It manifests itself in due course as happiness (sukha), contentment (tṛpti) or sadness (duḥkha, śoka) and fear (bhaya) respectively in the various situations and events of life.

Then we come to the second meaning of karma, namely, its visible, fruitive (dṛṣṭa phalam) effect. That manifestation and doses of puṇya and pāpa karma are known as prārabdha karma (literally karma that has already begun), that part of the total karma with which one life span begins and which will minimally work out in this life.

Neither the world nor īśvara is responsible for anyone’s happiness or unhappiness. I am responsible. This seems like a scary statement, but it’s good news, because it means that I can take control of my happiness. I write “control over my happiness”, because control over my life, of course, is up to the īśvara as the karma phala dātā, the provider of results. When I understand how this works, I can start making wise choices for myself, with the apotheosis, the choice of choices, the totally dedicated, determined oath (dṛḍha vrata) to freedom, which I take for myself. Where I am now is based on previous choices to action in past lives or life up to now, or on results of choices in the current dharmic field, which are made in the here and now of this life (āgāmi karma, literally karma to come). The self-inquirer puts his dilemmas “on the refined, sensitive scales of his own being and mind”, and asks himself the question: “Does the choice contribute to this action, to self-insight, knowledge and freedom?”

Mythologically speaking, the karmic record is kept by citragupta, which is of course nothing but an aspect of īśvara. They call him the karmic accountant. The total supply of karma is called sañcita karma, sometimes also called anārabdha karma, karma that has not yet begun.

Advaita vedānta states that I, as infinite awareness, am free from karma. As the real substrate consciousness, I am not the doer (akartā), nor can karma (the svarūpa of) touch a human being (na karma lipyate nare, īśopaniṣad 2).