Philosophy In Jain Agams: Calita and Acalita Karma (Arisen and dormant karma)

In the context of analyzing different states of karma e.g. bondage, premature-realization, experiencing, reducing, transferring, making incapable of some karmic processes, making incapable of all karmic processes and falling-away, Bhagvatī Sūtra discusses arisen and dormant karmas.^[1] Among them 'what is the condition of karma material', 'whether they remain arisen or not-arisen' has been discussed in the context of the ten states of karma like bondage, prematuration etc. The Bhagavatī answers these questions in a very relative mode.

The soul attracts karma particles by its activity. The attracted karmic material clusters get united with the soul and stay bound for a definite period of time and thus are said to be in a 'not-arisen' state. After the probation period, abandoning the state of stability, karmas vibrate and get 'arisen'.^[2] Usages of the words like 'risen' and 'not-arisen’ are relative in the context of the states of karmas. Bondage, rise, experiencing, reducing, transferring, making incapable of some karmic processes, making all karmic processes incapable, are possible only in case of karma that has not arisen and falling away of karma from the soul-units is only possible in the case of the karma that has arisen.^[3]

According to this description, mere attraction of karmic particles is not bondage, but, only when they settle down in the units of soul after attraction is it called bondage. Generally, during bondage, rise, experiencing, reduction of duration or intensity of karma etc. it is assumed that there is some vibration in the soul, but the Bhagavatī holds them as non-arisen karmas. Hence, in conclusion, we may understand that, the word 'calita' does not refer to all the vibrations that take place in the soul, but it refers to only those vibrations which disconnect or eliminate the karmas from soul-units. As long as the karmas are bound to the soul, whatsoever vibrations in the karma particles may occur, they will be called as not-arisen karmas only.