In Jainism, the eight karmas (aṣṭa‑karma) are divided into two main groups:

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1. Ghāti (घाति) karmas – destructive to the soul’s qualities

These directly cover or damage the natural qualities of the soul (knowledge, perception, energy, detachment).

1. Jñānāvaraṇīya karma

- Meaning: Knowledge‑obscuring. - Effect: Blocks right and full knowledge.

1. Darśanāvaraṇīya karma

- Meaning: Perception‑obscuring. - Effect: Blocks right perception / faith.

1. Mohaniya karma

- Meaning: Deluding karma. - Effect: Creates mithyātva (wrong belief) and kaṣāyas (anger, pride, deceit, greed); causes attachment–aversion.

1. Antarāya karma

- Meaning: Obstructing karma. - Effect: Creates obstacles in doing good – dān (charity), labh (gain), bhog–upabhog (enjoyment), vīrya (spiritual energy).

These four must be totally destroyed for keval‑jñān and mokṣa.

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2. Aghāti (अघाति) karmas – non‑destructive / bodily karmas

These do not destroy the soul’s qualities, but decide the body and worldly conditions in which the soul exists.

1. Vedanīya karma

- Meaning: Feeling‑producing. - Effect: Gives śāta (pleasant) or aśāta (painful) feelings.

1. Āyuṣya karma

- Meaning: Life‑span determining. - Effect: Fixes the length and type of next life (deva, manuṣya, tiryañc, nāraki).

1. Nāma karma

- Meaning: Body‑forming karma. - Effect: Decides body type, sense organs, strength, beauty/ugliness, etc.

1. Gotra karma

- Meaning: Status‑determining karma. - Effect: High or low family, social status, honour/disrespect.

For a liberated soul, all four ghāti karmas are destroyed first, then at the end of that life the four aghāti karmas also end, and the soul attains mokṣa.

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Tradition note

• This 8‑karma division and ghāti / aghāti grouping is accepted in both Digambar and Śvetāmbara traditions; explanations may vary slightly, but names and basic roles are the same.

You can read more in simple language here and a detailed breakdown of all eight karmas here