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JAINA CONVENTION 2011
"Live and Help Live" Punya (Meritorious) and Päp (Sinful) Karma
Pravin K. Shah
Pravin K. Shah is a retired Electrical Engineer from Raleigh, N.C. As a chairperson of JAINA Education Committee, he published Jain Pathsala Education Material for North America. He has published several articles and books on Jaina philosophy. Mr. Shah presents Punya and Pap as part of Jain theory of karma, briefly discusses the catagories and elimination/reduction of karmas for attainment of Keval-jnan and nirvana or liberation. His e-mail address
education@jaina.org and telephone 919-859-4994. Introduction
general the bondage of karma occurs due to The most unique and beautiful part of Jain the soul's Mithyatva (illusion or ignorance of philosophy is Jain theory karma. At a very proper knowledge). Avirati (vowlessness). high level, Jainism defines three types of Pramäda (spiritual laziness). Kashaya (anger, karma; Dravya karma, Bhava Karma and ego, deceit, greed etc.) and Yoga (activities of Nokarma where:
the mind, body, and speech). Dravya Karma are the physical karmic In other words for all practical purpose, the particles which get attached to a soul. new karma bondage occurs only due to the Bhava Karma is a reflection of the soul or
presence of Mohaniya karma meaning the state of our soul at every moment. It Darshan Mohaniya (which is Mithyatva) and is not a physical particle but a form of our
Charitra Mohaniya (which is a lack of spiritual soul such as angry soul or greedy soul or a
conduct) karma. Such bondage occurs for peaceful soul. All such various states of certain duration only. We do not have one soul (soul's Paryaya) are considered Bhava particular karma attached to us forever. karma.
When the time of the attachment of karma is Nokarma are everything else other than over, at that time according to its nature, this Soul and karma particles in the universe.
karma will create an environment surrounding This includes our physical body, physical the soul and it will immediately separate from mind, words, smell, sound, color, house, the soul. The soul that is surrounded by such furniture, and all other items we come
environment may feel pleasure or pain based across in the universe.
on the surroundings created by these various Both Dravya karma and Nokarma are nimitta
types of karma. These feelings acquire new causes (catalytic agents) of Bhava karma and
karma. This process occurs at each and every Bhava karma is the nimitta cause of new
moment in our life. In this way, under normal Dravya karma which attach to the soul. In
circumstances we will never be free of karma
because at every moment we shed some old this process Nokarma are not being affected.
karma and acquire some new karma. They are just present in their own state. This article explains certain types of Dravya karma Types of Karma and its impact on Bhava karma.
In Jain philosophy the Dravya karma are Acquiring Karma and their consequences further classified as Ghäti or Aghäti karma Jain philosophy explains that Karma is a
depending upon whether they subdue the matter (Dravya karma) which is made up of
qualities or innate nature of the soul or create very fine and subtle particles that one cannot the physical environment of a living being. see or feel by any physical means. The entire
The same karma are also classified in a universe is filled with such particles (we need different way into Punya and Pap karma to believe this by faith only).
categories. When these karma particles attach (bond) to the soul it is called the bondage of karma. In
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