Ṛta

Definition

Ṛta is the most ancient Indo-Aryan concept of cosmic order, predating and underlying the later concept of dharma. In the Rig Veda, ṛta is the universal principle that maintains the regularity of nature — the rising of the sun, the flowing of rivers, the changing of seasons, the movement of stars. It is the truth that holds the cosmos together. Ṛta is both a natural and moral law: it governs both the physical universe and the moral order. The gods themselves are born of ṛta and uphold it. Varuna is the primary guardian of ṛta. When humans act in accordance with ṛta, they maintain cosmic harmony; when they violate it, they create disorder (anṛta). Ṛta is the precursor to dharma — while dharma is more specific to human duty and social order, ṛta is the universal, pre-personal principle of order.

Etymology

From the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂r̥tós, meaning "fitting, joined, ordered." Related to the Greek arariskein ("to fit") and the Latin artus ("joint"). Ṛta is that which is "properly joined" — the right order of things.

Key Texts

Related Verses

Interpretations Across Traditions