Human beings are prone to 3 types of afflictions (tāpatrayas). They are ādhyātmika, ādhibhoutika and ādidaivika.

Ādhyātmika afflictions: These are troubles or worries that originate due to the existence of the physical body i.e. Bodily ailments, anger, desires and other such emotions that trouble the person.

Ādhibhoutika afflictions: These are the troubles that arise due to the outside world i.e. due to the surroundings, neighbourhood, other human beings or animals, relatives, family members and so on.

Ādidaivika afflictions: These are the tensions and troubles caused due to external forces (Nature) that are totally beyond our control For eg., havoc caused due to floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, incessant rains.

A true spiritual aspirant is one who, despite being troubled by the 3 types of afflictions has in him an intense burning desire to attain liberation.

There are 3 types of doshas- Kayaka, vachika and manasika (dosha means fault, crime, sin, error).

Kāyaka dosha: These are mistakes committed using the physical body. Examples are enjoying the wealth of others, troubling others and so on.

Vāchika dosha: These are sins committed through speech. For eg.,- hurting others through words, abusing them, causing them disgrace in society, spreading false rumours.

Manasika dosha: These are sins committed mentally. Mentally abusing others, thinking ill of others, abusing and torturing the self mentally are examples of this.

What is Karma? It is nothing but the result of a past action. Every fruitive action performed generates a result which needs to be subsequently experienced either in this birth or the next. As it is not possible to experience the results of all the fruitive actions in one birth, there are 3 classifications in them- ā_gāmi, sanchita and prārabdha._

Sanchita Karma: The accumulated results of all the good and bad deeds of the many births, is called sanchita karma.

Just as the food taken yesterday gets absorbed into the blood and we experience the resultant energy today, the result of the good (punya) or the bad (papa) deeds done in earlier births, are experienced in this birth and in the future births.

In this birth without our knowledge and for no apparent reason, we are experiencing so much happiness, joys, luxuries and comforts. In reality, these are due to the good and meritorious deeds (punya) doneby us in the past births. Even without any effort in this birth they are showered upon us. The same holds true for sorrows too. ‘I have never ever harmed anyone; why then is fate so cruel to me?’ People who weep thus should also realize that this is the result of the bad deeds they had committed in their earlier births.

‘Sorrows and inauspicious events are landing on my head even though I have not harmed anyone. Therefore, I will not worship God’. Such thinking reflects one’s foolishness. If we do not perform good and meritorious deeds now, there will be no accumulation of good balance for our future births. Thus, by abstaining from worship and other noble deeds, we are depriving ourselves happiness in our future births. By undergoing bad experiences in this birth, some of our negative balance is getting depleted. Remember this.

Āgāmi karmas: These result of the present fruitive actions which we shall experience in future.

These are the present additions. The results of the good as well as the bad deeds that are committed now, will be experienced at a later date. Now with this awareness and with the desire that future births should be good, learn to engage only in good deeds in this present life.

Prārabdha karma: It is that portion of the Sanchita karma which has fructified in this birth i.e. which is responsible for the present life.

Prarabdha is often translated as destiny. All accumulated balance is Sanchita; from that a certain portion of good and bad is drawn for experience in the present birth. This is Prārabdha. To put it in another way, it is the destiny of this birth. Prārabdha is generated either from the results of actions done in this birth or from past births.

**No one can escape p_rārabdha_. But one can change the _āgami_. That freedom is given to us.**

However, there is an exception. Where the Spiritual Sadguru deems fit, He can take away the prarabdha from his devotee. Many a time, the fevers, headaches, colds and such other sickness that Swamiji experiences are the prarabdha of others that He has taken on.

- Bhaktimala 1986