Dharma

This article is about the concept found in Indian religions. For other uses, see Dharma (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Dharna.

Dharma
Virtues such as ahimsa (non-violence)[1]
Yoga, personal behaviour[2]
Law and justice[3]
Rituals and rites of passage[4]
Sannyasa and stages of life[5]
Duties, such as learning from teachers[6]

Dharma (/ˈdɑːrmə/; Sanskrit: धर्म, pronounced [dʱɐrmɐ] ⓘ) is a key concept with multiple meanings in the Indian religions, among others. The term dharma is held as an untranslatable into English (or other European languages); it is understood to refer to behaviours which are in harmony with the "order and custom" that sustains life; "virtue", or "religious and moral duties". The antonym of dharma is adharma.

The concept of dharma was in use in the historical Vedic religion (1500–500 BCE), and its meaning and conceptual scope has evolved over several millennia. In Hinduism, dharma denotes behaviours that are considered to be in accord with Ṛta—the "order and custom" that makes life and universe possible.[note 1] This includes duties, rights, laws, conduct, virtues and "right way of living". Dharma is believed to have a transtemporal validity, and is one of the Puruṣārtha.

In Buddhism, dharma (Pali: dhamma) refers to the teachings of the Buddha. In Buddhist philosophy, dhamma/dharma is also the term for "phenomena".[note 2] Dharma in Jainism refers to the teachings of Tirthankara (Jina) and the body of doctrine pertaining to the purification and moral transformation of humans. In Sikhism, dharma indicates the path of righteousness, proper religious practices, and performing one's own moral duties.

As with the other components of the Puruṣārtha, the concept of dharma is pan-Indian. The ancient Tamil text Tirukkuṟaḷ, despite being a collection of aphoristic teachings on dharma (aram), artha (porul), and kama (inpam), is completely and exclusively based on aṟam—the Tamil term for dharma.

  1. ^ see below:
    • Van Buitenen (1957);
    • Fitzgerald, James (2004), "Dharma and its Translation in the Mahābhārata", Journal of Indian philosophy, 32(5), pp. 671–685; Quote – "virtues enter the general topic of dharma as 'common, or general, dharma', ..."
  2. ^ see:
    • Frawley, David (2009), Yoga and Ayurveda: Self-Healing and Self-Realization, ISBN 978-0-9149-5581-8; Quote – "Yoga is a dharmic approach to the spiritual life...";
    • Harvey, Mark (1986), The Secular as Sacred?, Modern Asian Studies, 20(2), pp. 321–331.
  3. ^ Jackson, Bernard S. (1975), "From dharma to law", The American Journal of Comparative Law, Vol. 23, No. 3 (Summer, 1975), pp. 490–512.
  4. ^ Flood 1994, "Chapter 3"; Quote – "Rites of passage are dharma in action."; "Rites of passage, a category of rituals,..."
  5. ^ Coward 2004; Quote – "Hindu stages of life approach (ashrama dharma)..."
  6. ^ see:
    • Creel, Austin (1975), "The Reexamination of Dharma in Hindu Ethics", Philosophy East and West, 25(2), pp. 161–173; Quote – "Dharma pointed to duty, and specified duties..";
    • Trommsdorff, Gisela (2012), Development of "agentic" regulation in cultural context: the role of self and world views, Child Development Perspectives, 6(1), pp. 19–26; Quote – "Neglect of one's duties (dharma – sacred duties toward oneself, the family, the community, and humanity) is seen as an indicator of immaturity."
  7. ^ Bowker, John (June 8, 2018). "Dharma". The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions – via Encyclopedia.com.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference david was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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