Karma - The Mechanism: Tattvarthasutra 8.11

Gatijatisharirangopanga nirmanabandhana sanghata samsthana samhanana sparsha rasagandha varnanupurvya guru laghupaghata paraghata tapo dyoto chchhvasa vihaayo gatayah pratyeka sharira trasa subhanga susvara shubha sukshma paryaptisthira yashah kirti setarani tirthakaravam cha (11)

• the condition of our existence (gati)
• the class (the number of senses of our body) (jati)
• the levels of functions of our body (sharira)
• the development and the abilities of the limbs of our respective bodies (angopanga)
• the degree of coordination between our different levels of functions (bandhana)
• the degree of coordination between consciousness and our respective bodies (sanghata)
• the shape of our body (samsthana)
• the construction and agility of our joints (sam­hanana)
• the sensation when touching our body (sparsha)
• the taste of our body (rasa)
• the smell of our body (gandha)
• the color of our body (varna)
• the ability to retain our bodily form from one incarnation to the next (anupurvi)
• the maneuverability (the heaviness) of our body in relation to its environment (agurulaghu)
• the cause of death by internal factors (upaghata)
• the cause of death by external factors (paraghata)
• the heat our body radiates (atapa)
• the light our body radiates (udyota)
• our ability to breathe (uchchhvasa)
• the way our body moves through space (vihayogati)
• the number of inhabitants in our body (pratyeka­sharira)
• our bodily mobility (trasa)
• our attractiveness to other beings (subhaga)
• the attractiveness of our voice (susvara)
• the beauty of our body (shubha)
• the grace of our body (sukshma)
• the potential to fully develop all features of our body (paryapti)
• the degree of circulation (the exchange of the material elements of our body) (sthira)
• the radiation of our personality (adeya)
• our potential to achieve fame (and the type of fame) (yashakirti)
• the status of a tirthankara (i.e. a teacher who teaches from the state of omniscience). (11)

This sutra describes the parameters that influence form and functions of our body in its present (and future) incarnation(s). All parameters are shaped entirely by ourselves through our action, speech and thoughts. The sutra lists the karmic components for all forms possible within the context of this universe. Some of these variations apply to levels of existence we might not feel familiar with at present.