“The Atman refers to each person’s inner-self. Its destiny is determined by karma”.

Hinduism presents that the central problem for human existence is not being able to return to Brahman (or attain Moksha). This can also be expressed as the inability to escape samsara.

 

“The Atman refers to each person’s inner-self. Its destiny is determined by karma”.

 

The above quotation presents this central problem. The Atman is the part of an individual that is from Brahman. The ultimate goal of a Hindu is to free the Atman from entrapment so that it may remerge with Brahman. Karma the principle of action and reaction, and is the factor resulting in entrapment (samsara) from Brahman.  Karma attaches itself to an individuals’ Atman determining its ‘destiny’, whether it is released into Brahman (Moksha) or reincarnated within the physical world. 

 

Karma is interlinked with jiva which is "the indiviudal personality that wrongly identifies with the physical form and the mind." (Academia.edu) Human ego, ignorance (tamas) and identification with the phsyical form is attached to the Atman and therefore bound to the cycle of continuous life and death.

 

Similarly, once an individual is under the influence of Maya (or Illusion), they are accepting the current life as having lasting value. This means that they aspire to enjoy matter and loose sight of Brahman, resulting in subjection to Karma, because all actions have a consequence. (Heart of Hinduism, 2004)

 

As demonstrated by the concepts of Jiva and Maya, Karma is what inhibits an individuals ability of returing to Brahman.