Occasion-Specific Duties
Naimittika-karma ('occasioned action') are mandatory religious duties that arise on specific occasions (nimitta = trigger/occasion). Unlike nitya-karma (performed every day regardless) and kāmya-karma (optional desire-motivated acts), naimittika-karmas are mandatory when their specific occasion arises.
Examples
Key naimittika-karmas: (1) śrāddha — annual rites for deceased ancestors on their death anniversaries; (2) māsa-śrāddha — monthly memorial rites; (3) graha-ṇa-snāna — ritual bathing during solar or lunar eclipses; (4) saṅkrānti — rites on solar transit days; (5) nakṣatra-japa — recitation on one's birth-star day; (6) upakarma — the annual renewal of sacred thread study (Āvaṇi Avittam).
Dharmaśāstra Classification
Indian Dharmaśāstra systematically categorizes karma into nitya (daily), naimittika (occasional), and kāmya (optional). Nitya and naimittika are both mandatory in their respective contexts. A fourth category, prāyaścitta-karma (expiatory acts), is required to atone for failures in the first two.
For the Prapanna
As with nitya-karma, Sri Vaishnava ācāryas maintain that the prapanna should continue naimittika-karmas as kaiṅkarya — performed as service and love rather than as a path to liberation. The timing and form of these observances, especially śrāddha, maintain the fabric of dharmic family life that the Śāstra prescribes.