Mohaniya karma is called “deluding karma.” Its effect is very practical and visible in daily life.

In simple words: Because of mohaniya karma, the soul keeps getting confused, attached and angry/greedy, instead of staying peaceful and right‑guided.

1. What does mohaniya karma do inside us?

Mohaniya karma mainly does two things:

1) Spoils right belief (samyak darshan) - Makes us think: “Soul, karma, papa–punya, moksha… maybe all this is not true.” - Creates doubt about Tirthankars, Jain principles, and the real purpose of life. - We start running only behind money, pleasure, name–fame, as if that is everything.

2) Spoils right conduct (samyak charitra) - Brings strong passions (kashaya): - Anger (krodh) - Pride/ego (maan) - Deceit (maya) - Greed (lobh) - Because of these, we knowingly hurt others, lie, cheat, get jealous, take revenge, etc.

Jain Acharyas say: out of all 8 karmas, mohaniya is the most dangerous, because when belief and conduct are spoiled, all other mistakes automatically follow.

You can read a basic explanation of mohaniya karma here

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2. How it shows in real life (everyday examples)

Because of mohaniya karma, a person may:

• Know something is wrong but still do it

- Example: “I know anger is bad, but I want to shout right now.” - “I know meat/alcohol/gambling is wrong, but I can’t leave it.”

• Be strongly attached

- Extreme attachment to money, business, property, mobile, food, comfort, or even to particular people. - If these are disturbed, we immediately become upset, worried or violent.

• Have wrong or confused beliefs

- “There is no soul or karma; only this life matters.” - “Religion is only for old people; enjoyment is more important.” - “Violence is okay if it is ‘for business’.”

• Live under the control of passions

- Anger: exploding on family, staff, or online, then later feeling regret. - Pride: feeling “I am greater than others,” not able to say sorry. - Deceit: showing one face outside, another inside; cheating customers. - Greed: never satisfied, always wanting “more” – more profit, more status.

• Lose interest in dharma

- Getting bored in satsang, pravachan, or Paryushan. - Feeling lazy to do pratikraman, samayik, pooja. - Giving more time to social media/entertainment than to any spiritual effort.

All this is the working of mohaniya karma on the soul.

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3. Spiritual effect

Because of mohaniya karma:

• The soul stays in samsar (birth–death cycle).
• Right faith and right conduct cannot become steady, so progress becomes very slow.
• Even when we do punya (charity, pooja, seva),

- if done with pride, show‑off, jealousy, or desire for fame, - mohaniya karma gets strengthened again.

That is why Jain Dharm says: first conquer mohaniya, then other karmas can be destroyed more easily.

Both Śvetāmbara and Digambara traditions accept this same basic teaching:

• Mohaniya = deluding karma
• It is the main cause of mithyatva (wrong belief) and kashaya (passions), which keep the soul away from moksha.

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4. How to reduce its effect in daily life

Jain shastra gives simple but powerful methods:

• Develop right faith

- Listen to true Jain teachings, read scriptures, do satsang, reflect on the 9 tattvas.

• Watch and reduce anger, pride, deceit, greed

- Daily pratikraman, asking forgiveness (kshama), practicing humility.

• Practice small vows (anuvrat) and discipline

- Ahimsa, satya, asteya, brahmacharya, aparigraha according to one’s capacity.

• Meditation and samayik

- Even a short period of equanimity daily slowly weakens mohaniya karma.

As these practices increase, mohaniya karma becomes weaker, and you feel:

• more peace,
• less reaction,
• more clarity about what is truly good for the soul.

You can also see how mohaniya fits within the 8 main karmas here