Concept of Dharma.

In the Mahabharatha, Krishna defines dharma as, "Dhaaranaad dharma ity aahur dharmena vidhrtaah prajaah, Yat syaad dhaarana sanyuktam sa dharma iti nishchayah," i.e., Dharma upholds both this-worldly and other-worldly affairs (Mbh 12.110.11).
1. Meaning of Dharma : Dharma comes from the root "dhr" means that which upholds, supports or maintains the regulatory order of the universe. ( Source: Mahabharatha, Karna Parva, Adhyaya 69, sloka 59,). Is is one of the Purusharathas. It means Law or Natural Law and is a concept of central importance in Indian Philosophy and religion. As well as referring to Law in the universal or abstract sense dharma designates those behaviours considered necessary for the maintenance of the natural order of things. Therefore dharma may encompass ideas such as duty, vocation, religion and everything that is considered correct, proper or decent behaviour. Its most common meaning pertains to two principal ideals; that social life should be structured through well-defined and well-regulated classes. and that an individual's life within a class should be organized into defined stages. The antonym of dharma is adharma meaning unnatural or immoral. 2.1. DHARMA as DUTY : Dharma is the gamut of all duties which a person should observe and by which the moral order of the soceity and humanity is maintained. It is the observance of these duties that gives stability to the family and prevents its disintegration. Each one of us has

an instinctive feeling for good work and good tendencies. Each one of us can render some useful service to the work without much strain. Every man is an abode of some inborn virtue. This is his Swadharma inborn sense of goodness. His spirtual progress has to be founded on this otherwise, he will be an artifical man, his growth will be contrived one. He can reach his truth or god only by following his innate good tendencies. His sincerity and wholeheartedness depend only on his following his swadharma.Swadharama followed by varnasharama dharma, kula dharma, Rashtra dharma and ever expanding sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja. - sarnagati Swadhrame nidhanam sreyah para dharmo bhayavahah. Creeper / banayan tree.
DHARMAVYADHA - Swadharma makes for the integration of one's personality.

Rights

Vs duties with respect to husband and wife. Rita is truth in thought, Satya is truth in word and Dharma is truth in deed.
Dharma aviruddhaha kamo'smi. He allows for desire which is not against the dictates of dharma and permits to acquire wealth to the extent of dealing with righteous life. ( Dharma - root , branch and flowers are artha and kama. root is to be nurtured)
Giving back to society, varna dharma, four stages of life, Duties Vs Rights, Professional ethics.

Moral codes prescribes varnrasharama dharma, Kula dharma and Rashtra Dharm, Viswa Dharma. Sarangathi is supreme dharma.
2.2. DHARMA as Virtue : Dharma is the path of righteousness and living one's life according to the codes of conduct as described by the Hindu Scriptures. According to the Bhagavat Purana,

righteous living or life on a dharmic path has four aspects: austerity (tap), purity (shauch), compassion (daya) and truthfulness (satya); and adharmic or unrighteous life has three vices: pride (ahankar), contact (sangh), and intoxication (madya). Manusmriti written by the ancient sage Manu, prescribes 10 essential rules for the observance of dharma ( 6th chapter) : Patience (dhriti), forgiveness (kshama), piety or self control (dama), honesty (asteya), sanctity (shauch), control of senses (indraiya-nigrah), reason (dhi), knowledge or learning (vidya), truthfulness (satya) and absence of anger (krodha). Manu further writes, "Non-violence, truth, non-coveting, purity of body and mind, control of senses are the essence of dharma". Therefore dharmic laws govern not only the individual but all in society.

Petty minded people peruse DHARMA for the sake of wealth. But high minded persue DHARMA for purification of mind. Mahabharatha states that DHARMA should be performed for the sake of DHarma only and not for enjoyment and desires. Swadharama followed by varnasharama dharma, kula dharma, Rashtra dharma and son one . ever expanding sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja. - sarnagati
2.3. DHARMA as Religion: EVery religion supports orupholds the individual belonging to a particular faith by showing him a path towards higher self fulfillment. Apouriyaman machala prathistham. Rites / rituals are secondary details. Ekam Sat Vipra Bhauda Vadanti.Non essentials are arrayed against the non essentials of every other. REligion is realisation and not dogmas rituals said Swami Vivekananda. It is being and becoming and not hearing and acknowledging. A Hindu's dharma is affected by the person's age, caste, class, occupation, and gender 2.4. DHARMA as Law : 3.0. Types of DHARMA:

Religious literature on DHARMA inculding the epics and Puranas enunciated and classified the DHARMAS. In the Mtakshara , the well known commentary on the Yagnavalkya Smriti the DHARMAS mentioned in the smritis have been classified under the following six heads. a. Varna Dharma - Brahmin abstaining from liqour. b. Asrama Dharma - worship of fire is the dharma of grahasta. c. Varnasrama Dharma - Brahmin brahmaacharis should have palasa danda d. Guna Dharma - duty of king is to protect his subjects. e. Nimitta Dharma - undergoing various prayaschittas for various sins of commission and omission. f. Sadharana Dharma - AHIMSA and SATYA.
4.0. Yaksha prana :Mahabharatha contains a large number of Upakhyanas illustraing various Dharmas for various individuals as members of family,of society, as citizens of state and of the world. One of such upakhyanas is Yaksha prasna. Yaksha Prasna ( Araneya parva, being

a subdivision of Vana parva) Few Questions and Answers: a. How does a man becomes wise? By service of elders, man becomes wise. b. In what is comprised all happiness? Character comprises all happiness. c. What is the best among all assets? Learning is the best asset. d. what is the foremost happiness? Contentment is the best happiness. e. What is the highest dharma in the world ? The highest dharma is kindness to all. f. What is that by controlling which people never grieve? By controlling one's mind people never grieve. g. By renouncing which thing does one become lovable / grief / wealthy / happy? Pride / anger / desire / avarice. h. What is said to be the highest patience? Patience is putting up with the dvandvas ( cold or heat, happiness or sorrow, honour or disrespect- dvandvasahishnutva)or the pairs of opposites.

i. What is delusion ? Delusion consist in not knowing DHARMA. j. What is considered to be laziness ? LAziness consists in not doing DHARMA. k.What is the wonder ? Day after day beings are entering the abode of Yama, yet those that remain believe that they will be live for ever. What can be more wonderful than this ? 1. Who is happy ? Person who is not involved in debt and who is not forced to travel abroad for the sake of his living will be a happy person. m. Who is the person that is possessed of all wealth? As long as one's fame touches heaven and earth by his good deed one will called a man. He to whom the things likable and not likable, or sorrow and happiness or the past and the future are the same, he is possessed of all wealth. - Gunateetha.
5.0. Issues in DHARMA :

Obey thy father - Prahaladha and Hiranyakasapu ( anti god) Obey thy mother - Bharatha not respecting Kaikeyi ( anti rama) Obey thy guru - Mahabali vs Sukracharya ( Gopis - Samanya Dharma ( Flute of the lord)

One should not fail in one's duty because another fails in his. ( e.g. Great Bhishma - Satyavathi and Santanu
Supreme dharma is to accept all the ups and down of life as stimuli to remember the lord Kunti. mahajano yena gatah sa panthaha - Better follow the practices of the great. 6.0. Talisman :
Anything that helps human being to reach god is dharma and anything that hinders human being from reaching god is adharma. Does this code of conduct take me godward ? or not ? Is

the talisman ? One should not do to another what one regards as injurious to oneself. This in brief,is the law of Dharma. Sthaapakaya Ca dharmasya sarva drharmaSvarupine - Swami Vivekananda on Sw. Ramakrishna - exemplieified all dharma - deparing to find a path of liberation.

Yudhistir act of realising that the brahman's act of charity was far superior because of the committment to DHARMA and faith in god was so strong which made them to do ultimate sacrifice. Dharmo Raksati Raksitah DHARMA protected Protects.