Ashrava (आश्रव) means the influx or flow of karmic particles into the soul. In Jainism, this influx happens when the mind, speech and body engage in activities (especially under the influence of passions) and attract karmic matter to stick to the soul. This binding leads to bondage and rounds of birth and death. In short: asrava is the inflow of karma into the self.

Key points:

• It is caused by actions of body, speech and mind, driven by passions (kashayas) like anger, pride, deceit and greed, or by wrong beliefs and non-observance of vows.
• There are two main types:

- Bhava-asrava (psychic influx) – the mental state that causes karma to begin flowing. - Dravya-asrava (physical influx) – the actual karmic matter that sticks to the soul.

• There are two broad outcomes:

- Influx driven by passions tends to bondage and longer transmigration. - Influx not driven by passions can be transient or shorter, and may not bind as strongly.

• In Jain doctrine, asrava is followed by bandha (bondage), and its stopping is called samvara; the shedding of already-bonded karma is nirjara. The spiritual path aims to reduce asrava by purifying mind, speech and conduct.

Different traditions (Digambara vs. Śvetāmbara):

• Both traditions accept asrava as the influx of karmic matter into the soul and its role in bondage.
• The basic classification and mechanism are shared; minor textual presentations may vary, but the essential meaning remains the same.

If you’d like, I can give a short, traditional verse (stotra) about asrava and its arth from a Jain scripture.