Asrava (āsrava "influx") is one of the tattva or the fundamental reality of the world as per the Jain philosophy. It refers to the influence of body and mind causing the soul to generate karma.
The karmic process in Jainism is based on seven truths or fundamental principles (tattva) of Jainism which explain the human predicament.[1] Out that the seven, the four—influx (āsrava), bondage (bandha), stoppage (saṃvara) and release (nirjarā)—pertain to the karmic process.[1]
According to the Nava Tatva Sutra, there are forty-two asravas or ways through which the soul is exposed to the inflow of karmas. Of the forty-two, five are senses, four are passions (kashayas, viz. anger, pride, love and covetousness), five are sins (avratas, viz. killing, stealing, lying, adultery and worldliness), three are activities (yogas, viz. mental, verbal and physical activity) and twenty-five are "minor asravas", individual acts such as "walking carelessly", "lending a weapon", "wishing ill to any being", "the reception of a gift", "the exercise of cunning" or "accusing any of the Jain books of falsehood", etc.
The āsrava, that is, the influx of karmic occurs when the karmic particles are attracted to the soul on account of vibrations created by activities of mind, speech and body.[2] Tattvārthasūtra , 6:1–2 states:[3] "The activities of body, speech and mind is called yoga. This three-fold action results in āsrava or influx of karma."[4] The karmic inflow on account of yoga driven by passions and emotions cause a long term inflow of karma prolonging the cycle of reincarnations. On the other hand, the karmic inflows on account of actions that are not driven by passions and emotions have only a transient, short-lived karmic effect.[5][6]