The law of karma governs the universe and all beings within it; it acts impersonally and
binds each atman (inner Self) to the world and in addition to the cycle of
transmigration. The law of karma acts impersonally, yet we may meaningfully interpret
its results as either positive (punya) or negative (papa) — terms describing actions
leading the Self either toward or away from the spiritual goal. Karma is further graded
as: white (shukla), black (krishna), mixed (shukla-krishna) or neither white nor black
(ashukla-akrishna). The latter term describes the karma of the jnani, who, as Rishi
Patanjali says, is established in kaivalya, freedom from prakriti through realization of
the Self. Similarly, one's karma must be in a condition of ashukla-akrishna, quiescent
balance, in order for liberation to be attained. This equivalence of karma is called
karmasamya, and is a factor that brings malaparipaka, or maturity of anava
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