Yoga Sutras 2.12

2.12:Klesa mulah karmasayah drishta adrishta janma vedaniyah, The womb of karmas has its roots in these obstacles and the karmas bring experiences in the seen or in the unseen births.

Patanjali discusses the concept of karma for the first time and in typical fashion uses a bare minimum of words to describe this concept in this and the following two sutras. This sutra brings up storage of karma, the root of karma (the klesas), and the outcome of karma in the present or future births (reincarnation).

Karma is the law of cause and effect. From the bible, Galatians 6.7:"Do not be deceived. God cannot be ignored. A man reaps what he sows." The record or karmasayah (literally bed of karmas) is kept in the causal body. This is not that unlike the brain that records any and every thought, sensory input or deed. A very important concept is that the klesas are the root of these karmas. So just as ignorance of one's true nature is the root of suffering, it is also the root of the process of action-cause and effect. These in turn determine our experiences in the seen (present) and unseen (future) lives. To summarize the yogic idea of karma and reincarnation: the individual soul (jiva) is covered by five sheaths (koshas) or three bodies. They are annamaya kosha (food sheath) which is the physical body, pranamaya kosha (energy sheath), manomaya kosha (lower mental sheath)and the vijnanamaya kosha (intellectual sheath) which together form the astral body and the anandamaya kosha (bliss sheath) which forms the causal body. All actions, thoughts and desires are recorded on the causal body. When someone dies they shed the physical body but retain the astral and causal bodies. Depending on the merit of their past life and other karmas prior they will eventually take another incarnation to evolve towards unity with God. There are three types of karma according to yogic thought, and these are frequently described with the metaphor of an archer. Sanchit karma is the stored karma from all past lifetimes which is the equivalent of the quiver of arrows that an archer has on his/her back. Pralabdha karma is fate or destiny, that portion of the sanchit karma that constitutes a person's present lifetime that can't be changed such as the natal country, family, and gender. This is the equivalent of the arrow already in flight (from the archer). Finally there is kriyaman karma which is the karma being accrued at the present moment. With free will one can choose any type of action. This is represented in the archer metaphor by the arrow in the drawn bow that is about to be shot. The way out of this cycle of birth and death is either by living out naturally all one's desires and karmas until one learns that only righteous deeds, thoughts and desires are conducive to lasting happiness (which can take possibly millions of births) or by doing some practice whereby one dispels the ignorance and renders one's karma powerless. This is the yogic path to liberation. As we have studied prior the path can be devotional (Bhakti Yoga), through good actions (Karma Yoga), knowledge (Jnana Yoga), or through the eight fold path of Patanjali (Raja Yoga).