Karmic Debt
/ˈkɑːr.mɪk dɛt/noun
A spiritual or religious belief that a person must experience consequences for past actions, often understood as an unpaid moral obligation.
Did you know?In Sanskrit traditions, karma originally meant an action or ritual act—not fate—and its consequences were understood through moral causation rather than a literal celestial account book.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kʷer-
“To do or make; the reconstructed root behind Sanskrit karman.”
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
karman
“Action, deed, work, or ritual act; later, the moral consequences associated with action.”
Classical Latin
Latin
debitum
“Something owed; an obligation or debt, from debēre, “to owe.””
Middle English
English
dette
“A sum of money or obligation owed, borrowed through Old French from Latin debitum.”
19th Century
English
karma
“A term adopted into English from Sanskrit, referring to action and its spiritual consequences.”
Modern English
English
karmic debt
“A modern spiritual expression for consequences believed to arise from prior actions.”