One reaches state of self realization after we negate karma to zero. The negation of karma has to be 100%. Even if a small trace of karma remains, the soul atman would need manifesting human body again. In absence of dross impurities within the need for soul atman to manifest a human body ceases to exist. Understanding law of karma in totality is must to indulge in spirituality.
In my spiritual pursuit of life from six years of age the most difficult part I came across was indulgence in Prarabdha karma. Whatever wrongdoings of present life, I could ask forgiveness of God but what of negative residual balance of karma from previous manifestations? How to undo the negative balance of karma from previous manifestations?
The simple definition of Prarabdha karma is, whenever we indulged in karma not everything fructifies. A small portion of it can manifest any given moment of life in present life time or even in future manifestations. This was so ordained by God so that intelligent human beings do not manipulate inscrutable laws of karma, backtrack them.
If the residual balance of karma from previous manifestations is positive, we have nothing to worry about. In such circumstances one all of a sudden wins a big lottery. It fructified from a positive residual balance of karma from previous manifestations.
What if the residual balance of karma from previous manifestations is negative? We shall continue suffering in present life again and again for no fault of ours in present life.
For those in search of cosmic truths of life, every type of karma positive or negative has to be negated to zero. This manifestation of fruits of karma from previous manifestations is termed Prarabdha karma. It can fructify any given moment of life, prime reason why human beings faced both luck and fate at the hands of destiny. A positive residual balance of Prarabdha karma fructifies into luck and a negative into fate.
Self realization primarily means becoming a pure soul atman in the cosmic journey of life. For a pure soul atman workings of manifest physical life carried no value. Everything physical comes to naught after reaching state of self realization. Even physical relationships with parents, brothers and sisters, close relatives and friends carried no further meaning for a self realized soul.
One finally becomes free of all earthly obligations, liberates self from cycle of birth and death forever.