Āgāmi Karma — The Karma Being Sown Now
Āgāmi karma ('forthcoming/future karma'; from ā + gam = 'that which is coming') is karma generated by the actions of the current life — new karma being created even as the soul moves through this birth — which has not yet entered the process of fruition but will do so in future lives.
The classical three-fold karma analysis recognizes:
- Sañcita karma ('accumulated karma') — the vast stockpile of karma accumulated over anādi (beginningless) past lives, not yet assigned to produce effects; this is the 'total stock' awaiting allocation
- Prārabdha karma ('begun/commenced karma') — the portion of sañcita karma that has been drawn out and assigned to this current life, now actively generating the present body, circumstances, and experiences
- Āgāmi karma ('forthcoming karma') — karma being newly generated by the actions, thoughts, and speech of this present life, which will be added to the sañcita stockpile and eventually allocated to future births
In the context of prapatti (surrender), the treatment of these three types of karma is an important theological point:
- Āgāmi karma: Following prapatti, the prapanna's Bhagavān-oriented actions do not generate new binding karma (because they are performed without ahaṃkāra and mamakāra, without self-ownership). However, any actions that arise from residual self-centeredness may still generate āgāmi karma — hence the prapanna is enjoined to continue appropriate dharmic conduct
- Prārabdha karma: Must be experienced until exhausted, even after prapatti — the body continues to exist within its karma-determined lifespan
- Sañcita karma: Is destroyed by prapatti — Bhagavān's grace burns away the accumulated stock
This analysis explains why the prapanna continues to live in the world after surrender rather than immediately attaining liberation: the prārabdha must run its course, and Bhagavān protects the prapanna throughout that period.