What is “Dharma”? – Guest Post by Harapriya

Dear All: It is my pleasure to publish this guest post on “Dharma” by K Harapriya. I will be posting this in three parts. At the outset, I am grateful to her for a very well articulated exposition of a difficult concept. Please read and share widely. Today, a definition of “Dharma” and the role of Itihaasa in the Hindu value system (formatting and emphasis is mine).

*** What is “Dharma”? by K Harapriya ***

In the last great battle of the Kurukshetra war, Bhima is engaged in a fight to death with the wicked Duryodhana, whose greed and jealousy alone were responsible for the entire war.  After many days of fighting, a bruised and tired Bhima looks over at Krishna, the spiritual guide of the righteous Pandavas. While the rightful king Yudhishtra, the embodiment of dharma, who has staked the kingdom on the outcome of this fight, looks on, Krishna taps his thigh. The hint is to do the unthinkable, to break the warrior code and hit Duryodhana below his waist where he is weakest. Bhima does exactly that, Duryodhana is killed, and the battle is won.  Was this dharmic?  What is dharma? Is it worth preserving?  More importantly, is it even possible to have a dharma yudh (righteous war) against the forces of adharma?

Multi-layered definition of dharma

Sanatana Dharma, also known as Hinduism, has been described as a religion or a family of religions. It has a common thread of beliefs including the belief in karma and samsara, and the belief in the Vedas as pramana (a means of knowledge).  However, there is an even more basic principle which connects all the branches and beliefs of Hinduism and unites all Hindus.  This is the concept of dharma.

Dharma is the single uniting theme which informs Hindu beliefs and can be considered the foundation on  which Hinduism rests. It is defined as  “ that which upholds”.

In common parlance, it has multiple meanings depending on the context used.  It means duty (one’s obligations and responsibilities);   the right action in a given situation;    that which is in conformity with Rta (God’s /Natural laws); and also one’s religious role. Dharma is the first of the four purusharthas (the goals of man). It is followed by artha, kama and  moksha.  However, none of the other three are considered legitimate if one pursued them without reference to dharma. Artha (prosperity/security) obtained without reference to dharma is considered a crime.  Kama (pleasure) pursued without reference to dharma is considered debauchery. As for moksha, the adharmi could go nowhere near it.

Mere duty or righteous action does not, however, explain the depth of word.  Dharma exists within the Hindu world-view at several levels.  There is individual dharma, Svadharma,   which pertains to individual action which is undertaken to satisfy individual needs.  Within Hindu thought, desire and ambitions were not considered sinful or wrong and individuals were encouraged to satisfy their needs and desires through righteous actions.

Then, there is the dharma pertaining to family, society and the nation.   The concept of duty changes according to the situation and there is a clear precedent in deciding the correct course of action when there  is a conflict in the roles one plays.  Thus, duty to oneself is subordinated to one’s duty to family; one’s duty to one’s own family is subordinated to one’s duty to one’s community; and one’s duty to one’s own community is subordinated to one’s duty to the nation.

Dharma was further defined in terms of caste or community. Caste identities did not only refer to religious practices but also vocational practices.    Caste and community based dharma reveals the true pragmatic nature of the Hindu world-view.  For Hindus, values need not be universal (held by all members of society or pertaining to all situations).   By that,   Hindus understand that a value may be held by the majority of people at a given time, but it does not necessarily hold true for all times or all communities.  Thus,  ahimsa (nonviolence)  was a value that was held important.  It is extolled in the Mahabharata and in the Thirukkural.  Yet, there were communities, such as the Kshatriyas, who were entrusted with protecting society and had to use force  for this purpose.  Likewise, while religious texts like the Vedanta scorned material wealth and possessions, there were communities engaged in businesses and trade who were considered important for the economic prosperity of the entire nation—this then was their dharma

Since the concept of Dharma accommodated different life paths and practices, determining what Dharma is, in a given situation becomes very important to the Hindu.

Role of Ithihasa in Hindu values

Since the right course of action has to be determined according to dharma (righteousness) and the present situation, Hindus have throughout the ages pondered on how to determine what dharma is.  One of the primary teaching methods used has been the oral transmission of Ithihaasa and the Puranas.  Within the Hindu tradition though, only the Ramayana and the Mahabharata are considered Ithihaasa (historic). These two epics consider the life events of specific individuals and allow the reader to glean insight from the characters of these stories and their lives and situations.  The purpose of Ithihaasa is to teach the individual and the community how to determine what dharma is and how to act on it.  Our epics have played a central role in presenting us with paradigms in the form of characters whose behaviour and conflicts mirror our own situation.   Even though the stories are of a different time, we see that in our epics, the characters are motivated by the same desires that govern us— the desire for wealth, fame, pleasure, status and finally liberation.  The characters in these epics have choices in their actions and choices in how to respond to their own desires.

*** End of Part I ***

Tomorrow: Lessons of the Mahabharat (Part II)

Related Posts:

A humble attempt at understanding “Dharma” – Part I

Understanding Raj-Dharma