The Three Types of Karma in Jyotish : And Why Some Things Change While Others Don’t

Many people believe that if they pray hard enough, visualize clearly, or manifest with enough intensity, everything in their life should change. Yet, Jyotish, the ancient Vedic astrology system, offers a more nuanced view. It teaches that not all karma is the same, not all karma can be changed, and some karma is not meant to be changed at all. Recognizing this distinction can free you from guilt, confusion, and unnecessary suffering.

Everything you experience falls into one of three types of karma. Understanding these types helps you navigate life with more clarity and compassion. Let’s explore these three types of karma in a way that resonates with the modern heart.

Sanchita Karma - The Warehouse of Past Actions

Sanchita karma is the accumulated karma from all your past lifetimes. Imagine it as a vast warehouse storing every unlearned lesson, every unfinished thread, and every desire that never found expression. This enormous spiritual reservoir holds the totality of your soul’s experiences.

You do not experience all of Sanchita karma at once. Instead, only small portions of it become active in each lifetime. You cannot directly see or change Sanchita karma. However, spiritual practices like meditation, prayer, and self-reflection can purify how much of this stored karma becomes active in your current life.

Think of Sanchita karma as the background music of your soul. It sets the tone but does not dictate every note you play.

Example

If someone has a deep fear of abandonment, it might stem from Sanchita karma accumulated over many lifetimes. This fear may not fully resolve in one lifetime but can be softened through conscious effort and healing.

Prarabdha Karma - The Destiny You Must Live

Prarabdha karma is the portion of your accumulated karma chosen to be experienced in this lifetime. It shapes the circumstances you cannot avoid, such as:

• The family you are born into

• Certain key relationships

• Your basic temperament

• Core wounds and gifts

• Unavoidable turning points

• The timing of major life events

  
  

This karma is fixed and cannot be avoided or changed. Not even divine beings can bypass Prarabdha karma. Enlightened individuals still experience it but do so without suffering because they live consciously and gracefully.

This is the karma that you cannot manifest away or pray out of existence. Instead, you can only live it with awareness and acceptance.

Example

If you face a serious health challenge or a difficult family situation, it may be part of your Prarabdha karma. While you cannot change the fact that these events happen, you can choose how to respond to them.

Kriyamana Karma - The Karma You Create Right Now

Kriyamana karma is the karma you create in the present moment through your choices, actions, and mindset. It represents your free will and includes:

• Your daily decisions

• Your habits and discipline

• Your reactions to events

• Your intentions and efforts

  
  

This type of karma is dynamic and responsive. It can soften the effects of Prarabdha karma, heal parts of Sanchita karma, and influence your future cycles. Remedies such as meditation, therapy, intention setting, and alignment practices work on Kriyamana karma.

This is the area where transformation happens. Your present actions shape your future experiences.

Example

Choosing to practice forgiveness, develop patience, or seek therapy for emotional wounds are ways to create positive Kriyamana karma. These choices can reduce suffering and open new paths in life.

Why Understanding These Three Types of Karma Matters

Knowing the difference between Sanchita, Prarabdha, and Kriyamana karma helps you avoid frustration and guilt. You realize that some things are beyond your control, while others are within your power to change.

• You don’t have to blame yourself for everything that happens.

• You can focus your energy on what you can influence.

• You can accept what you cannot change with grace.

  
  

This understanding encourages compassion for yourself and others. It also invites a balanced approach to spiritual growth, combining acceptance with active transformation.

Living with this awareness means embracing your life fully. You honor the karma you must live, work consciously on the karma you create, and trust the process of your soul’s journey through the warehouse of Sanchita karma.

Your spiritual path becomes less about forcing change and more about understanding, healing, and growing. This approach frees you from unnecessary suffering and opens the door to a more peaceful, empowered life.

Why This Matters Today

So many people blame themselves for things that are simply Prarabdha — not their fault, not their failure.

And so many people feel helpless in situations where Kriyamana could completely shift the direction.

Knowing the difference is power.

If something in your life feels:

inevitable, fated, repeating, non-negotiable

…that’s Prarabdha.

If something feels:

shapable, responsive, in your hands ready for change

…that’s Kriyamana.

And if something feels:

ancient, deep, beyond this life

…that’s Sanchita.

The Ultimate Freedom

Jyotish was never meant to scare you with fate. It was meant to teach you where you are free.

Your chart doesn’t bind you. It clarifies:

• what can be changed

• what must be accepted

• what needs patience

• and what requires courage

• The moment you understand which karma you are dealing with…your life stops feeling chaotic and starts feeling meaningful.

  
  

Nothing is random. Nothing is wasted. Everything has a purpose in your evolution.