The 4 Types of Karma: Explained With Real-Life Examples (2024)

What are the four types of karma? How do they interact with each other?

The four types of karma are sanchita (accumulated karma), prarabdha (allotted karma), agami (future actionable karma), and kriyamana (present actionable karma). By learning what each of these is, you can better understand the karma in your own life.

Learn about the four types of karma and how each influences the bigger picture.

What Are the Four Types of Karma?

In this article, we’ll describe the different kinds of karma. According to yogi and author of Karma Sadhguru, there are four types of karma:

1. Sanchita karma, or accumulated karma, refers to your total karma, including karma inherited from past lifetimes that you may not be fully aware of.
2. Prarabdha karma, or allotted karma is a selection of karma from your total accumulated karma that you carry through your current lifetime. Your allotted karma shapes the circ*mstances and situations you face. You can work through your accumulated karma by living out a portion of it (your allotted karma) in each lifetime.
3. Agami karma, or future actionable karma, refers to the karma that’s generated by your current actions and choices that have consequences either in this lifetime or in future lifetimes.
4. Kriyamana karma, or present actionable karma, refers more specifically to the instantaneous or immediate consequences of your actions. It emphasizes the cause-and-effect relationship between your actions and their immediate results.

(Shortform note: For those who do not believe in reincarnation, accumulated karma and allotted karma may not feel relevant as they concern inherited karma from past lives. Future and present actionable karma, on the other hand, deal with your immediate actions and their consequences for your current life. Belief in a secular karma in which all actions have consequences can encourage mindful living regardless of your spiritual background. For instance, if you perform positive actions, like expressing kindness, honesty, or generosity, you’re likely to experience positive effects in return. Conversely, negative actions will likely generate hardships.)

An Example of Types of Karma in Action

Here’s an example to help illustrate the four types of karma in action:

Imagine Maria, a skilled and caring doctor who works tirelessly to provide medical aid to impoverished communities around the world.

Sanchita karma (accumulated karma): Maria might have been born into a family of medical professionals due to some past life karma. Perhaps in a past life, she had a deep-seated desire to heal and help others, or perhaps she had unresolved issues related to health and well-being that she carried forward into her current incarnation. Maria’s inclination and capability to be a doctor stem from her accumulated karma.

Prarabdha karma (allotted karma): From her vast store of accumulated karma, a certain portion becomes active in Maria’s present life, influencing her circ*mstances, such as where she is born, her family background, her aptitude for medicine, and the specific challenges and opportunities she encounters. For instance, despite her hard work, she might face unexpected hurdles in her career like bureaucratic obstacles or challenging health scenarios in the communities she serves—all of these could be seen as manifestations of her allotted karma.

Agami karma (future actionable karma): As Maria makes decisions and takes actions in her current life—for instance, choosing to serve in impoverished communities, deciding which medical procedures to perform, or navigating ethical dilemmas—she generates future actionable karma. The energy and intentions behind her actions, whether altruistic, self-serving, or somewhere in between, will contribute to her karma that may unfold in this life or future lives. If she makes choices from a place of compassion and selflessness, she may accumulate positive agami karma. If not, she may accumulate negative karma.

Kriyamana karma (present actionable karma): Maria also experiences the immediate consequences of her actions due to present actionable karma. For example, if she neglects her own health and well-being because she’s always tending to others, she might fall ill—an immediate consequence that might teach her the importance of self-care. Alternatively, the gratitude and positive energies from those she helps, as well as the emotional fulfillment and expanded skills she gains from her experiences, might be the immediate positive karmic results of her selfless service.

The 4 Types of Karma: Explained With Real-Life Examples