A humble attempt at understanding “Dharma” – Part I
To all my readers I owe a big apology. I have long been promising a definition of the word “Dharma” – a word that crops up every now and then in many discussions on this blog – and is also the part of my blog’s sub-title. But as I started to write this post, I realised that this should actually have been one of my first posts, if not the first. Anyways, better late than never.
As I began to do some background reading on this subject, I realised that it was going to be very hard to cover off everything in a single post. I will therefore try and explore the meaning and semantics around “Dharma” in a series of posts. This first one is essentially a collection of my notes on the “definition” of the word “Dharma” – which has no exact equivalent in English. Pl. note that the highlighted emphasis is mine, throughout.
My first note is a brief exposition on “Dharma” mentioned in The Third Way by Dattopant-ji Thengdi (founder of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh). In Pg30-31, he writes:
The concept of Dharma is a characteristically Bharatiya phenomenon…
Dharma is different from religion. Religion is belief in, recognition of, or an awakened sense of higher unseen controlling power or powers, with the emotion and morality connected therewith, rites of worship, any system of such belief or worship.
In his “Legal and Constitutional History of India“, Justice M Rama Jois says:
Dharma is a sanskrit expression of the widest import. There is no corresponding word in any other language. It would also be futile to attempt to give any definition of that word. It can only be explained.
It has wide varieties of meanings. A few of them would enable us to understand the width of that expression.
For instance the word Dharma is used to mean justice (Nyaya), what is right in a given circumstance, moral, religious, pious or righteous conduct, being helpful to living being, giving charity or alms, natural qualities or characteristics of properties of living being and things, duty, law and usage or custom having the force of law, and also a valid Raja-Shasana (Royal edict).
In Mahabharat, Bhishma says, it is most difficult to define “Dharma“. “Dharma” has been explained to be that which helps the upliftment of living beings. Therefore that which ensures welfare (of beings) is surely Dharma. The learned rishis have declared that that which sustains is Dharma.
Sri Rama Jois further observes that, when Dharma is used in the context of duties and powers of the king, it means constitutional law (Raj-Dharma). Likewise when it is said that Dharma-rajya is necessary for the peace and prosperity of the people and for establishing an egalitarian society, the word “Dharma” in the context of the word Rajya only means Law and Dharma-Rajya means “Rule of Law” and not rule of religion of a theocratic state.
.
C.K.N. Raja in his “Acquitted by History” remarks that:
“Dharma” in ancient Indian jurisprudence cannot be considered a synonym for the Anglican word Law since the former has wide connotation and application. However in the absence of an exact equivalent for the word in English, “Law” can be accepted as coming close to Dharma.
In “Word As Weapon:Â The Misuse of Terminology in the Study of Hinduism“, Dr Frank Morales notes that:
Unlike the word “sanatanaâ€, the term ”dharma” is a term that can be properly rendered into the English language only with the greatest of difficulty.
This is the case because there is no one corresponding English term that fully renders both the denotative and the connotative meanings of the term with maximal sufficiency. Rather than merely communicating a nominal subject for which there can be an easy word for word equivalency, dharma is communicating a metaphysical concept.
The denotative meaning of “dharma” straightforwardly designates an essential attribute of x object – an attribute whose absence renders the object devoid of either rational meaning or existential significance. A thing’s dharma is what constitutes the thing’s very essence, without which, the very concept of the thing would be rendered meaningless. To illustrate the full meaning of this term, we can use the following examples: It is the dharma of water to be wet. Without the essential attribute (dharma) of wetness, the concept and existential fact of water loses all meaning. Likewise, it is the dharma of fire to be hot, the dharma of space to be expansive, etc. The denotative meaning of dharma is easy enough to comprehend. It is, however, when we come to the connotative meaning of the term “dharma” that we then leave the more microcosmic concerns of Vaisesika categoriology behind, and then enter the realm of the overtly philosophical.
Dr Morales further notes:
…The word Dharma, in this more important philosophical sense, refers to those underlying natural principles that are inherent in the very structure of reality…Dharma is Natural Law. Thus, if we needed to render the entire term “Sanatana Dharma†into English, we can cautiously translate it as “The Eternal Natural Way”. Sanatana Dharma is the true name of our religion.
According to Dr Kalyanaraman:
Dharma has two facets according to Kapila Muni of Vais’eshika, the earliest scientist known to humanity: 1. abhyudayam (rough translation: social welfare) and 2. nihs’reyas (rough translation: quest of aatman to unite with paramaatman). It is the holding, sustaining force, the global, eternal ethic of every organization in the cosmos including the samajam.
So there we are.
I hope this helps in furthering the discussion.
I look forward to your thoughts and comments – particularly from those of you who have studied Sanskrit and/or the scriptures and/or Vedic philosophy.
In Part II of this series, I hope to explore the meaning of “Raj Dharma“.
***
As an aside, here is an interesting comment on “Hindutva” – another much used (abused?) term on which there is rarely a consensus. In a judgment dt. 11th Dec ’95, the Supreme Court of India observed:
Hindutva is indicative more of the way of life of the Indian people. It is not to be understood or construed narrowly. It is not Hindu fundamentalism nor is it to be confined only to the strict Hindu religious practices or as unrelated to the culture and ethos of the people of India, depicting the way of life of the Indian people. Considering Hindutva as hostile, inimical, or intolerant of other faiths, or as communal proceeds from an improper appreciation of its true meaning. (AIR 1996, SC 1113)
P.S. For the record, the word “secular” does not translate into “dharma-nirapekshta” in Hindi. The correct, official translation of “secularism” is “panth-nirapekhsta”. Pl. read this tiny excerpt below from The dharmayudh over the “secular” word by Arvind Lavakare:
…Dharma, the fundamental duty, the foundation ethic of the nation and every walk of life, is, he argued, the very foundation for the Fundamental Duties section being introduced. Smt.G agreed, handed the pen from her PM’s office desk and requested Singhvi to make the correction on the Hindi draft version. He wrote down panthnirpeksh.
And that’s exactly how it appears in the official Hindi version of our Constitution.
Additional reading:
Pl. see the comments on this post and this 3-part series on “What is Dharma?”
Dharma-The Global Ethic, by Justice M. Rama Jois (Thanks for Bharat for providing this link)
Related Posts:
The Socratic dialogues by Plato revealed that usage of word defines their meaning. If as has been suggested that the meaning of dharma poses challenges to its meaning(s), then that has more to do with the failure of our language. We have been stumbling over ourselves in our inability to define the most basic of things.
When it comes to our religion, we have had to others define it for us the best way they could as Hinduism. Surely, there is nothing more crucial to the identity of human beings and their nations that readily understood words by which they understand themselves. Given this problem, the usage of dharma with sanatana has unnecessarily imported additional difficulties for no obvious benefits.
If we are to import the meaning of law into dharma, then we have the problem of choosing whether the ancient law or the English common which supplanted it should have the greatest weight. The whole world has moved on, and word law has an expansive meaning which dharma could never have been expected to have had. That does not mean that Sanskrit cannot make good the deficiency. The Roman law that has been passed down to continental Europe (and Scotland) is the result of modernisation of the ancient Roman law. Such an exercise would serve little useful purpose as the common and statute law is an established fact in Bharat.
The word dharma is pregnant with meaning for the Hindu. Its best service to Bharat is to serve as an inspiration for the establishment of the institution of law wholly with religious meaning and sanction. There is now no necessity to reinvent the rule laws that are well enough understood and established.
Thanks for your diligent efforts Shantanu!
Between Dattopant-ji’s, Rama Jois’, and Frank Morales’ attempts – i feel one particularly significant differentiation needs to be highlighted and discussed. Viz. – in our discussion and advocacy of Dharma should we take ‘religion’ defined as “belief in, recognition of, or an awakened sense of higher unseen controlling power or powers, with the emotion and morality connected therewith, rites of worship, any system of such belief or worship” to be kept out of Dharma? Then we are talking secular..
Or Kapila Muni’s “abhyudayam” social welfare is clearly within realm of secular state – the “nihs’reyas” quest of aatman to unite with paramaatman is personal, private, small group affair which benefits little from politics and interventions of the state.
I guess (not sure) Dharm is further divided into Vedic Dharm, Sanatan Dharm, Raj Dharm etc. For example Arya Samaj says Vedic Dharm is completely different from Sanatan Dharm.
BTW Shanatanu, off the post (as you view) but this links to the FTI policy you floated, where I said, secularism is not the answer to development of India and is a christian concept.
May be try laying hands on Raj Dharm and let’s debate on FTI secularism vs Raj Dharm?
To Khandu Patel:
What do you mean by this “The word dharma is pregnant with meaning for the Hindu”?
Hindu is not native word of Bharat. Arya is the right word.
Dharm is difficult to define if you try to associate with a rigid, unchanging definition because everything in world changes constantly and that is the essence of what Bheeshma Pitamah says in Mahabharat. Dharm simplifies when you try to associate it with Srimad Bhagwad Gita, which says, Common Sense (vivek) rules supreme in factors of a human body which need no proof of existence… Senses, Mind, Knowledge / Wisdom, Common Sense. Dharm is the ability to apply common sense or vivek. Raja or Governor need not be rigid in application of law but act accordingly to a situation to dispense good governance.
is it ?
SHRUTHI SEZ “DHARMO RAKSHATHI RAKSHATHAH” … dharma protects the one who protects it .. which means one can tell if one is doing dharma by looking to see if wht one endeavors to uphold and protect inturn protects oneself by opening the self to the ultimate truth.
@rohit
The word Arya has assumed different meanings in its history but never any connotation of religion: it is thought to represent the race of ancient Bharat then evolved to mean nobility.
If we claim for Bharat a civilisational culture, why do we preoccupy ourselves with disputes about meaning of any word. Would not effort be better expended in establishing a dictionary which establishes meanings. As things stand, the meaning of words like dharma, Hindu and Arya are left to be defined by the Oxbridge dictionaries. They can only describe our utter confusion on the meaning of such words.
The Sanskrit meaning is custom, duty.
I am grateful to Sanatana for providing a challenge on this issue. I would not otherwise have given it a second thought. Unless we are going to be honest to ourselves, we would continue to live a delusion in the play of words rather than the power of reality they are capable of shaping.
There is an impression given out to the wider world that India thinks it had in the example of the hydrogen bomb produced a workable design when the world knows that it represents a pious hope. There may have been an element of brinkmanship in that others might have been led to think India had arrived as a great power. That would have been fine if in fact it went on to deal with the deficiency. Unfortunately, 10 years later the uncomfortable truth has come out with no sign as to how the scientists addressed their failures over the following 10 years.
Ponder this then, the delusion has come to a dangerous pass with Singh now in close talks to sign up to the CTBT. He does not have to do even that because he has effectively signed away India’s right to carry out further tests.
John Dobson an intro
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dobson_(astronomer)
John Dobson in his book below
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Cafe/9535/Vedanta/introduction.htm
In Europe and America people think and act against the background of science. Science is their map. They do not think and act against the background of philosophy as people do in India. For thousands of years the Indian mind has lived and thought philosophy. In India Swamiji found a language ready-made for handling philosophical ideas. There is no language on the face of the earth even comparable to Sanskrit in its competence to handle philosophical concepts. Swamiji found himself translating and re-translating from Sanskrit to English. In English there is no word for Vivartavada (the doctrine that the first cause is apparitional). Parinama (transformation) is understood but not Vivarta. There is no word for Brahman, for Atman, for Maya or for the Gunas. It is not just that the words are absent; the ideas are also absent.
More later
Khandu, Nikhil, Vivekam and Gajanan: Thanks for your comments…This is a topic worthy of serious thought and discussion…I am re-reading my notes before I respond to the various points.
***
Rohit: The next part in this series will be on Raj-Dharma. Stay tuned.
Dharma looks more like Deontological ethics. A set of rules to consider what acts are moral.
I am not sure if there are no words in the other languages. There may be no words but the questions of what is morally right would have been thought in probably all cultures.
The question of ethics has been discussed in
1. Plato four cardinal virtues.
2. Aristotle’s moral theory.
There is a big chance that the concept of Dharma came from Greece to India or went from India to Greece.
To Khandu Patel:
We have been plagued by secularism, a Christianity concept so well revered in India as a religion. This novel concept is refined version of religion like Islam/ Christianity, who deny right of existence and feasts on blood and flesh of Sanatan Dharmis. So while all the nations of the world teach their children and imported children, the native language and customs and traditions, we focus on English and Christianity.
That will explain, why we have to rely on Oxford/ west for the learning or acquiring the knowledge about culture of India… Like you know Vedas talking about Aristotle and Plato than Dharm
Arya word is associated with India and the natives of India. It has been twisted by west which always spreads lies and hate.
Sanatan Dharm has rock solid foundation which is not there in the religions which instills fear in the religions and their desire to indulge in genocides and other macabre activities.
Dharm and Adharm are the same thing for everyone. If one turns a blind eye towards Adharm/ Dharm, it doesn’t become otherwise.
@Rohit
You are right that secularism is concept coined by Christian countries in the West to deal with inter-Christian relationship. It has no relevance to India because it is not per se a Christian nation. The author of it, Locke, for a start excluded Roman Catholics and Islam from accommodation in the idea!
Because Indian’s and indeed the constitution has framed the discourse in secularism without understanding it, we are engaged in meaningless discussions. The Christian understanding of secularism is narrow than is imagined, but the idea has been high jacked and now has a different meaning in the world today. India’s leaders did not want to miss out on the party but had no need to resort to secularism because Hinduism was always a signed up to something more potent: age-old multiculturalism.
The blame you attach to Christianity is mistaken for these reasons. All this has distracted me from the subject of law which I meant to address.
Sanskrit should be checked for its viability to frame legal concepts as successfully as Roman and English law has managed. That way, we could save ourselves a lot of time which we have been wasting in endless and worthless discussions.
@Khandu Patel and Rohit:
Would be happy if you could kindly respond to my comment (#2). For the sake of discussion my definition of secular is separation of state and politics from organized religions as recognized in the Indian constitution
There are many books on the law that have been written. If one reads Mahabharat, Ramayana, Kautilya, etc, carefully, there are many instances of well defined law and procedures. The need is to have a process in place which is in line with the current realities of Bharat and derives it’s strength from tradition and culture of Bharat. But we love secularism, which could dispense good governance only at hands of Britishers (because of their thought process) and whose relevance was over in 1947.
Religion: The word refers to a faith based practice which is blind viz, beyond reasoning, logic etc. No one knows religion gives superior awakening or not and it cannot be proved too. Since it is a blind faith, it cannot have morality beyond the imposition of blind faith.
Dharm is not religion because it asks to realize righteousness based on judgment taken by common sense free from anger, love etc.
@Nikhil
I am less interested in the word Dharma, rather whether Sanskrit can produce the abstraction for law to be evolved from it. It already has a variety of meanings, so hopefully it should be that much easier to do so.
Abstractions have their own logic. It is for religion to have dominion over laws and conduct to produce a sense of unity. Christianity and secularism were not alienated to the extent that Hinduism is with the secularism of India. The disjunction between secularism and Hinduism has deep roots back in ancient time.
@Rohit: i take it you’re fed up with the Congress perversion of ‘secularism’ (which translated for many as minority appeasement)that seemed an effective but unethical tactic to counter BJP’s ‘hindutva’ at the last elections. Am i right in understanding that you’d rather dump the term ‘secularism’ and its unsavory Congress-type connotations and come up with something from our epics and rich culture of a mutually-respectful multi-culturism?
@Khandu: not sure i understand much of your views from #16 so won’t comment much; just a couple of questions..
– How does religion forge a unity in our multi-cultural Indian population?
– And could you illustrate with an example ‘disjunction’ between secularism and Hinduism since ancient times?
@Nikhil
You may know that the role of any Prince in society is to meet the needs of his people. The teachings of the priests that the people should not eat beef which later became any meat at all is a point of separation I would not have been happy with as a prince.
NIKHIL,
I don’t like secularism which essentially is aimed at exploiting non muslims and non christians to further directly/ indirectly clandestine agenda of these two religions especially christianity and feed the secular politicians. This breeds germs of genocide and riots in society. I don’t even like organizations like Congrss, RSS, BJP, VHP who despite having might of organization and man power do not indulge in unity of the native faiths of nation and upliftment of poor, backward sanatan dharmis and leave them to the mercy of Christians and bigotry of so called Brahmins and Kshatriyas who hide under sarees of female clan. The bigot RSS is now competing Congress in secularism and FTI guys are a galaxy ahead.
As to a reply to your question to Khandu Patel, #1, I have a question back for you. How do you think Bharat had religions like followers of Sri Ram or followers of Lord Shiva or followers of Sri Krishna or followers of Sikhism or followers of Jainism or followers of Buddhism and their existence in peace and harmony?
#2 Disjunction between Secularism and Hinduism: There are many with the primary factor resting in base. Sanatan Dharm is all inclusive while secularism is rigid and exclusive like Christianity or Islam.
@ Nikhil (#2 and #13): Yes, “Dharma” is different from religion. In fact none of the quotes I have cited mix up the two…od did I miss something/ misunderstood you?
Shantanu
@Shantanu:
Dattopant-ji says religion and its attendant emotion and morality coming out of belief in the supernatural is different from Dharma; Rama Jois says one of the meanings is Nyaya or the sense of ‘right-ness’ in …moral, religious, pious or righteous conduct, etc. Morales speaks of it as an essence of any object or as unchanging underlying natural law, while Kapila Muni speaks of abhyudayam (social welfare) and nihs’reyas (which i take as spirituality).
My observations in #2 & 13 are based on the following context: that organized religions as they are recognized today have always made it their prerogative to take absolute control on morality, pious and righteous conduct and in case of Abrahamic religions social welfare, rule of law, and political and social freedoms.
Dharma is broad enough and should i say amorphous enough to be said to include all that and also democratic rule of reason and logic based on facts, democratically installed and refined from time-to-time rule of law and so on.
If we become more specific in saying that by Dharma we mean – that which is a sense of rightness arrived at through democratic processes and continuously open to change and improvement by democratic process (foundation of which is the Rule of Reason) completely independent of sway of Organized Religions then we are talking ‘secular’ by its simplest definition – the separating of religion from affairs of the state and politics
Saying Dharma, Dharma is confusing as it means so many things to so may people and religion constantly slips in through the back-door. So this is my little effort at trying to see the secular (note for Rohit: as i defined it above) in Dharma! Shantanu – i hope made some sense..
I think democratic process refers to a way of dispensing governance and has no guarantee that it will dispense good governance.
In Mahabharata, the leader is Sri Krishna and it revolves around Kauravas and Pandavs and Sri Krishna, the person upholding Dharm did try to reason with Kauravas and so did Pitamah Bheeshma, Acharya Dronacharya but certainly, it doesn’t have to do anything with democracy. It all comes to dharm vs adharm in Mahabharata.
Coming to near past, more provable, Maharaja Ranjit Singh raised an army that Britishers feared, guess for almost fifty years. It didn’t had to do anything that can be called as democratic.
Other way round can be to get into nitty gritty and say that these persons were secular but these guys never said or did anything that had to do with secularism but yes, they had a great common sense and also great courage to stand for what they perceived was true and in general brought a visible and positive change in society by their actions.
Democracy is the most (not the only) relevant process of dispensing governance today. Till the date Britishers have colonies who do not want to break away from British governance, and there is no democracy in such colonies. Good governance has nothing to do with democracy. Democracy is widely accepted because it gives people a say in affairs of nation and chance not to reelect or remove incompetent persons. In India, democracy has produced a human resource which is one of the worst in world. A common person born in India lives to struggle to die struggling, trying to meet basic necessities of life. This doesn’t mean that I am against democracy, but there is no system in organizations into politics in democracy be it Congress/ BJP or organizations not into politics but nation building like RSS/ VHP etc. These organizations lack the basics things needed to run effective organization which is constant review of activities of organizations and constant sieving of good and bad. That is why a Nehru can escape with glory after sacrificing 3000 odd soldiers in 1962 war and Advani with secular jinnah and jaswanti escorting terrorists and jinnah worship etc.
The only good thing is that India’s defense forces are secluded from magnificent Indian secularism + it’s god, Gandhi since 1962 debacle (son of Gandhi God, Nehru baba had a big time role into war) otherwise we might have been arguing out from tiny islands dotted across Indian Oceans or under rule of what’s his name Geelani or Kiyani or some Chinese, whatever.
But then even defense forces are losing steam gradually and Sachar Committee report is knocking the doors… Thanks to democracy and secularism… That reminded me FTI is a galaxy ahead in secularism than Congress.
What is the dharma for MMS? Do as Sonia-mata says 🙂
Good one DD!
***
Nikhil, Rohit, Khandu: Thanks for continuing the debate…will respond later
What is dharma of Sonia-Mata… Do as Pope-Pita from Rome via AICC* says
*All India Christian Council
The one aspect of this debate that people fail to notice is that the special words discussed here are so only for a certain group of people (majority in India). For others, words like Dharma – Sanatan and so on either mean nothing or are avoidable. This IS a form of fundamentalism.
This is one reason why this group ends up discussing issues in the same manner again and again. It has been happening for 75+ years. It will not lead us or them anywhere. These are idle mind discussions.
@iamfordemocracy
I am inclined to agree with you. Perhaps, it may have got something to do with the Hindu religions resort to the special powers of mantras but words have to be recognised for what they are capable of doing: powerfully to shape ideals, nations and indeed a whole gamut of things.
Any of the words dharma, raj dharma etc can do nothing by themselves. Ideas are important as we know the West swears by things like beauty, ethics etc which came to be incorporated in the Christian religion. Some of these elements are enshrined in the Hindu religion. I think the word dharma seeks to give ethics the same independent existence as with the Greeks. Sanatan dharma then muddies everything by attributing dharma to religion. Somewhere along the line, we Hindus have lost a capacity for clear thinking.
The Greek history is well articulated in a way Bharat’s history has not been. Whether their ideas came from Bharat can only be conjectured. We know that the Greeks borrow some ideas from the Egyptions but at the end of the day, they made all such ideas their own which has been past on the modern world.
It would be more profitable to explore the ideas of beauty, law and justice as they pertained to ancient Bharat.
You never know what’s gonna happen… So it is better to work with an organization like RSS and also do some blogging in order to let people know that they can achieve a lot by joining RSS.
@iamfordemocracy
Again I wish I could agree with you. I am inclined to believe that Sarvakar should have prevailed on the direction he wanted to take his Hindu movement. The RSS as a social organisation can neither fulfil political or religious objectives and is caught between the two stools. The RSS as Hindus organised in numbers felicitates the feeling of safety in numbers compares to the antelopes in a jungle hunted by the big cats. Islam takes all and to my mind and for that reason, RSS hardly has an answer.
In the real world, a stand has to be made. It is perhaps not the RSS’s fault that Hindus cannot make the sort stands that Muslims (and Christians) have no difficulty making which is to live by their defining choices (with independence for Pakistan is an example) whereas the RSS’s want’s to stand the universal cultural inclusion of all of humanity. That displays a vanity which cannot ever be achieved.
In saying all that I say, I am not dissuading anyone from their active involvement in the RSS and BJP but to move beyond their immutable fixed positions to ones that are in accord with reality.
Jai Hind
Khandu Patel,
Either lament on the position, or create a movement and organization to address the problem or join an organization like RSS/ Arya Samaj etc where you are most likely to get a platform for airing your voice and concern and finding support or keep on blogging.
@ Nikhil (#21):
if we become more specific in saying that by Dharma we mean – that which is a sense of rightness arrived at through democratic processes and continuously open to change and improvement by democratic process (foundation of which is the Rule of Reason) completely independent of sway of Organized Religions then we are talking ’secular’ by its simplest definition – the separating of religion from affairs of the state and politics
Curiously, almost these exact thoughts were articulated to me by someone else (a learned, retired professor of Sanskrit and History) with whom I spoke last week!
***
@ Khandu (#27): I am currently reading an interesting article that traces the history of Greek philosophical thought back to India…
More on that soon.
@imformeritocracy
I recognise the very positive work being done by both the Arya Samaj and the RSS.
As to what we can do independently then that is also being considered and your active participation would be appreciated.
@ Khandu Patel
At an individual level, there are lots of activities you can do by associating with RSS, Arya Samaj and such similar organizations. One can be to contribute at an individual level to any of the activities that these organizations take by sparing man hours of your life and dedicating to the cause that you like; contributing funds towards achievement of the objectives being carried out by the organization etc. I had an extremely great exposure while I visited Ramakrishna Mission. The folks over there, in Pune ashram, encouraged kids to spend time in ashram and provided them with sports material, to play football. I asked one of the learned person at ashram about the activity. The person said that the kids belonged to nearby slums. The ashram wanted the kids to harness their energy in positive manner and not get inspired by negative harnessing of energy as they witnessed in the slums (like breaking of street lamps, littering on streets, jeering, street fights) so they encouraged the kids to come to ashram. They never fed any religious craps to the kids. I took round of the Ashram… They had all books + dispensing of knowledge by learned suitable from kid to adult and they encouraged talent by providing them with financial support. At one place, Raipur, there was a small boy managing their book stall at Station. I asked him what was he doing there. The boy said that he spends his time in ashram activities after finishing his studies. He was for the time being helping his brother who was busy in studies for engineering and showed me some engineering books that were given by Ashram for sponsoring his brother’s studies.
Step out from blogging, interact with organizations of the likes of RSS, Arya Samaj, Ramakrishna Mission, Bajrang Dal, VHP… All these organizations are great and will give you a lot to offer at individual and at an organization level to contribute…
@imformeritocracy
I am pleased at what they are doing in Bharat. I am in England so I can do little directly.
sandeepnshelke@gmail.com is coordinating a joint effort and discussion. Please email him with your details.
Thanks Khandu Patel,
I will do email my details to SSS.
@Khandu Patel,
The RSS has a very active affiliate in the UK called Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh. You can get in touch with them, and they will provide ample opportunities to help with activities in Bharat. I am with the HSS in the US, and we are constantly working at the grassroots level through our collaboration. It is very satisfying to be able to make a difference. – Varsha.
What is Dharma…? “Your right to do what is just and right and not what was destined”! The concept of Hindu dharma as detailed in sacred Bhagavad Gita is integral to all teachings of Hinduism! In absence of Dharma… the whole world simply could not exist! It is this inherent dharma (righteousness) that makes the world go round!
Dharma exists from times immemorial. Even before any religion existed in world… dharma existed! Dharma exists from times life came into existence on mother earth. Following our inner dictates… human beings controlled their life! Dharma is elixir vitae… sap of cosmic system! It is presence of dharma that makes journey of life worthwhile!
What is DHARM?
The term Dharma is an Indian spiritual and religious term that means one’s righteous duty, or any virtuous path. A Hindu’s dharma is affected by a person’s age, class, occupation, and gender. In Indian languages it can be equivalent simply to religion, depending on context. The word dharma translates as that which upholds or supports, and is generally translated into English as law.
According to the various Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, beings that live in accordance with Dharma proceed more quickly toward dharma yukam, moksha or nirvana (personal liberation). The antonym of dharma is adharma meaning unnatural or immoral.
In traditional Hindu society, dharma has historically denoted a variety of ideas, such as Vedic ritual, ethical conduct, caste rules, and civil and criminal law. Its most common meaning however pertains to two principal ideals: that social life should be structured through well-defined and well-regulated classes (varna), and that an individual’s life within a class should be organized into defined stages (ashrama, see dharmasastra).[4]
शà¥à¤°à¥€à¤°à¥à¤µà¥ˆ धरà¥à¤®: , राजà¥à¤¯à¤‚ वै धरà¥à¤®: , धरà¥à¤®à¤£à¥‹ धारयति ! जै 3.231
According to Vedic traditions
“Dharma is that which sustains a welfare stateâ€, and consists of Don’ts and Duties अपने चितà¥à¤¤ वृतà¥à¤¤à¤¿à¤¯à¥‹à¤‚ में उपलबà¥à¤§ करो अनà¥à¤¯à¤¥à¤¾ नि:सार रह जावोगे
Cultivate the virtue to gather strength, otherwise you will suffer deprivation
यदà¥à¤¯à¥‡à¤•à¤µà¥ƒà¤·à¥‹Sसि सृजारसोSसि ! अथरà¥à¤µ वेद 5/16/1
यदि दà¥à¤µà¤¿ वृषोSसि सृजारसोSसि ! अथरà¥à¤µ वेद 5/16/2
यदि तà¥à¤°à¤¿ वृषोSसि सृजारसोSसि ! अथरà¥à¤µ वेद 5/16/3
यदि चतà¥à¤°à¥à¤µà¥ƒà¤·à¥‹Sसि सृजारसोSसि ! अथरà¥à¤µ वेद 5/16/4
यदि पञà¥à¤šà¤µà¥ƒà¤·à¥‹Sसि सृजारसोSसि ! अथरà¥à¤µ वेद 5/16/5
üयदि षडà¥à¤µà¥ƒà¤·à¥‹Sसि सृजारसोSसि ! अथरà¥à¤µ वेद 5/16/6
यदि सपà¥à¤¤ वृषोSसि सृजारसोSसि ! अथरà¥à¤µ वेद 5/16/7
üयदà¥à¤¯à¤·à¥à¤Ÿ वृषोSसि सृजारसोSसि ! अथरà¥à¤µ वेद 5/16/8
यदि नवषà¥à¤Ÿà¤·à¥‹Sसि सृजारसोSसि अथरà¥à¤µ वेद 5/16/9
यदि दश वृषोSसि सृजारसोSसि अथरà¥à¤µ वेद 5/16/10
यदà¥à¤¯à¥‡à¤•à¤¾à¤¦à¤¶à¥‹Sसि सृजारसोSसि अथरà¥à¤µ वेद 5/16/11
Veda is saying here that there are ten aspects of Dharma.
All of these aspects of Dharma have to be cultivated in your temperament. Leaving out even one of them will render you at default.
वेद के अनà¥à¤¸à¤¾à¤° यदि धरà¥à¤® के à¤à¤• अंग को ही गृहण कर चà¥à¤•à¥‡ हो तो नि:सार रह जावोगे, यदि धरà¥à¤®à¤¾ के दो अंगों को ही गृहण कर चà¥à¤•à¥‡ हो तो à¤à¥€ नि:सार रह जावोगे. यदि धरà¥à¤® के दसों अंगों को धारणा कर चà¥à¤•à¥‡ हो तो बिना पà¥à¤°à¤à¥ à¤à¤•à¥à¤¤à¤¿ के नि:सार रह जावोगे.
RV 10.47.6 Dharma comprises of sustainable duties of people
पà¥à¤° सपà¥à¤¤à¤—à¥à¤®à¥ƒà¤¤à¤§à¥€à¤¤à¤¿à¤‚ सà¥à¤®à¥‡à¤§à¤¾à¤‚ बृहसà¥à¤ªà¤¤à¤¿à¤‚ मतिरचà¥à¤›à¤¾ जिगाति ।
य आङà¥à¤—िरसो नमसोपसदà¥à¤¯à¥‹à¥¤Sसà¥à¤®à¤à¥à¤¯à¤‚ चितà¥à¤°à¤‚ वृ षणं रयिं दाः ।। ऋ 10-47-6
पà¥à¤°à¤¸à¤ªà¥à¤¤à¤—à¥à¤®à¥ƒà¤¤à¤§à¥€à¤¤à¤¿à¤‚ सà¥à¤®à¥‡à¤§à¤¾- सपà¥à¤¤ मरà¥à¤¯à¤¾à¤¦à¤¾ पालक उतà¥à¤¤à¤® वृतà¥à¤¤à¤¿ यà¥à¤•à¥à¤¤
बृहसà¥à¤ªà¤¤à¤¿- good articulate skills
मतिरचà¥à¤›à¤¾ जिगाति – invokes good common sense
(Dharma sustains the Society by सपà¥à¤¤ मरà¥à¤¯à¤¾à¤¦à¤¾ seven tenets. These are human values that sustain the society. Vedic Dharma did not entail personal ritualistic procedures for individuals in the society)
The seven tenets that form the Vedic Dharma are spelled out in Atharv Veda as:
सपà¥à¤¤ मरà¥à¤¯à¤¾à¤¦à¤¾: कवयसà¥à¤¤à¤¤à¤•à¥à¤·à¥à¤¸à¥à¤¤à¤¾à¤¸à¤¾à¤®à¤¿à¤¦à¥‡à¤•à¤®à¤à¥à¤¯à¤‚ Sहà¥à¤°à¥‹ गातॠ!
आयोरà¥à¤¹à¤¸à¥à¤•à¤®à¥à¤ उपमसà¥à¤¯ नीदे पथां विसरà¥à¤—े धरà¥à¤£à¥‡à¤·à¥ तसà¥à¤¥à¥Œ !! अथरà¥à¤µ 5/1/6
These seven trespasses are 1.Theiving. 2, Adulterous behavior,3. Anti knowledge activities,4. Abortions, 5. Drunken behavior,6. Habitual addiction to wickedness,7, Giving false evidence
1. चोरी,2.अगमà¥à¤¯à¤¾à¤—मन ,3. बà¥à¤°à¤¹à¥à¤®à¤¹à¤¤à¥à¤¯à¤¾,4. à¤à¥à¤°à¥‚णहतà¥à¤¯à¤¾,5. मदà¥à¤¯à¤ªà¤¾à¤¨,6.पà¥à¤¨: पà¥à¤¨: पाप करà¥à¤® में पà¥à¤°à¤µà¥ƒà¤¤à¥à¤¤à¤¿,7. पाप करके à¤à¥‚ट बोलना बोलनाये निषिदà¥à¤§à¤¾à¤šà¤°à¤£à¤¾ परितà¥à¤¯à¤¾à¤— रूप सात नियम बताठगठहैं. इन में से जो à¤à¤• का à¤à¥€ उलà¥à¤²à¤‚घन करता है वह पापी है. यही सात मरà¥à¤¯à¤¾à¤¦à¤¾à¤à¤‚ वैदिक दृषà¥à¤¤à¤¿ से मानव धरà¥à¤® हैं. यही समाज को धारण कर के पà¥à¤°à¤²à¤¯ तक सà¥à¤¥à¤¿à¤°à¤¤à¤¾ देती हैं.
2.
सà¥à¤– की वृदà¥à¤§à¤¿ करने हारा, सब à¤à¤¶à¥à¤µà¤°à¥à¤¯ का दाता धरà¥à¤® है, उस का जो जो लोप करता है उस को विदà¥à¤µà¤¾à¤¨ लोग वृषल समà¤à¤¤à¥‡ हैं : दयाननà¥à¤¦ संसà¥à¤•à¤¾à¤° विधि 1/5
(धरà¥à¤® के दस अंग कà¥à¤¯à¤¾ हैं ?)
मनà¥à¤¸à¥à¤®à¥ƒà¤¤à¤¿ के अनà¥à¤¸à¤¾à¤° वृषो हि à¤à¤—वानà¥â€Œ धरà¥à¤®à¤ƒà¥¤
धरà¥à¤® वही है जो सà¥à¤– की à¤à¤¶à¥à¤µà¤°à¥à¤¯ की वरà¥à¤·à¤¾ करता है।
वृषो हि à¤à¤—वानà¥à¤§à¤°à¥à¤®à¤¸à¥à¤¯ यः कà¥à¤°à¥à¤¤à¥‡ हà¥à¤¯à¤²à¤®à¥â€Œ ।
वृषलं तं विदà¥à¤°à¥à¤¦à¥‡à¤µà¤¾à¤¸à¥à¤¤à¤¸à¥à¤®à¤¾à¤¦à¥à¤§à¤°à¥à¤®à¤‚ न लोपयेतऽ ॥ मनॠ8-16
धरà¥à¤® लकà¥à¤·à¤£à¤®à¥â€Œ – Creative Duties
सकारातà¥à¤®à¤• आचरण -Positive actions
धरà¥à¤®à¥‹ मनà¥à¤·à¥à¤¯à¤¾à¤ƒà¥¤ Humanity itself is Dharma.
धरà¥à¤®à¥‹ वा अधिपतिः । That which governs a Human is his Dharma
” धृति कà¥à¤·à¤®à¤¾ दमोऽसà¥à¤¤à¥‡à¤¯ शौचमिनà¥à¤¦à¥à¤—िय निगà¥à¤°à¤¹à¤ƒà¥¤
धी विदà¥à¤¯à¤¾ सतà¥à¤¯à¤®à¤•à¥à¤°à¥‹à¤§à¥‹ दशकं धरà¥à¤® लकà¥à¤·à¤£à¤®à¥â€Œ ॥” मनà¥à¤ƒ 6-92
धैरà¥à¤¯,कà¥à¤·à¤®à¤¾,असतà¥à¤ªà¥à¤°à¤µà¥ƒà¤¤à¥à¤¤à¤¿à¤¯à¥‹à¤‚ का दमन, चोरी छल कपट तà¥à¤¯à¤¾à¤—, मन वाणी शरीर की पवितà¥à¤°à¤¤à¤¾,इनà¥à¤¦à¥à¤—िय निगà¥à¤°à¤¹, जà¥à¤žà¤¾à¤¨à¤¾à¤°à¥à¤œà¤¨, सतà¥à¤¯à¤ªà¤¾à¤²à¤¨, कà¥à¤°à¥‹à¤§ तà¥à¤¯à¤¾à¤—, ये दश लकà¥à¤·à¤£ धरà¥à¤® के बताये जाते हैं।)
There are ten attributes of Dharma viz:
1.धृतिः- Forbearance, Sobriety, Resoluteness
2.कà¥à¤·à¤®à¤¾à¤ƒ- Forgiveness- covering a wider range of meanings
such as Amnesty, Charity, Clemency, Mercy, Non
violence
3.दमोः- Suppression of unbecoming tendencies
4.असà¥à¤¤à¥‡à¤¯à¤‚ :- To avoid Stealing, Deceit, Dishonesty, Blackmail, Scam
5.शौच :- Purification- cleanliness, internal & external
6. इनà¥à¤¦à¥à¤—ियनिगà¥à¤°à¤¹à¤ƒ :- Control over desires
7. धी :- Cultivation of right mentality by expanding
intellect & avoiding negative influences
8.विदà¥à¤¯à¤¾ :- Knowledge, about every thing in this world and beyond
9.सतà¥à¤¯à¤®à¥â€Œ :- Truthfulness
10.अकà¥à¤°à¥‹à¤§à¥‹ :- Avoiding Anger, Hatred, Unhappiness
to Cultivate calmness, happiness
These ten are the attributes of DHARMA
दश आजीविकायें
” विदà¥à¤¯à¤¾ शिलà¥à¤ªà¤‚ à¤à¥ƒà¤¤à¤¿à¤ƒ सेवाः गोरकà¥à¤·à¥à¤¯à¤‚ विपणिः कृषिः।
धृतिरà¥à¤à¥ˆà¤•à¥à¤·à¥à¤¯à¤‚ कà¥à¤¸à¥€à¤¦à¤‚ च दश जीवनहेतवः ॥ मनà¥à¤ƒ 10-116
सपà¥à¤¤ मरà¥à¤¯à¤¾à¤¦à¤¾
सपà¥à¤¤ मरà¥à¤¯à¤¾à¤¦à¤¾à¤ƒà¤•à¤µà¤¸à¥à¤¤à¤¤à¤•à¥à¤·à¥à¤¸à¥à¤¤à¤¾à¤¸à¤¾à¤®à¤¿à¤¦à¥‡à¤•à¤¾à¤®à¤à¥à¤¯à¤‚ हà¥à¤°à¥‹ गातà¥â€Œà¥¤
आयोरà¥à¤¹à¤¸à¥à¤•à¤®à¥à¤ उपमसà¥à¤¯ नीडे पथां विसरà¥à¤—े धà¥à¤°à¥à¤£à¥‡à¤·à¥ तसà¥à¤¥à¥Œ ॥ अथरà¥à¤µ 5-1-6
सात मरà¥à¤¯à¤¾à¤¦à¤¾à¤à¤‚
1। चोरी,2ऽगमà¥à¤¯à¤¾à¤—मन,3।बà¥à¤°à¤¹à¥à¤® हतà¥à¤¯à¤¾, 4à¤à¥à¤°à¥‚ण हतà¥à¤¯à¤¾,5।मदà¥à¤¯à¤ªà¤¾à¤¨,6।पà¥à¤¨à¤ƒ पà¥à¤¨à¤ƒ पाप करà¥à¤® में पà¥à¤°à¤µà¥ƒà¤¤à¥à¤¤à¤¿,7।पाप कर के à¤à¥‚ठबोलना
–
Subodh Kumar,
C-61 Ramprasth,
Ghaziabad-201011
Mobile-9810612898
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Pl read: “Distinction between Dharma and Religion” by Vishal Agarwal (17 June 2009)
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Pl keep your comments short and succinct. A link to the main article is better than copy-paste of the whole article. Thanks.
Placing this link here for the record: Dharma is Not the Same as Religion by Rajiv Malhotra
“Dharma” is that which upholds, nourishes or supports the stability of society, maintains social order and secures the general well-being and progress of mankind.
– Supreme Court of India [source odf file]