Karma

“Action”. The principle of cause and effect that governs existence.

Meanings:

1. Action in general: Any physical, verbal, or mental act.
2. Law of causality: Every action produces results (phala) that return to the agent.
3. Accumulation: The weight of past actions that determines present circumstances.

Types according to the Gītā:

• Sañcita karma: Karma accumulated from all past lives
• Prārabdha karma: Portion of sañcita that fructifies in this life
• Kriyamāṇa/Āgāmi karma: Karma created in this life

Karma Yoga (Gītā 2.47):

“Your right is to action alone, never to its fruits.”

Acting without attachment to results (niṣkāma karma) does not generate new karma and gradually frees one from the effects of past karma.