Definition
Dharma is one of the most fundamental and multi-layered concepts in Hindu philosophy. At its core, it refers to the cosmic law that upholds and sustains the universe. It encompasses duty, righteousness, moral law, justice, virtue, and the proper conduct appropriate to one's stage of life (ashrama) and social role (varna). Dharma is not a fixed code but a dynamic principle — what is dharma in one context may be adharma in another. It is the duty that falls to each person by virtue of their nature and circumstances. "Better to fail in one's own dharma than succeed in another's" (Gita 3.35). Dharma is the first of the four purusharthas (goals of life), the foundation upon which artha (prosperity), kama (desire), and moksha (liberation) rest.
Etymology
From the Sanskrit root dhṛ (धृ), meaning "to hold, bear, support, maintain." Dharma is that which holds things together — the sustaining principle of the cosmos and society.
Key Texts
Related Verses
यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत
yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānirbhavati bhārata
Whenever dharma declines and adharma rises, I manifest Myself.
Bhagavad Gita 4.7श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात्
śreyānsvadharmo viguṇaḥ paradharmātsvanuṣṭhitāt
Better is one's own dharma though imperfectly performed than the dharma of another well performed.
Bhagavad Gita 3.35धर्मो रक्षति रक्षितः
dharmo rakṣati rakṣitaḥ
Dharma protects those who protect it.
Manusmriti 8.15Interpretations Across Traditions
Advaita Vedanta
Dharma is the moral and ritual order that prepares the mind for jnana (knowledge). Ultimately, the highest dharma is the realization of Brahman.
Bhakti traditions
The highest dharma is devotion (bhakti) to God. All other duties are secondary. "Abandon all dharmas and surrender to Me alone" (Gita 18.66).
Buddhism
Dharma (Dhamma) refers to the teachings of the Buddha and the universal law of nature. It is the second of the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha).
Jainism
Dharma is one of the six substances (dravyas) — the principle of motion. Ethical dharma is centered on ahimsa (non-violence) and ascetic discipline.
Related Terms
Satya
सत्य
Truth — that which is real, unchanging, and eternally existent. The correspondence between thought, word, and deed.
Karma
कर्म
The universal law of cause and effect — every action creates consequences that shape future experience.
Mokṣa
मोक्ष
Liberation from the cycle of saṃsāra — the supreme goal of human life.