The aim of the shramanas was to attain moksha, or release from the cycle of human rebirth (samsara). Rebirth was understood to be a consequence of one’s personal karma from previous lifetimes and present-day life.
The shramanas believed that yogic practices could destroy some or all of one’s karma, leading to freedom.
These independent shramana practitioners were opposed by brahmins, who were guardians of the traditional hierarchy in which they were crucial for rituals of daily religious life.