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Dharma — Righteous Order
3.1 Etymology and Dimensions
Dharma comes from Sanskrit root dhri = "to hold, sustain, support." Dharma literally means "that which holds/sustains." It is one of the richest and most contested concepts in Indian thought.
Dimensions of Dharma:
- Cosmic/natural order (Rita): Universal law governing nature; seasons, cycles, cosmic harmony.
- Social order: Rules of proper conduct for different social roles.
- Individual duty: One's personal obligations based on stage of life, varna, gender, age.
- Virtuous quality: Virtues like honesty, compassion, non-injury.
- Religious duty: Rituals, devotion, scripture study.
3.2 Types of Dharma
| Type | Sanskrit | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Universal Dharma | Sadharana Dharma / Sanatana Dharma | Duties applicable to all humans: truth, non-violence, non-theft, purity, contentment |
| Caste Dharma | Varna Dharma | Duties specific to one's Varna: Brahmin = study/teach; Kshatriya = protect/rule; Vaishya = trade; Shudra = serve |
| Stage Dharma | Ashrama Dharma | Duties specific to one's stage of life (see Ashram system below) |
| Professional Dharma | Svadharma | Duty according to one's own role/occupation |
| Emergency Dharma | Apad Dharma | Rules applicable in times of crisis/danger — Dharma can be suspended when survival is at stake |
| Women's Dharma | Stri Dharma | Specific duties assigned to women — subject of intense contestation in modern era |
3.3 Dharma in Bhagavad Gita
The central dilemma of the Mahabharata is Dharma-Adharma conflict: Arjuna refuses to fight his kinsmen in the Kurukshetra war. Krishna resolves the dilemma by teaching:
- Svadharma over Paradharma: "Better is one's own dharma (svadharma), though imperfectly performed, than the dharma of another well performed." (Gita 3.35)
- A Kshatriya must fight; refusing is abandoning svadharma — which is worse than death.
- This teaching raises questions about universal ethics vs. context-specific duty — debated by modern philosophers including Amartya Sen (The Argumentative Indian, 2005).
3.4 Dharma and Adharma in Modern India
- Adharma (anti-Dharma) — corruption, injustice, dishonesty — seen as cause of social disorder.
- Gandhi's use of Dharma: Ram Rajya — a state governed by Dharmic principles — as his vision for independent India.
- Ambedkar's critique: Dharma as defined by Manu (Manusmriti) is a tool of Brahminic oppression; his burning of Manusmriti (1927, Mahad Satyagraha) was a protest against Dharma-based discrimination.
- B.G. Tilak: Used Gita's teaching on Dharmic action to justify violent resistance to British rule.