Here is a simple analogy to understand darshanāvarniya karma (perception‑obscuring karma):

Basic idea

Darshanāvarniya karma does not destroy your power of seeing/realizing truth. It simply covers or blocks it, so your inner vision (darshan) cannot work fully.

Analogy 1 – Dirty window / coloured glasses

• Imagine your soul is inside a room, looking at the outside world through a glass window.
• The power to see is there, but:

- If the glass is dirty, you see everything dim or unclear. - If the glass is painted red or green, everything looks in that colour, not as it really is.

• The dirt/colour on the glass is like darshanāvarniya karma.

- The eye (soul’s capacity) is okay, - But your perception is disturbed because of the covering.

So:

• Pure, clean glass = no darshanāvarniya karma → right perception / right faith.
• Thick, dirty, coloured glass = heavy darshanāvarniya karma → wrong or weak perception.

Analogy 2 – Meeting a true Sadhu but feeling nothing

• A person comes in front of a true Sadhu / Arihant’s idol / real Jain scriptural teaching.
• Body and brain are normal, but:

- He feels no faith, no respect, no curiosity. - Sometimes even doubt, boredom or dislike.

• The problem is not lack of intelligence;

it is the old darshanāvarniya karma which covers his inner vision, so he cannot see the greatness of true Dharma.

This is exactly how Jain Acharyas explain darshanāvarniya karma in simple form: it obscures right vision and right faith (samyak‑darshan) and even obstructs higher perceptions like avadhi‑darshan and keval‑darshan.

Both Śvetāmbara and Digambara traditions accept this meaning; the technical classifications can differ slightly, but the basic idea and analogies above are common.

For a short overview of all 8 karmas including darshanāvarniya, you can read more here