Answer

In Jain Dharma, Antarāya karma is the obstructive karma that creates obstacles in one’s ability to give, receive, enjoy, use energy, and perform good actions.

To shed Antarāya karma, one should practice:

• Dāna — giving with humility and compassion
• Sevā — helping others without ego or expectation
• Tapasya — austerity and self-discipline
• Saṃyam — restraint of mind, speech, and body
• Kṣamā — forgiveness and removal of inner negativity
• Bhāvanā — pure intentions and spiritual reflection
• Pratikramaṇ — repentance for wrong actions

Explanation

Antarāya karma is bound when a person obstructs others or acts with jealousy, ego, possessiveness, or lack of compassion. For example:

• Stopping someone from giving charity
• Discouraging someone from doing dharma
• Creating obstacles in another person’s good work
• Refusing to help when one is capable
• Feeling unhappy when others receive benefit or success

To reduce and shed this karma, one should do the opposite:

• Encourage others in good deeds
• Support religious and compassionate activities
• Give according to one’s capacity
• Use one’s strength, wealth, knowledge, and time for dharma
• Develop joy in the progress and happiness of others

Spiritual Understanding

Antarāya karma blocks the soul’s natural energy and capacity. The soul has infinite power, but karmas cover and obstruct it. When we remove obstruction from others’ lives, we weaken the obstructive karma within ourselves.

In Jain practice, shedding karma happens through two main processes:

• Saṃvar — stopping new karmic bondage
• Nirjarā — shedding previously bound karma

For Antarāya karma:

• Saṃvar happens by avoiding jealousy, obstruction, ego, and harmful speech.
• Nirjarā happens through repentance, austerity, humility, forgiveness, and selfless service.

Takeaway

The best way to shed Antarāya karma is:

Do not obstruct goodness. Support goodness.

Give, help, encourage, forgive, and perform dharma with humility. As obstruction toward others decreases, the obstruction around the soul also begins to dissolve.