What is Dharma?

Dharma (/ˈdɑːrmə/; Sanskrit: धर्म, romanized: Dharma, pronounced [dʱɐrmɐ]) is one of the most significant concepts within Sanatana Dharma and has been defined in numerous ways ranging from law to duty by numerous people with its meaning being heavily dependent upon the context of its use thus making it integral to be able to grasp the basic essence behind the meaning of this word. Hence, the aim of the following essay is to be able to illustrate the meaning of this word along with some of the intricacies involved in its use. It is significant to note that this word has been used by people of numerous Indic philosophies be it Buddhism, Jainism or Sikhism as well and within today’s times non indic faiths also use this word for whatever reasons, this essay will explore the meaning of Dharma within the Hindu context.

Dharma has been used to refer to daily duties that one must follow, Vedic duties that one must perform over ones lifetime, duties towards ancestors, parents, and numerous other entities including oneself, as well as to refer to how one should act within specific situations. Dharma need not be the same for two people and the Shri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita has stated:

श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात्।

स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः।।3.35।।

3.35 One’s own duty [Customary or scripturally ordained observances of different castes and sects.-Tr.], though defective, is superior to another’s duty well-performed. Death is better while engaged in one’s own duty; another’s duty is fraught with fear.¹

Hence, Dharma, translated in the above shloka as duty need not be same for two people in similar situations at all. Furthermore, in the same shloka we see a kind of dharma that is repeatedly represented within dharmic thought and that is the Varna-Ashrama Dharma which dictates one’s duties based on their societal group and age. In the Bhagawat puran we find:

यमदूता ऊचु:
वेदप्रणिहितो धर्मो ह्यधर्मस्तद्विपर्यय: ।
वेदो नारायण: साक्षात्स्वयम्भूरिति शुश्रुम ॥ ४० ॥

The Yamadūtas replied: That which is prescribed in the Vedas constitutes dharma, the religious principles, and the opposite of that is irreligion. The Vedas are directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, and are self-born. This we have heard from Yamarāja.²

It can be confidently said that the vedas do form the foundation for Dharma. It is important to note that the above verse has been spoken by the Yamadūtas who in turn have attributed it to Yamarāja, the god of death, who has been described as Dharmarāja. This may be due to Yamarāja also being described as being absolutely just and indifferent to all emotions continuing to perform his prescribed duty without failure. The said duty being the collection of Jivatmas from our realm and sending them, in accordance to their karmas, to the next womb. Yamarāja is also the father of Yudhiṣṭhira who is well known for following dharma throughout his life.

The word Dharma itself comes from the root word Dhr (Sanskrit: धृ) which means to support or to sustain and in texts such as the amarkosha it has been used to refer to that which sustains or supports the worlds. In a spiritual context Dharma can also be seen as whatever action brings one spiritual bliss hence the chanting of the names of the deity that one is worshipping, or doing their mantra japa, or meditating would all constitute a kind of Dharma as well, however when looking at Dharma as a purushartha this would better fall into the category of Moksha.

Both of the Itihāsas are based around the central theme of Dharma and its application based on the context. Shri Rama, the great 7th avatar of Shri Maha Vishnu, sustains Dharma by upholding all rules and hence is referred to as Maryada Purushottam where as Shri Krishna, the great avatar (according to northern traditions he would be the 8th avatar, whereas in accordance to southern traditions he would be the 9th avatar) of Shri Maha Vishnu, sustains dharma by breaking laws and hence is referred to as Leela Purushottam. Both the Itihāsas display a profound sense of Dharma and despite the efforts of numerous groups to misguide the Hindu community be by using the term अहिंसा परमॊ धर्मः ( Non-violence is the first Dharma) out of context, it is undeniable that both the Itihāsas are based on war and Shri Krishna himself nudges Arjuna to fight as whilst it is true that non-violence should be the first approach to be used the same being used as an excuse to run away from one’s problems is not dharma at all. Hence, the complexity of the intricacies of Dharma are shown through these Itihāsas.

What I have discussed in the past few paragraphs is but a scratch on the surface of how Dharma is expressed within the Hindu texts, if one is to understand its essence in entirity I would suggest a reading of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, preferably in sanskrit or another Indian language. In conclusion I would like to share a Subhāşita, a wise saying in sanskrit, which has helped me understand Dharma and its application in numerous circumstances:

आहारनिद्राभयमैथुनं च सामान्यमेतत् पशुभिर्नराणाम् ।
धर्मो हि तेषाम् अधिकोविशेषो धर्मेण हीनाः पशुभिः समानाः ॥

Eating, sleep, fear, and sexual instinct are common to both human beings and animals. It is dharma which separates the two because, without dharma the human being is same as the animal.

1. English Translation of the Bhagavad Gita by Swami Gambhirananda derived from https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in ↩︎
2. English Translation of the Bhagavat puran by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada derived from https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/6/1/40/ ↩︎