In Jain Dharma, Nigod is the most subtle and lowest form of embodied life, where countless jīvas live in extreme bondage and suffering. A person is not sent to Nigod by one single paap alone, but by very intense, accumulated karmic bondage.

Main causes mentioned in Jain understanding are:

• Extreme hiṃsā in thought, word, or deed
• Very strong anger, pride, deceit, and greed
• Deep attachment and possession
• Cruelty, falsehood, theft, and misuse of life
• Persistent ignorance of dharma and non-repentance
• Heavy bondage of mohanīya karma, especially with strong passions

In short, those karmas that create the deepest bondage of soul and the greatest violence toward living beings can lead a jīva toward Nigod gati.

However, Jain teaching also says that the exact gati depends on the total karmic state of the soul, not just one action. Even one severe act, when done with intense passions, can bind very heavy karma.

The safest path is:

• Ahimsa
• Samyak darshan
• Self-restraint
• Pratikraman
• Kshamā, vinay, and aparigraha

These help prevent such bondage and purify the soul.