Every action sows a seed; every seed sprouts in time; until the seeds are exhausted, the jiva wanders. The exit (moksha) is the supreme purushartha — the reason for human birth. All Sanatana Dharma schools accept this karma-samsara framework; they differ on the means + nature of the exit. Sources: Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, Brahma Sutras + commentaries, Yoga Sutras.
The three kinds of karma
Sanchita Karma · सञ्चित कर्म
The accumulated stock of all karmas from all past lives — like a granary of seeds yet to sprout.
Example — The full karma-balance of every past action across countless lifetimes. Could include the karma of having killed a sage 12 lifetimes ago, of having fed a brahmana 4 lifetimes ago, etc.
Modifiable? Only burnable by jnana (knowledge of Brahman) or by total surrender to Ishvara. Not exhaustible by simple effort.
Prarabdha Karma · प्रारब्ध कर्म
The portion of sanchita that has "ripened" and is now being consumed in the current life. The horoscope, birth-family, body, lifespan — all determined by prarabdha.
Example — You were born into a brahmana family in Karnataka in 1985 — prarabdha. You meet your spouse — prarabdha. You suffer a specific illness at a specific age — prarabdha.
Modifiable? Unmodifiable. Even a jnani must exhaust his prarabdha by experiencing it. The arrow once released must complete its arc. Only mitigated by remedies, mantra, sadhana.
Kriyamana Karma (Agami) · क्रियमाण कर्म / आगामि
The karma you are creating right now by every action. Goes into sanchita to fruit in future lives — or this one.
Example — A lie told today. An act of seva today. A meditation done today. Words spoken today. Each creates a new karma-seed.
Modifiable? Fully under your control. The doctrine of free will resides entirely here. Choose every action with awareness — this is dharma.
Samsara · संसार
The wandering — the cycle of repeated birth, death, and rebirth.
Driven by: Karma + Vasana (latent tendencies) + Avidya (ignorance of the Self). Until the chain is broken at its root (avidya), one revolves through 84 lakh yonis (8.4 million species).
Four yonis (modes of birth): Jarayuja (womb-born — mammals), Andaja (egg-born — birds, reptiles, fish), Svedaja (sweat-born — insects), Udbhija (sprout-born — plants).
Three gatis (post-death paths): Urdhva-gati (upward, to deva-lokas — by punya). Madhyama-gati (middle, back to manushya-loka — by mixed karma). Adho-gati (downward, to lower yonis — by papa).
The exit — The chain is broken at avidya — by knowledge that the jivatma is identical with (Advaita) / part of (Vishishtadvaita) / distinct from but eternally dependent on (Dvaita) Brahman.
The four Purusharthas (sanctioned aims)
Dharma · धर्म
Righteous action. The duties of one's station (varnashrama-dharma) + universal duties (sadharana-dharma — truth, non-violence, purity, restraint). Foundation. Without dharma, the other three corrupt.
Artha · अर्थ
Wealth, livelihood, material security. Required for sustaining the body, family, and dharmic duties (yajnas, dana, hospitality). Must be earned by dharmic means (sharma-mulam — rooted in dharma).
Kama · काम
Desire — sensual, aesthetic, emotional. The full life of householder enjoyment within the bounds of dharma + artha. Sanctioned within marriage + dharma. Without those bounds, becomes the gateway to adharma.
Moksha · मोक्ष
Liberation. The exit from samsara. The supreme aim. The final purushartha — paramartha. The other three are means; moksha is the end.
The four kinds of mukti
Salokya · सालोक्य
Dwelling in the same loka as the Lord. After death, the jiva reaches Vaikuntha / Kailasa / Lakshmi-loka and lives there. Common to all Vaishnava + Shaiva traditions as the first stage.
Samipya · सामीप्य
Nearness — to be in the immediate vicinity of the Lord, like a personal attendant. Taught by Pancharatra + Vaikhanasa Vaishnavism.
Sarupya · सारूप्य
Having the same form as the Lord — four-armed, conch-and-discus-bearing for Vaishnavas; matted-locks + crescent for Shaivas. Taught by Vaikhanasa Agamas + some Shaiva Agamas.
Sayujya · सायुज्य
Merger / oneness with the Lord. The jiva loses all separate identity in the brahman-ocean. Taught by Advaita Vedanta — the supreme moksha. Vishishtadvaita accepts it only as eternal-service-style oneness (not loss of identity). Dvaita rejects it entirely.
Jivanmukti vs Videhamukti — the timing
Jivanmukti · जीवन्मुक्ति
Liberation while still alive. The jnani has destroyed avidya — he sees the world but is no longer bound by it. The body continues only to exhaust prarabdha; after that, mahasamadhi. Examples: Sri Ramakrishna, Ramana Maharshi, Sri Aurobindo, every realised acharya.
Videhamukti · विदेहमुक्ति
Liberation at the moment of body-drop. The jiva exits with full knowledge — no return. The body falls away and the prarabdha is fully consumed simultaneously. The supreme exit — achieved by saints whose final samadhi exhausts their karma exactly.
The four Yoga-margas (paths to moksha)
Karma Yoga · कर्म योग
Yoga of selfless action. Act without attachment to fruit; offer every action as worship. The Gita's central teaching. Primary text: Bhagavad Gita chapters 2-3. Suitable for active personalities — those bound to family, work, social duties.
Bhakti Yoga · भक्ति योग
Yoga of devotion. Total surrender + love of the personal deity. Cultivates the nine forms of bhakti (sravana, kirtana, smarana, etc). Primary text: Bhagavata Purana + Narada Bhakti Sutra + Bhagavad Gita 12. Suitable for emotional personalities — those with strong devotional response to a specific deity.
Jnana Yoga · ज्ञान योग
Yoga of knowledge. Direct inquiry into the nature of the Self (atma-vichara) — "Who am I?". Cuts avidya at the root. Primary text: Upanishads + Brahma Sutras + Vivekachudamani (Shankara). Suitable for intellectual personalities — those whose questioning will not rest with belief.
Raja Yoga (Ashtanga) · राज योग
Yoga of meditation. The eight-limbed path of Patanjali — yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, samadhi. Primary text: Patanjali Yoga Sutras (196 sutras). Suitable for disciplined personalities — those for whom mental control + meditative absorption come naturally.
The Gita's answer — the householder need not choose one marga exclusively. Krishna teaches Arjuna karma-yoga (chapter 3), then bhakti (chapter 12), then jnana (chapter 13-15), then jnana-karma-sannyasa (chapter 18) as the integrated conclusion. Most practical for the householder: bhakti as the heart, karma-yoga as the daily expression, jnana as the underlying clarity.