Hinduism - What Is Kamya Karma?


"Kamya Karma." means "thoughtful [ritual] activity" in Sanskrit. Nitya karma and naimittika karma are the other two basic forms of ritual activity.

Kamya karma is a ritual carried out simply to satisfy the performer's desire (kama) for the rewards of the deed.

Unlike the other two categories, which must be completed at certain times or on specific occasions, this one is entirely optional and motivated only by a desire to reap the rewards.

Religious pilgrimage is an example of a kamya karma, which is not obligatory but is thought to earn religious merit.

Another example would be observing a certain vrat, or religious vow, on a daily, weekly, monthly, or annual basis. 


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