is a subtle matter drawn in by the activity (yoga) of body, speech and mind, and it binds more firmly when passions (kashaya) such as anger, pride, deceit and greed are present. Good activity brings merit (punya) and harmful activity brings demerit (papa). The chapter then lists the kinds of conduct that draw in each of the eight types of karma, ending with the sixteen practices that lead to becoming a Tirthankara.
स आस्रवः
sa āsravaḥ
This yoga is asrava, the channel through which karma flows into the soul.
शुभः पुण्यस्याशुभः पापस्य
śubhaḥ puṇyasyāśubhaḥ pāpasya
Good activity brings in merit (punya); bad activity brings in demerit (papa).
सकषायाकषाययोः सांपरायिकेर्यापथयोः
sakaṣāyākaṣāyayoḥ sāṃparāyikeryāpathayoḥ
Inflow in a soul with passions (kashaya) leads to lasting bondage (samparayika); in a soul without passions it is fleeting (iryapatha).
इन्द्रियकषायाव्रतक्रियाः पञ्चचतुःपञ्चपञ्चविंशतिसंख्याः पूर्वस्य भेदाः
indriyakaṣāyāvratakriyāḥ pañcacatuḥpañcapañcaviṃśatisaṃkhyāḥ pūrvasya bhedāḥ
The first kind has these divisions: five senses, four passions, five non-vows and twenty-five activities.
तीव्रमन्दज्ञाताज्ञातभावाधिकरणवीर्यविशेषेभ्यस्तद्विशेषः
tīvramandajñātājñātabhāvādhikaraṇavīryaviśeṣebhyastadviśeṣaḥ
Inflow varies with intensity or mildness of feeling, whether the act is intended or not, its basis, and the strength of the doer.
अधिकरणं जीवाजीवाः
adhikaraṇaṃ jīvājīvāḥ
The basis (adhikarana) of such activity is of two kinds: living and non-living.
आद्यं संरम्भसमारम्भारम्भयोगकृतकारितानुमतकषायविशेषैस्त्रिस्त्रिस्त्रिश्चतुश्चैकशः
ādyaṃ saṃrambhasamārambhārambhayogakṛtakāritānumatakaṣāyaviśeṣaistristristriścatuścaikaśaḥ
The living basis has 108 forms: planning, preparing and starting; by body, speech or mind; done, caused or approved; each under any of the four passions (3 x 3 x 3 x 4).
निर्वर्तनानिक्षेपसंयोगनिसर्गा द्विचतुर्द्वित्रिभेदाः परम्
nirvartanānikṣepasaṃyoganisargā dvicaturdvitribhedāḥ param
The non-living basis is of making (two kinds), placing (four), combining (two) and setting in motion (three).
तत्प्रदोषनिह्नवमात्सर्यान्तरायासादनोपघाता ज्ञानदर्शनावरणयोः
tatpradoṣanihnavamātsaryāntarāyāsādanopaghātā jñānadarśanāvaraṇayoḥ
Spite toward knowledge, hiding it, jealousy, blocking it, slighting it and attacking it draw in knowledge-obscuring and perception-obscuring karma.
दुःखशोकतापाक्रन्दनवधपरिदेवनान्यात्मपरोभयस्थान्यसद्वेद्यस्य
duḥkhaśokatāpākrandanavadhaparidevanānyātmaparobhayasthānyasadvedyasya
Causing pain, grief, anguish, wailing, injury or lamentation in oneself, in others or in both draws in karma that brings painful experience.
भूतव्रत्यनुकम्पादानसरागसंयमादियोगः क्षान्तिः शौचमिति सद्वेद्यस्य
bhūtavratyanukampādānasarāgasaṃyamādiyogaḥ kṣāntiḥ śaucamiti sadvedyasya
Compassion for living beings and for vow-keepers, charity, restraint still mixed with attachment and the like, forbearance and freedom from greed draw in karma that brings pleasant experience.
केवलिश्रुतसंघधर्मदेवावर्णवादो दर्शनमोहस्य
kevaliśrutasaṃghadharmadevāvarṇavādo darśanamohasya
Speaking falsely against the omniscient ones (kevalis), the scriptures, the community, the dharma and the gods draws in faith-deluding karma.
कषायोदयात्तीव्रपरिणामश्चारित्रमोहस्य
kaṣāyodayāttīvrapariṇāmaścāritramohasya
Intense states arising from the passions draw in conduct-deluding karma.
बह्वारम्भपरिग्रहत्वं नारकस्यायुषः
bahvārambhaparigrahatvaṃ nārakasyāyuṣaḥ
Much harmful undertaking and much possessiveness lead to a lifespan in hell.
माया तैर्यग्योनस्य
māyā tairyagyonasya
Deceit leads to a lifespan as a tiryanch (animal, plant and the like).
अल्पारम्भपरिग्रहत्वं मानुषस्य
alpārambhaparigrahatvaṃ mānuṣasya
Little harmful undertaking and little possessiveness lead to a human lifespan.
स्वभावमार्दवं च
svabhāvamārdavaṃ ca
So does natural gentleness.
निःशीलव्रतत्वं च सर्वेषाम्
niḥśīlavratatvaṃ ca sarveṣām
Lacking vows and virtuous practices contributes to all kinds of lifespan.
सरागसंयमसंयमासंयमाकामनिर्जराबालतपांसि दैवस्य
sarāgasaṃyamasaṃyamāsaṃyamākāmanirjarābālatapāṃsi daivasya
Restraint mixed with attachment, partial restraint, unwilling endurance of hardship and austerity without understanding lead to a celestial lifespan.
सम्यक्त्वं च
samyaktvaṃ ca
So does right faith.
योगवक्रता विसंवादनं चाशुभस्य नाम्नः
yogavakratā visaṃvādanaṃ cāśubhasya nāmnaḥ
Crookedness in activity and misleading others draw in inauspicious body-making (nama) karma.
तद्विपरीतं शुभस्य
tadviparītaṃ śubhasya
Their opposites draw in auspicious nama karma.
दर्शनविशुद्धिर्विनयसम्पन्नता शीलव्रतेष्वनतीचारोऽभीक्ष्णज्ञानोपयोगसंवेगौ शक्तितस्त्यागतपसी साधुसमाधिर्वैयावृत्त्यकरणमर्हदाचार्यबहुश्रुतप्रवचनभक्तिरावश्यकापरिहाणिर्मार्गप्रभावना प्रवचनवत्सलत्वमिति तीर्थकरत्वस्य
darśanaviśuddhirvinayasampannatā śīlavrateṣvanatīcāro'bhīkṣṇajñānopayogasaṃvegau śaktitastyāgatapasī sādhusamādhirvaiyāvṛttyakaraṇamarhadācāryabahuśrutapravacanabhaktirāvaśyakāparihāṇirmārgaprabhāvanā pravacanavatsalatvamiti tīrthakaratvasya
Sixteen practices draw in the karma of a Tirthankara: purity of faith, humility, faultless keeping of vows, constant pursuit of knowledge, longing for liberation, giving and austerity as one is able, protecting the peace of monks, serving them, devotion to the Arhats, the Acharyas, the learned and the scriptures, never neglecting the daily essential duties, spreading the path, and affection for fellow followers.
परात्मनिन्दाप्रशंसे सदसद्गुणोच्छादनोद्भावने च नीचैर्गोत्रस्य
parātmanindāpraśaṃse sadasadguṇocchādanodbhāvane ca nīcairgotrasya
Criticising others and praising oneself, hiding others' good qualities and claiming qualities one does not have, draw in karma of low status (gotra).
तद्विपर्ययो नीचैर्वृत्त्यनुत्सेकौ चोत्तरस्य
tadviparyayo nīcairvṛttyanutsekau cottarasya
The opposite, together with humility and freedom from pride, draws in karma of high status.
विघ्नकरणमन्तरायस्य
vighnakaraṇamantarāyasya
Putting obstacles in others' way draws in obstructive (antaraya) karma.
Sanskrit sutras: Sanskrit Wikisource (public domain), with clear digitisation errors corrected and listed in our build notes. Meanings, summaries and Navkar text: IndiaDigital, awaiting review by Digambara and Svetambara scholars. Sutra counts follow the Digambara recension; Svetambara texts number some sutras differently.
Corrections from members of every tradition are welcome at support@indiadigital.org. Last checked: .