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In some contemporary Indian languages and dialects it alternatively occurs as dharm. In the 3rd century BCE the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka translated dharma into Greek and Aramaic and he used the Greek word eusebeia (εὐσέβεια, piety, spiritual maturity, or godliness) in the Kandahar Bilingual Rock Inscription and the Kandahar Greek Edicts. [13] .
Sep 12, 2024 · dharma, key concept with multiple meanings in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. In Hinduism, dharma is the religious and moral law governing individual conduct and is one of the four ends of life. In addition to the dharma that applies to everyone (sadharana dharma)—consisting of truthfulness, non-injury, and generosity, among other virtues ...
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Samsara, Karma, and Nirvana are common to both Buddhism and Jainism and are absent in the Brahmanical literature (e.g. the early Upanishads) from the same period, so logically, the commonality has to stem from their common non-Vedic source, which is their shared ascetic tradition.
Dharma derives from the root √dhṛ ̊ (to hold, to maintain) and is related to the Latin forma. From its root meaning as “that which is established” comes such translations as law, duty, justice, religion, nature, and essential quality. Its oldest form, dharman, is found in the pre-Buddhist Ṛgveda, which dates to at least three thousand years ago.
- Dharma: Its Etymology and Use in Early Vedic Literature
- Dharma in The Upaniṣads
- The Itihāsas on Dharma – A Discussion on “Context Sensitivity”
- Sanātana Dharma vs Yuga Dharma: Examining The Manu Smṛti
- Patañjali Yoga Sūtras: Dharma as A Means of Personal Development
- Dharma vs Other Puruṣārthas
- Dharma as A Societal Ideal: Varṇāśrama Dharma
- Notes
First let us attempt to understand Dharma in etymological terms. Maybe there are clues to understanding it right there. In Classical Sanskrit, the word “Dharma” is derived from the root “dhr” which means “to hold / maintain”. But the word itself is very ancient and goes all the way back to the Saṃhitā section of Ṛg Veda. In the Ṛg Veda Saṃhitā, the...
The Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad seeks to define Dharma by linking it with “Truth” स नैव व्यभवत् तच्छ्रेयो रूपमत्यसृजत धर्मम् । तदेतत्क्षत्रस्य क्षत्रं यद्धर्मस्तस्माद्धर्मात् परं नास्त्यथो अबलीयान् बलीयाꣳसमाशꣳसते धर्मेण यथा राज्ञैवम् । यो वै स धर्मः सत्यं वै तत् तस्मात्सत्यं वदन्तमाहुर्धर्मं वदतीति धर्मं वा वदन्तꣳ सत्यं वदतीत्येतद्ध्येवैतदुभयं भवति ॥ १४...
In the Rāmāyaṇa, Dharma is viewed as the choice of “Shreyas” over “Preyas” (Doing the “right” thing over the “pleasing” thing) – two terms that we already encountered in the Katha Upaniṣad. The Rāmāyaṇa does not theorize a lot on Dharma, but instead chooses to define Dharma through the life example of Rama – a person who always chooses Shreyas over...
Sanātana Dharma literally means “Eternal Dharma” or “Eternal order” – which does make an interesting contrast to the “context specific” notion of Dharma we have discussed so far. In fact during the age of the Dharmaśāstra, there emerged the distinction between Sanātana Dharma (which is eternal) and Yuga Dharma (which is specific to the age in which...
It is worth studying Patañjali in this regard, who wrote the famous Yoga Sūtras, the foundational text of Yoga. Patañjali is less abstract in his discussion of Dharma than the sources we have discussed so far. He is a man who likes details and defines Dharma in terms of “Yama” and “Niyama” – which are integral to “Dharma” and constitute two of the ...
Next we need to ask the question – How did Dharma stack up against the other aspects of life in Indian thought? Puruṣārtha is a word that comes up very early in Indian literature – as per which Dharma is only one of the four goals of a well led life (Artha, Kāma & Moksha being the other three). With the possible exception of Kautilya’s Arthashastra...
So far we have discussed Dharma from a largely individual lens. But is there a societal view of Dharma voiced in the Hindu canon? The answer is yes. This is best summed up by the well-known, yet controversial, phrase – “Varṇāśrama Dharma”. While Varṇa needs no introduction, Āśrama refers to the 4 stages of life – Brahmacharya (celibate student), Gr...
1 Classical Indian Ethical Thought : A Philosophical study of Hindu, Jaina and Bauddha Morals – Kedar Nath Tiwari, 1998 Featured Image: LPTI (This article was published by IndiaFacts in 2018) Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article belong to the author. Indic Today is neither responsible nor liable for the accuracy, completeness, suitabi...
It comes from the root Dhr, which means to uphold, sustain, or uplift. Thus another interpretation of the word in English would be 'the collection of natural and universal laws that uphold, sustain, or uplift [1].'
Ancient kingdoms and cities of South Asia and Central Asia during the time of the Buddha (c. 500 BCE) – modern-day India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Details of the Buddha's life are mentioned in many Early Buddhist Texts but are inconsistent.
