Karma (Sanskrit for “action”), in Indian philosophy, the sum total of one's actions, good or bad. These actions are attached to the soul as it transmigrates and each new body (and each event experienced by that body) is determined by previous karma. The belief in karma, which can be traced to the Upanishads, is accepted by all Hindus, although they differ on many points: Some aspire to amass good karma and a good rebirth, while others, regarding all karma as bad, strive for release from the process of rebirth (samsara) altogether; some believe that karma determines all that happens to a person, whereas others attribute a larger role to destiny, divine intervention, or human effort. One form of karma (prarabdha) is believed to be determined at birth and worked out during the present life; another form (sanchita) remains latent during this life; and a third (sanchiyamana), amassed in this lifetime, matures in a future life. See Hinduism.