Jainism ke anusar, karm ek sukshm padarth hai jo hamare atma se jud jata hai jab hum koi bhi kriya, vichar ya bhavna (raaga-dvesha) karte hain. Karm ka apna ek shakti-shali swabhav hai, jo atma par asar dalta hai. Jab koi jeev achhe ya bure karm karta hai, to uske anusaar uske atma par sukh ya dukh dene wale karm bandhte hain.

Karm ke fal dene ki takat ka karan uski prakriti aur atma ke sambandh mein hai:

1. Karm ke prakriti: Karm chhe (6) prakaar ke hote hain—gnanavarniya, darshanavarniya, mohaniya, antaraya, ayushya, naam, gotra—jo alag-alag tarike se atma ko bandhte aur uspar prabhav dalte hain.

1. Karm bandhne ka kaaran: Jab hum ashubh (paap) ya shubh (punya) kriya karte hain, to humare vichar, bol, aur sharirik kriyaon ke madhyam se karm atma se chipak jate hain. Yeh karm samay ke sath apna fal dene lagte hain.

1. Uday avastha: Jab karm ka samay pura hota hai (karm uday mein aate hain), tab ve apna asar dikhate hain—sukh ya dukh ke roop mein. Isliye, atma ko sukh-dukhi anubhav hota hai.

1. Karm ke fal ka niyam: Jain dharm ke anusar, "Karm kabhi vyarth nahi jata," har karm apna nirdharit samay par avashya fal deta hai. Yeh niyam niyati ka hissa hai aur atma ke chakkar (janm-maran) ka kaaran hai.

Isliye, Jain darshan ke anusar, karmo ko fal dene ki takat atma aur karm ke anadi sambandh, uski prakriti, aur uske uday ke niyam se hoti hai. Moksh prapt karne ke liye, karmo ka bandhan rokna aur purane karmo ko kshay karna avashyak hai.