Answer

In Jain Dharma, the soul is covered by eight karmas. These karmas bind the soul and prevent it from revealing its natural qualities of infinite knowledge, perception, bliss, and energy.

Here are the eight karmas one by one:

1. Jñānāvaraṇīya Karma

- Covers knowledge of the soul. - Because of this karma, we do not know everything.

1. Darśanāvaraṇīya Karma

- Covers right perception or pure awareness. - It blocks clear seeing and true understanding.

1. Vedanīya Karma

- Produces pleasure and pain. - It makes the soul experience सुख and दुःख.

1. Mohanīya Karma

- Causes delusion, attachment, and wrong belief. - This is considered one of the most powerful karmas because it confuses the soul.

1. Āyu Karma

- Determines the lifespan in a particular birth. - It decides how long a soul will stay in one life form.

1. Nāma Karma

- Determines the body, form, and physical characteristics. - It gives the soul a particular type of body, appearance, and features.

1. Gotra Karma

- Determines status, family background, and social position. - It leads to high or low family circumstances.

1. Antarāya Karma

- Obstructs the soul’s energy and efforts. - It creates obstacles in charity, gain, enjoyment, and spiritual progress.

Explanation

These eight karmas are divided into two main groups:

• Ghātiya karmas: These directly damage the soul’s qualities

- Jñānāvaraṇīya - Darśanāvaraṇīya - Mohanīya - Antarāya

• Aghātiya karmas: These do not directly destroy the soul’s main qualities, but affect the body and worldly life

- Vedanīya - Āyu - Nāma - Gotra

The goal of Jain practice is to stop new karma from binding and gradually destroy old karma through right faith, right knowledge, right conduct, and तपस्या.

Spiritual Understanding

The teaching of the eight karmas helps us understand why the soul suffers in bondage.

• If knowledge is covered, we remain ignorant.
• If perception is covered, we fail to see truth clearly.
• If delusion is strong, we become attached and angry.
• If energy is blocked, we cannot progress properly.

When these karmas are removed, the soul becomes pure, free, and पूर्ण. This is the path toward moksha.

Takeaway

The eight karmas explain the bondage of the soul in Jain Dharma. Understanding them helps us see why purification, self-control, and non-attachment are so important on the spiritual path.