DHARMA

Submitted to : Ms. Oly Roy

Submitted by : Purva Dua
Enrolment No. : 14510303817
 INDEX

1. Introduction

2. The concept of Dharma

3. Dharma and Karma

4. History

5. Origin of Dharma

6. Buddha - Dharma

7. Jainism

8. Sikhism

9. Dharma and Poverty

10. Dharma and Law

11. Conclusion

12. Bibiliography
 Introduction

Dharma in contradiction to general opinion does not mean religion nor supports any, but it is
a whole body of rules and believes including in itself the religious rights, rules of conduct and
duties. Here when we talk about religious rights or duties, it does no prefer anyone over the
other but describes it for all religions. Dharma as said by Jaimini is, “founded on the
revelation which is conducive to the welfare of the society, ordained by the great Vedas”.
Dharma is primarily based on the Vedas and has many indices such as Sruti, Smriti and moral
laws (sadachar) and governed the lives of people in the ancient time. Dharma was a duty
based legal system that is every individual owed a duty towards other member of the society
as Duguit says “The only right which any man can possess is the right to do his duty, his
theory of Social Solidarity states that even the sovereign or the state does not stand in any
special position or privilege and its existence is justified only so long as it fulfils its duty.”,
which is in direct contrast to the present day legal system which specifies rights rather than
the duties. We will see in this research project the close relation between Dharma and the
current legal system.
 The Concept of Dharma

Sri Krishna explains to Arjuna that one's duty is of paramount importance, for it is the means
to fulfill the purpose of life. That which supports the fulfillment of one's duty is called
Dharma. Dharma is not comparable to religion; it encompasses all the dimensions of life. It
refers to duties done harmoniously, skillfully, selflessly and lovingly. It supports one in
fulfilling the purpose of life and helps one to relate to others and to society in a harmonious
way.

But Dharma does not only mean fulfilling one’s duty. The word Dharma is derived from the
root “Dhr” which means to uphold. Thus Dharma means to uphold one’s duty, to uphold truth
at all times. Thus whosoever speaks the truth is said to fulfill their Dharma. This one point is
constantly referred in the Mahabharata, where Bhishma Pitama mentions that those who are
on the side of truth in the battle of Kurukshetra are on the path of Dharma. Bhishma Pitama
also mentions to Yudhistira whatever creates conflict is Adharma (antonym of Dharma), and
whatever puts an end to conflict and brings about unity and harmony is Dharma.

Dharma therefore means to be on the path of righteousness. Those following such a path are
at all times in sync with the truth. Ideally the aim of Dharma is to make one reach Moksha or
Nirvana or self- realization and in this process Dharma aims to elevate the characters of men.
The rules of Dharma have been laid down for regulating the worldly affairs of men. Dharma
is the means of preserving one’s self. If you violate the law, it will kill you. If you protect it,
it will protect you. It is your soul companion after death. It is the sole refuge of humanity.
Dharma is classified into :

• Samanya Dharma
• Visesha Dharma

Samanya Dharma is general and Universal Dharma and Visesha Dharma is specific and
personal Dharma.

Elements of Samanya Dharma

1. Contentment (santosh)
2. forgiveness
3. self-restraint
4. non-stealing
5. purity
6. control of senses
7. discrimination between right and wrong, as also between the real and the unreal
8. spiritual knowledge
9. truthfulness
10. Absence of anger comes under the general or universal Dharma

Visesha Dharma includes duties toward one's birth, age, family, society, career, job and
spiritual life.
Thus Dharma shows people the correct path to follow throughout their lives. It is an
unwritten law that guides man in conducting himself with good behavior. This is why
Dharma is so vital. The teachings haven’t withered with time but the same has only gotten
stronger.

Dharma and Karma

We should avoid even the smallest negative actions, and we should perform even the most
insignificant positive actions without underestimating their value. The reason for this is that
the happiness we all want and the suffering we all try to avoid are produced precisely by our
actions, or karma. The Dalai Lama, a Flash of Lightening in the Dark of Night
All religions of the world have certain commonalities in them. One such commonality is not
to commit any sort of sins or crimes. Society has made rules and regulations to ensure that all
those committing such action are going to be met with justice.

Sins are negative actions for which there will be negative repercussions. Similarly there are
positive deeds that one is always expected to do. Such deeds lead to positive repercussions.
They say your action decides your future. The kind of consequence one faces purely depends
upon their action. Thus the concept of Karma says that one must at all times continue
pursuing what he/she is supposed to do. One must ensure to try and do things which lead to a
positive consequence. Consequences of actions are known as Karamphala. A positive
Karamphala is Poonya and a negative Karamphala is known as Paap.
According to Hindu Scriptures, the life a person lives is based on his/her past actions. The
present will shape the future. Thus the law of Karma always advises people to ensure that at
all times they’re trying to make a positive difference in their daily lives by which everyone
benefits.

“The concept of Karma makes one fully responsible for what happens to him/her. One is not
subject to the tyranny of destiny or fate. One can determine one’s own destiny. Action or
Karma is the route”

Popularly it is said that one must not worry too much about the results but must continue
doing what they’re supposed to do. Students are supposed to study, doctors are supposed to
diagnose etc. No matter what the work one has to do, one must make sure that it is done with
utmost sincerity, wholeheartedly and lovingly.

These are the elements of Dharma as explained by Shri Krishna to Arjuna. This is where
Dharma and Karma come together. Where there is dharma you cannot avoid karma. Karma
does not exist independently of dharma, and only dharma makes karma work. The concept of
karma is that if you go against dharma, you have to pay the price for it.
Even Gods and kings get affected by their Karma. According to the Ramayana, the great
Ravana, king of Lanka also had to face the repercussions of his karma. The result of his sins
was his death at the hands of Lord Rama.
Therefore if kings cannot escape the results of their past actions, what can be said about us
mere mortals? The aim of life is to perform your work in a way by which positive deeds are
created. For that to happen one must at all times be on the path of righteousness. That is
Dharma.

Karma bound by Dharma, leads one to happiness and bliss. The objective is to achieve
Moksha or self-realization.

The rest of the world may not know this but Karma can be seen everywhere. Today, some
companies are successful is because they have done work in the past which has led to positive
consequences that has proven beneficial for companies, stakeholders and society.

• The Tata Group built Jameshedpur and set up industries there, that was positive Karma.
• Sony made a contribution to change the perception of people in the 50’s of the brand Made
in Japan. This has proven to be beneficial for Japanese industries. This is also positive
Karma.

Companies need to inculcate the teachings of Dharma and Karma in order to bring scientific
changes in their management whereby performance and behavior of employees is guided by
these teachings.
Different people have different duties by virtue of their positions. This concept is known as
Swadharma. This is what companies need to understand and can be used as a strong HRM
tool where by each and every employee’s role becomes well defined.
Corporate leaders can very well use these concepts of Dharma and Karma to build characters
of their employees. Such concepts can help companies build on a long lasting reputation in
industry and society. They can position themselves as the company that is on the path of
righteousness.

History
According to the authoritative book History of Dharmasastra, in the hymns of the Rigveda
the word Dharma appears at least fifty-six times, as an adjective or noun. According to Paul
Horsch, the word Dharma has its origin in the myths of Vedic Hinduism. The Brahman
(whom all the gods make up), claim the hymns of the Rig Veda, created the universe from
chaos, they hold (dhar-) the earth and sun and stars apart, they support (dhar-) the sky away
and distinct from earth, and they stabilise (dhar-) the quaking mountains and plains. The gods,
mainly Indra, then deliver and hold order from disorder, harmony from chaos, stability from
instability - actions recited in the Veda with the root of word dharma.In hymns composed
after the mythological verses, the word dharma takes expanded meaning as a cosmic principle
and appears in verses independent of gods. It evolves into a concept, claims Paul Horsch,that
has a dynamic functional sense in Atharvaveda for example, where it becomes the cosmic
law that links cause and effect through a subject. Dharma, in these ancient texts, also takes a
ritual meaning. The ritual is connected to the cosmic, and ‘‘dharmani’’ is equated to
ceremonial devotion to the principles that gods used to create order from disorder, the world
from chaos. Past the ritual and cosmic sense of dharma that link the current world to mythical
universe, the concept extends to ethical-social sense that links human beings to each other
and to other life forms. It is here that dharma as a concept of law emerges in Hinduism.
Dharma and related words are found in the oldest Vedic literature of Hinduism, in later
Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, and the Epics; the word dharma also plays a central role in the
literature of other Indian religions founded later, such as Buddhism and Jainism. According
to Brereton, Dharman occurs 63 times in Rig-veda; in addition, words related to Dharman
also appear in Rig-veda, for example once as dharmakrt, 6 times as satyadharman, and once
as dharmavant, 4 times as dharman and twice as dhariman. There is no Iranian equivalent in
old Persian for Dharma, suggesting the word dharman had origins in Indo-Aryan culture
outside of Persia, or it is a concept that is indigenous to India. However, ideas in parts
overlapping to Dharma are found in other ancient cultures: such as Chinese Tao, Egyptian
Maat, Sumerian Me.
                                  

                                                 Origin of Dharma

Dharma originated from Vedas which are Sruti (heard knowledge) and they are the supreme
source of knowledge for humans, as the narration of what is heard from the ancient priests
that is Sruti  and they contains narration on everything possible ranging from military to
politics to common people’s life. Its other sources are Smriti, which are the interpretation of
Vedas and four sages have propounded the dharmasastras and are called Smritikars. They are:
1. Manu
2. Yagnavalkaya
3. Brihaspati
4. Narada

The other source has been Puranas which are eighteen in number and contains information
about the creation and dynasties of god, sages and kings and detailed description of yugas.
All the sources are on the same footstep and no one has supremacy over the other.

Idea which made people adhere to the Dharma can be illustrated by one verse from
Brihadaranyaka Upnishad which is, “punyo vai punyena Karmana bhavati, Papah Papeneti”,
meaning ‘everyone becomes good by good deeds and bad by bad deeds’, in other words
‘every one reaps what he sows’ and what’s good is defined by Dharma.1

Buddha – Dharma
Dharma does not have any bearing to god or any religion whatsoever, it is in fact an
interpretation of the Dharmic way of life according to Gautam Buddha and other Buddhist
scholars.

Here, Buddha – Dharma does not reflect the personalities of these leaders rather it signifies
the importance of the attitude of mind that enables a practitioner of Dharma to re-harmonise
his personal nature with the principles of Dharma which will lead him/her towards the
undoing of all egoistical falsehood and ultimately make him achieve ‘Moksh’ or as we would
say in English liberation.

Different traditions regard Dharma in a different light. While some regard it as the ultimate
and transcendent truth others who regard Buddha as an enlightened soul see it as his

1
https://www.lawctopus.com/academike/dharma-and-law/
 teachings. Here, it is important to note that no matter what your personal belief is the bottom
line remains that you should adhere to Dharmic principles and try and lead a righteous life.

Qualities of Buddha – Dharma

• Dharma is not a speculative philosophy it is the universal law found through self –
enlightenment.
It deals with moral principles, concentration, self – control, willingness and wisdom to do the
right thing.

• Dharma can be tested by practice alone.

You cannot expect to read up on teachings or listen to others experiences and hope to
experience it yourself. You have to make a conscious effort to practice the Dharmic way of
life to get results.

• Dharma is able to bestow timeless and immediate results here and now for which there is no
need to wait until the future or next existence.

Nobody says that you must be Dharmic and only after you reach a certain level of
enlightenment you will be at peace or that if you are dharmic in this lifer you will reap results
in the next. Dharma like everything else related to spirituality is a state of mind and comes
from within. If you chose to lead a good life the results will be immediate. There is no
‘conditions apply’ factor present here.

• Dharma welcomes all human beings to put it to the test. There is no discrimination here. All
human beings can strive to lead a dharmic way of life no matter what walk of life they come
from and reap the results of their efforts.

• Dharma is worthy to be followed as a part of ones life. Trying to be dharmic is not a short-
term practice. To truly lead a well-balanced and fruitful life we must make dharma a part of
ones life.

It is said that by knowing these attributes, practitioners of dharma will attain inner peace and
happiness. Each person here is individually responsible for himself to put these principles
into practice.

Here, these leaders who have interpreted Dharma are compared to doctors whereas the
Dharma is compared to medicine. However skillful a doctor is results will be apparent only if
the patient makes efforts to administer the medicine himself.

In conclusion, we can say that Buddha – Dharma is used to refer to the teachings of Buddha,
not in the context of the words of one man but as a reflection of a natural law that was re-
discovered by this man and shred with the world. So a person who lives their life with an
understanding of natural law, is a dharmic or righteous person.

                                    
 Jainism
The word Dharma in Jainism is found in all its key texts. It has a contextual meaning and
refers to a number of ideas. In the broadest sense, it means the teachings of the Jinas, or
teachings of any competing spiritual school, a supreme path, socio-religious duty, and that
which is the highest mangala (holy).

The term dharma also has a specific ontological and soteriological meaning in Jainism, as a
part of its theory of six dravya (substance or a reality). In the Jain tradition, existence consists
of jiva (soul, atman) and ajiva (non-soul), the latter consisting of five categories: inert non-
sentient atomic matter (pudgala), space (akasha), time (kala), principle of motion (dharma),
and principle of rest (adharma).The use of the term dharma to mean motion and to refer to an
ontological sub-category is peculiar to Jainism, and not found in the metaphysics of
Buddhism and various schools of Hinduism.

The major Jain text, Tattvartha Sutra mentions Das-dharma with the meaning of "ten
righteous virtues". These are forbearance, modesty, straightforwardness, purity, truthfulness,
self-restraint, austerity, renunciation, non-attachment, and celibacy. Acārya Amṛtacandra,
author of the Jain text, Puruṣārthasiddhyupāya writes:
A right believer should constantly meditate on virtues of dharma, like supreme modesty, in
order to protect the soul from all contrary dispositions. He should also cover up the
shortcomings of others.2
      
Sikhism
For Sikhs, the word Dharm means the path of righteousness and proper religious practice.
Sikh Dharma is a distinct religion revealed through the teachings of ten Gurus who are
accepted by the followers as if they were spiritually the same. In Sikhism, God is described as
both Nirgun (transcendent) and Sargun (immanent). Guru Granth Sahib in hymn 1353
connotes dharma as duty. The 3HO movement in Western culture, which has incorporated
certain Sikh beliefs, defines Sikh Dharma broadly as all that constitutes religion, moral duty
and way of life.3

Dharma and Poverty

Dharma while being necessary for individual and society, is dependent on poverty and
prosperity in a society, according to Hindu Dharma scriptures. For example, according to
Adam Bowles, Shatapatha Brahmana 11.1.6.24 links social prosperity and Dharma through
water. Waters come from rains, it claims; when rains are abundant there is prosperity on the
earth, and this prosperity enables people to follow Dharma - moral and lawful life. In times of
distress, of drought, of poverty, everything suffers including relations between human beings
and the human ability to live according to Dharma.

In Rajadharmaparvan 91.34-8, the relationship between poverty and dharma reaches a full
circle. A land with less moral and lawful life suffers distress, and as distress rises it causes
more immoral and unlawful life, which further increases distress.Those in power must follow
2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharma_(Jainism)
3
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhism
the raja dharma (that is, dharma of rulers), because this enables the society and the individual
to follow dharma and achieve prosperity.

DHARMA AND LAW

With the advent of Muslim rule followed by British rule, Dharma (Hindu) started
losing its gloss and roots. During Muslim rule, the place of dharma was taken by
koranic teachings, though many practises remained, hence it remained mainly
untouched. But, with the onset of British rule, and their ignorance of the Indian laws
had a devastating effect on the concept of Dharma as they found no laws here to
govern people and they started to fix the issue by either importing western law or say
natural law with the devices of equality, justice and good conscience or imposing
western laws by means of codification in fields where no law was offered by either
the Hindu’s or Muslim’s Natural law, teachings and customs. But the civil rights and
liberties enjoyed by people were taken away. Indians were treated ruthlessly and
arbitrary suppressed in every sphere of life ranging from political to social and
economical. Indians fought back for the rights and liberties that they enjoyed before
under the Law of Dharma. During his famous champaran trial, Gandhiji remarked that
he disobeyed the law not to show disrespect to British law, ‘but in obedience to
higher law of our being – the vice of conscience’, by which he meant Dharma. 4

                                       Conclusion

Dharma and law as seen above may seem to be in contrast, but the ideology behind
them is same. At large, law is a part of Dharma without disharmony and they
constitute single integrated whole. Dharma on one hand is taken to be religious, but it
is not so and the same has been approved by the Honourable Supreme Court in many
cases as pointed in above sections. Dharma has been and is guiding our conduct,
morals and laws in varying degree. One may not find any relation between the two on
the face but on a deep analysis both are interrelated integrated whole. ‘Dharma’ is one
of the many sources of modern law and is shaping society. Hence, it can be said that
‘dharma’ and law are closely related and interwoven. Dharma by passing the test of
time has shown its eternal character.

4
https://www.lawctopus.com/academike/dharma-and-law/
 Bibliography

 https://www.lawctopus.com/academike/dharma-and-law/
 https://www.britannica.com/topic/dharma-religious-concept
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharma