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Sakam or voluntary nirjara is practiced by the yogis or the house-holders with right cognition as they observe various major and minor vows. The karmas can be compared to fruits. Fruits my ripen naturally on trees or they could be made to ripen artificially. Similarly the karma may take its own time to ripen and be effective, or it may be made to mature through penances and made ineffective thereby.
Just as the gold is cleansed as it is put to fire, the jiva sullied by the evil karma is purified through the fiery heat of penances.
Penances could be physical or mental; fasting, restricting the quantity and variety of food; ascetic practices, are all considered as physical penances as they are physically evident.
The mental penances are atonement, rendering services to the diseased and the decrepit, study of religion, politeness or impeccable behaviour, and spiritual meditation.
The karmas attached to the jivas are burnt out in the fiery heat of these penances.
Explanation : Just as a lake would not receive any more water when the openings into it are blocked up, a jiva will not gather new karmic matter as soon as he has stopped the influx through samvara. Just as the water previously collected in
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Yoga Shashtra
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