Dharma in action, mokṣa in sight!
Ever wondered why life sometimes feels like a never-ending treadmill? Running fast but going nowhere? That’s the cosmic boomerang of karma in action—it’s not just about what you do, but how you do it, and more importantly, why. In the world of Sanātana Dharma, the secret to breaking free from this cycle of saṃsāra (birth and rebirth) is as ancient as it is timeless: live by dharma, do good karmas, and inch closer to mokṣa.
But here’s the kicker—good karmas aren’t some heavy, mystical practices reserved for monks meditating in Himalayan caves. They’re surprisingly practical, relatable, and something you can sneak into your daily grind. Think of them as spiritual cheat codes for a more meaningful, peaceful life.
From speaking the truth (satya) to controlling desires (brahmacarya), these 20 actionable habits aren’t just about winning cosmic brownie points—they’re your toolkit for inner peace and a compass to live with purpose. And the best part? These aren’t just rules—they’re invitations to transform your life one small step at a time.
So, grab your metaphorical yoga mat, unroll some self-discipline (tapas), and let’s explore how simple yet profound daily actions can help you walk the path of dharma like a modern-day warrior of the soul. After all, as the śāstras say, “What you sow, you reap.” Let’s make sure you’re planting seeds worth harvesting.
Life is temporary, but the karma you leave behind is eternal
1. Satya (Truthfulness)
Action Plan:
Speak the truth with compassion, avoiding harm (hiṃsā) to others.
Practise introspection to ensure your actions align with honesty.
Avoid exaggerations or white lies in daily interactions.
What if not followed?
Dishonesty creates mistrust and weakens relationships. It clouds the mind with guilt and fear, making inner peace elusive. Lack of truthfulness leads to karma that binds one further in the cycle of saṃsāra (rebirth).
2. Ahiṃsā (Non-violence)
Action Plan:
Avoid harming any living beings, including insects and plants, to the best of your ability.
Follow a vegetarian or plant-based diet, if possible.
Replace harsh words with calm, respectful communication.
Non-violence doesn't mean not protecting and fighting for Dharma (righteous).
What if not followed?
Violence generates negative karma, causing suffering in this life or future lives. Harsh actions or words disturb mental balance, foster aggression, and distance you from divine harmony.
Not protecting & fighting for Dharma means you are supporting Adharma and are you are Adharmic too and you perish in a bad way.
3. Dāna (Charity)
Action Plan:
Share a portion of your earnings with those in need, especially the poor, elderly, or sick.
Offer food, water, or clothing to the less fortunate as an act of selfless service (seva).
Donate to temples, āśramas, spiritual organisations or community organisations.
What if not followed?
A lack of generosity fosters greed and attachment to material possessions, which deepen ego-driven desires. This obstructs spiritual progress and creates barriers to developing compassion.
4. Tapas (Self-discipline)
Action Plan:
Dedicate time each day to meditation or yoga for mental discipline.
Avoid overindulgence in material pleasures and practise moderation.
Observe fasts on auspicious days, such as Ekādaśī or Pūrṇimā.
What if not followed?
Indulgence weakens willpower, leading to habits that tie one to material existence. Without self-discipline, the mind becomes restless, preventing progress towards mokṣa.
5. Śaucam (Purity)
Action Plan:
Keep your body, mind, and surroundings clean. Bathe daily and keep your home tidy.
Avoid impure thoughts by engaging in uplifting activities like reading spiritual texts.
Practise mantra japa to purify your mind.
What if not followed?
Impurity attracts negativity and creates inner chaos. Physical and mental untidiness lead to disorganisation, dullness, and distraction, making it difficult to focus on spiritual practices.
6. Svādhyāya (Self-study)
Action Plan:
Read and reflect on spiritual texts like the Bhagavad Gītā or the Upaniṣads.
Dedicate 15–30 minutes daily to studying scriptures or listening to discourses.
Keep a journal to note your spiritual learnings and insights.
What if not followed?
Ignorance of śāstra (scriptures) results in spiritual stagnation. Without self-study, the mind remains engrossed in worldly distractions, delaying self-realisation.
7. Kṣamā (Forgiveness)
Action Plan:
Let go of grudges and forgive those who have wronged you.
Practise self-forgiveness to free yourself from guilt.
Reflect on the impermanence of life to cultivate tolerance.
What if not followed?
Harbouring resentment and anger poisons the mind and generates toxic energy. Lack of forgiveness traps one in the cycle of vengeance and emotional suffering.
8. Dhyāna (Meditation)
Action Plan:
Meditate for at least 20 minutes daily, focusing on your breath or a mantra like Om.
Choose early morning hours (brahma-muhūrta) for deeper connection.
Use guided meditation tools if you’re a beginner.
What if not followed?
A life without meditation fosters a restless and uncontrolled mind. It becomes difficult to develop focus, calmness, or spiritual insight without regular dhyāna.
9. Sat-saṅga (Good Company)
Action Plan:
Spend time with spiritually-minded people or attend satsaṅga sessions.
Join a spiritual or meditation group in your community.
Avoid negative company that promotes materialism or unethical behaviour.
What if not followed?
Negative company influences actions and thoughts, dragging one away from spiritual progress. Without sat-saṅga, distractions and bad habits dominate.
10. Mauna (Silence)
Action Plan:
Observe silence for a specific period daily to calm the mind.
Use this time for introspection, japa, or reading sacred texts.
Reduce unnecessary speech and gossip.
What if not followed?
Unchecked speech often leads to unnecessary conflict or gossip. Without silence, the mind loses the opportunity to recharge, leading to mental clutter and agitation.
11. Seva (Selfless Service)
Action Plan:
Volunteer at temples, community centres, or for causes that serve humanity.
Help the elderly or physically challenged without expecting anything in return.
Offer assistance to teachers or spiritual mentors.
What if not followed?
Neglecting seva fosters selfishness and disconnection from the community. A lack of selfless service deprives one of the joy of giving and weakens their bond with the divine.
12. Brahmacarya (Control over Desires)
Action Plan:
Practise moderation in sensory pleasures, including eating, drinking, and entertainment.
Avoid indulging in behaviours that weaken mental discipline.
Channel your energy towards spiritual practices and higher goals.
What if not followed?
Overindulgence leads to mental agitation and physical exhaustion. Without restraint, desires become uncontrollable, chaining the soul further to saṃsāra.
13. Anitya Bhāvanā (Impermanence Awareness)
Action Plan:
Reflect daily on the transient nature of material possessions and relationships.
Meditate on the pañca-mahābhūtas (five great elements) to understand impermanence.
Let go of attachments that cause suffering.
What if not followed?
Attachment to impermanent things causes grief and suffering when they are lost. Without this awareness, one becomes trapped in materialism and fear of change.
14. Ārādhana (Worship)
Action Plan:
Offer daily prayers or pujā to your chosen deity (iṣṭa-devatā).
Light a lamp and offer flowers, incense, and fruits to cultivate devotion.
Chant mantras or stotras like the Viṣṇu Sahasranāma.
What if not followed?
Skipping ārādhana reduces one’s connection to the divine. Without worship, faith weakens, and one may feel spiritually unanchored.
15. Mitāhāra (Moderation in Diet)
Action Plan:
Eat sattvic food (pure and wholesome) that promotes clarity of mind.
Avoid overeating and focus on mindful eating practices.
Cook with love and offer your food to the divine before consuming it.
What if not followed?
Overeating or consuming tāmasic food (heavy, dulling) clouds the mind and disrupts health. Without moderation, the body and mind lose balance.
16. Abhyāsa (Consistent Practice)
Action Plan:
Set a routine for daily spiritual practices, like meditation, japa, or yoga.
Start small but remain consistent, even if it’s just 10 minutes a day.
Reflect on your spiritual progress every week.
What if not followed?
Inconsistent practice leads to stagnation and lack of progress on the spiritual path. Without regular effort, spiritual growth becomes a distant goal.
17. Tyāga (Renunciation)
Action Plan:
Gradually detach from material possessions and desires.
Donate items you no longer need to others.
Practise giving up one small luxury or comfort each week.
What if not followed?
Clinging to possessions strengthens greed and attachment, which block spiritual realisation. Without tyāga, the ego remains dominant.
18. Īśvara Praṇidhāna (Surrender to Paramatma-Divine)
Action Plan:
Trust in divine will during challenging situations.
Offer the fruits of your actions to Paramatma with humility.
Repeat affirmations like “I am guided and protected by divine grace.”
What if not followed?
Resistance to surrender fosters stress, anxiety, and ego-driven actions. Without surrender, the journey toward divine connection remains incomplete.
19. Karuṇā (Compassion)
Action Plan:
Help those who are suffering—animals, humans, or nature.
Practise empathy by actively listening to others' struggles.
Support those in distress without expecting gratitude.
What if not followed?
A lack of compassion hardens the heart, fostering indifference and selfishness. This creates emotional isolation and disrupts dharma.
20. Guru Bhakti (Devotion to the Teacher)
Action Plan:
Show respect to your spiritual mentor by following their teachings diligently.
Offer gratitude to your guru through prayers or small acts of service.
Seek guidance with humility when in doubt.
What if not followed?
Neglecting the guru leads to misdirection and confusion on the spiritual path. Without guidance, spiritual growth becomes fragmented and shallow.
Here are your go-to tables—print them out, pin them up, or stick them somewhere you can’t miss (fridge, mirror, or that spot above your coffee machine). Let these reminders seep into your soul (Atman) and turn into your daily vibe check!
# | Good Karma | Repercussions of Not Following |
1 | Satya (Truthfulness) | Dishonesty creates mistrust, guilt, and fear, obstructing inner peace and generating negative karma that binds one to saṃsāra. |
2 | Ahiṃsā (Non-violence) | Violence generates negative karma, fosters aggression, and distances one from divine harmony and peace. |
3 | Dāna (Charity) | Greed and attachment to material possessions deepen ego-driven desires, hindering compassion and spiritual growth. |
4 | Tapas (Self-discipline) | Lack of discipline weakens willpower and leads to habits that tie one to materialism, making the mind restless. |
5 | Śaucam (Purity) | Impurity attracts negativity, creating chaos and distraction, making spiritual focus and clarity difficult. |
6 | Svādhyāya (Self-study) | Ignorance of śāstra causes spiritual stagnation, leaving the mind engrossed in worldly distractions and delaying self-realisation. |
7 | Kṣamā (Forgiveness) | Holding grudges fosters resentment and emotional suffering, trapping one in a cycle of vengeance. |
8 | Dhyāna (Meditation) | Restlessness and lack of control over the mind result from skipping meditation, hindering focus and spiritual insight. |
9 | Sat-saṅga (Good Company) | Negative company fosters bad habits, distractions, and materialistic tendencies, obstructing spiritual progress. |
10 | Mauna (Silence) | Unchecked speech leads to gossip, conflict, and mental clutter, reducing opportunities for introspection and mental calmness. |
11 | Seva (Selfless Service) | Neglecting seva fosters selfishness and disconnection, depriving one of joy and a bond with the divine. |
12 | Brahmacarya (Control over Desires) | Overindulgence leads to mental agitation, exhaustion, and uncontrolled desires that bind the soul to saṃsāra. |
13 | Anitya Bhāvanā (Impermanence Awareness) | Attachment to impermanent things causes grief, suffering, and fear of change, creating mental turmoil. |
14 | Ārādhana (Worship) | Skipping ārādhana weakens faith, disconnects one from the divine, and creates a sense of spiritual emptiness. |
15 | Mitāhāra (Moderation in Diet) | Overeating or consuming impure food clouds the mind and disrupts health, leading to imbalance in body and mind. |
16 | Abhyāsa (Consistent Practice) | Inconsistent practice leads to stagnation and lack of progress, making spiritual growth difficult to achieve. |
17 | Tyāga (Renunciation) | Clinging to material possessions strengthens greed, attachment, and ego, obstructing spiritual realisation. |
18 | Īśvara Praṇidhāna (Surrender to God) | Resistance to surrender creates stress, anxiety, and ego-driven actions, delaying spiritual connection and peace. |
19 | Karuṇā (Compassion) | Lack of compassion fosters indifference, selfishness, and emotional isolation, disrupting harmony with others and nature. |
20 | Guru Bhakti (Devotion to the Teacher) | Neglecting the guru leads to misdirection, confusion, and fragmented spiritual growth. |
# | Good Karma | Action Plan |
1 | Satya (Truthfulness) | Speak truth with kindness. Avoid exaggerations, lies, or omissions in daily conversations. Check your intent before speaking—choose honesty over convenience. |
2 | Ahiṃsā (Non-violence) | Practise compassion in thoughts, words, and actions. Avoid harm to others, animals, or nature. Choose peaceful resolutions over conflict. |
3 | Dāna (Charity) | Set aside a portion of your income or resources for those in need. Support local charities or help someone struggling in your community. |
4 | Tapas (Self-discipline) | Create and stick to a daily routine for self-improvement, like exercising, meditation, or limiting screen time. Stay committed to your spiritual goals. |
5 | Śaucam (Purity) | Keep your body, surroundings, and thoughts clean. Practise regular self-care and declutter your physical and mental space. |
6 | Svādhyāya (Self-study) | Dedicate time daily to reading śāstra, spiritual texts, or uplifting books. Reflect on how the teachings apply to your life. |
7 | Kṣamā (Forgiveness) | Let go of grudges and practice empathy. The next time someone wrongs you, pause, reflect, and choose forgiveness over resentment. |
8 | Dhyāna (Meditation) | Meditate for at least 10–15 minutes daily to calm your mind and connect with your inner self. Use techniques like breath focus or mantra chanting. |
9 | Sat-saṅga (Good Company) | Spend time with uplifting people who inspire growth. Attend spiritual gatherings or avoid negative influences in your social circle. |
10 | Mauna (Silence) | Practise intentional silence for a few minutes daily. Avoid unnecessary chatter and observe your thoughts during this time. |
11 | Seva (Selfless Service) | Volunteer your time or skills to help others without expecting rewards. Look for opportunities to serve within your community. |
12 | Brahmacarya (Control over Desires) | Set boundaries for indulgences. Practise moderation in food, relationships, and material consumption to maintain balance and clarity. |
13 | Anitya Bhāvanā (Impermanence Awareness) | Reflect daily on the transient nature of life. Practise gratitude and avoid attachment to material possessions. |
14 | Ārādhana (Worship) | Dedicate time each day for prayer, chanting, or offering gratitude to the divine. Create a sacred space for regular worship. |
15 | Mitāhāra (Moderation in Diet) | Choose sattvic (pure) foods and avoid overeating. Plan meals that nourish the body and mind. |
16 | Abhyāsa (Consistent Practice) | Pick one spiritual practice—like chanting, yoga, or meditation—and commit to it daily, no matter how small the effort. |
17 | Tyāga (Renunciation) | Let go of one material attachment or unnecessary desire each week. Donate items or spend time reflecting on inner contentment. |
18 | Īśvara Praṇidhāna (Surrender to God) | Acknowledge divine will in daily challenges. Trust that the universe has a plan, and practise surrender in difficult situations. |
19 | Karuṇā (Compassion) | Show kindness to others, even in small ways. Help someone in need, comfort a friend, or offer a listening ear without judgement. |
20 | Guru Bhakti (Devotion to the Teacher) | Stay connected with your spiritual teacher. Follow their guidance and teachings with humility and respect. Seek their blessings regularly. |
Life isn’t about hitting the snooze button on your soul (Atman). It’s about waking up to the dharma within and aligning your actions (karmas) with purpose. The 20 good karmas we’ve explored aren’t just ancient wisdom—they’re timeless tools to declutter your mind, elevate your spirit, and keep you marching steadily on your journey to mokṣa.
Remember, spirituality doesn’t have to be all incense sticks and mountaintop meditations. It’s in the everyday moments—choosing kindness over anger, truth over convenience, and stillness over chaos. Think of these practices as your spiritual gym; every action you take strengthens your inner core and chips away at the baggage holding you back.
So, what’s next? Roll up your sleeves and dive into the practice. You don’t need perfection—just persistence. Miss a day? Get back on track. The śāstras are clear: even the smallest act of good karma ripples through eternity.
As they say, “You reap what you sow,” so why not sow seeds of greatness? Live with intention, walk the path of dharma, and let your life become the kind of story future souls would want to read.
Now go on, warrior of the soul—the path to liberation is waiting, and it starts with your next step.
Blessings, Love,
Jai Shivay!
Prakriti
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