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Karm

Act.  Actions.  Duty. Work. Karm are of several types :--

Karm - Which is normal and prescribe according to Varn and Aashram

A-Karm - Those Karm which are opposite to normal Karm, such as to tell lies, to steal; because our normal Karm is to speak truth, but we are telling lies, it means we are doing A-Karm;    while

Vi-Karm - Vi-Karm means non-prescribed Karm, such as Shoodra is prescribed with "service" Karm; if he starts doing Yagya which is Braahman's Karm, it is Vi-Karm for him; OR if a student marries and starts living in Grihasth Aashram, it will be called Vi-Dharm for him.
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A simple classification is - 
(1) Dainik Karm (daily chores) - These Karm are done by everybody every day, such as bathing, brushing the teeth, eating drinking, sleeping. There is no escape from these Karm and they are not counted as Karm also.
(2) Naimittik Karm (done with some objective)
(3) Kaamya Karm (done to fulfill some desire) - By doing the same Karm without desiring anything, they can free a man from the bondage of birth and death.
(4) Praayashchit Karm (done to cleanse oneself for a mistake committed) - Done once in a while, for example Yagya, fasts, vows, etc

According to three Gun - Saatwik Karm, Raajas Karm, and Taamasik Karm.

Natural Karm, or Swa-Dharm, or Sahaj Karm, or Niyat Karm, or Swabhaav Niyat Karm

According to Varn - Braahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shoodra. Geetaa 18/43 describes them like this - Sham, Dam, Shauch, Tap, Kshamaa, Saralataa, Aastiktaa and Vigyaan are Braahman's natural Karm. (see also Braahman's Karm) Bravery, Tej, Dhriti (patience), cleverness, not running away from battlefield, Daan (donation), taking care of everybody like a master are Kshatriya's natural Karm. Farming, cattle rearing, trading are the natural Karm of Vaishya; and to serve all other Varn is the natural Karm of Shoodra.

According to four Aashram - Karm for Brahmchaaree, Grihasth, Vaanprasthee, and Sanyaasee

Sanchit Karm or Praarabdh Karm - Our Karm which we have stored by doing them in our previous lives.
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Karm are eternal, no beginning is conceivable. What a person is receiving now is the fruit of what he has done in his past lives and so far in his present life. What one will do in his present life together with the accumulation of what has not been accounted for from the past actions, will determine what he will experience in the future.

Karm is action. Whatever we do and we think are our Karm. There are three types of Karm -

(1) Praarabdh (destiny) - Praarabdh refers to those Karm which have already been performed in the present or previous lives and now we are enjoying or suffering because of those Karm. Such actions begin to germinate fruits in this life time. That is why people say "Whatever we get in this lifetime, we get through our Praarabdh only".
(2) Sanchit (stored) Karm - Sanchit means collected or stored. Sanchit Karm are referred to those Karm which we have already done but have not started enjoying or suffering their fruits. They are stored for the future to bear fruits. When these Karm start bearing the fruits, they become Praarabdh.
(3) Aagaamee (future) Karm - Aagaamee Karm are referred to those Karm which we will do in our future time or lives.

Karm is the main and basic philosophy of Hindu religion. Everything rests on Karm. Even our existence in this world is because of our Karm only. Nobody in this world can escape from performing Karm, not even God when He comes in the form of human being in this world, and the same Karm is the cause of the cycle of birth and death, joy and sorrow, profit and loss, fame and defame - means everything. According to Karm philosophy, law of Karm (law of actions and their reactions) pervades throughout our life. It is the driving force of our present and future. According to Yog tradition, Karm performed with selfish motive brings about bondage; while performing the same Karm selflessly or for the sake of duty alone, brings freedom from the cycle of birth and death.

Thus we have two paths to be free from the birth and death cycle - one, not to perform any Karm, which is almost impossible; two, to perform Karm selflessly without any self desire or indulging ourselves in worldly matters, pleasures, enjoyments etc. One should aspire for that.

Karm Kaand
Ved's knowledge is divided in two parts - Gyaan Kaand and Karm Kaand. The portion of the Ved concerning ritual performance, as opposed to Brahm Vidyaa or Brahm Gyaan or the knowledge of Brahm is called Karm Kaand.

Karm Yog and Karm Yogee
The path of selflessness. Who takes this path disciplines himself to perform all actions selflessly without any personal gain. In fact, in this way he cuts back on the number of new impressions (the seeds of future action and thus the cause of rebirth). This is gradually achieved as actions are purified with the help of meditation. Who follows this path is called Karm Yogee.

Agni Puraan, p 573 says that whichever Karm is done with these six - Mantra, Dhyaan (Meditation), Aushadh (medicine), Kathaa, Mudraa (pose), and Yagya - they all are good to attain Dharm, Arth, Kaam and Moksh.
 

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