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Examine the role of dharma in the belief and practice of HinduismDharma is said to be the law and order that applies to all human beings; within themselves and between other human beings and nature, as well as to all inanimate objects, and to all the cosmos in the universe. Effectively, everything has its own Dharma. For a Hindu, this may be somebody’s duty to act according to religious and social codes. Dharma includes not only the religious duties, but also the moral rights and duties for an individual. This gives the groundworks for ethical rights and beliefs for individuals. In Hinduism, it is also believed that everything around us has a dharma. For example, it is the dharma of the bee to make honey, of cow to give milk,of sun to radiate sunshine, or of the river to flow. (1) The word dharma is derived from the Sanskrit root work ‘dhr’, which means to uphold or sustain. Within Hinduism, there are many different beliefs about the purpose and use of dharma. It is seen by many as a moral and ethical law, and can teach people the eternal right way of living, and prevents them from leading a sinful life and keeps them on the right path. Dharma is also seen by many as the one truth. ‘Verily, that which is Dharma is truthTherefore, they say of a man who speaks truth, “He speaks the Dharma,”or of a man who speaks the Dharma, “He speaks the Truth”Verily, both these things are the same’ (2)Hindus believed that Dharma can be fulfilled in many ways. One of these ways is through worship, for example home Puja. As a woman, this is a very good way of earning dharma, otherwise known as stridharma. There are also other ways a Hindu can earn dharma, such as having a priest come into their home and perform puja with the deities, or attending worship at a temple along with other devotees. In Hinduism, it is believed that Rta is the principle of natural order, and within it the universe and everything within it is regulated and co-ordinated. As seen in the earliest Vedic texts, Rta as an ethical principle is ‘linked with the notion of cosmic retribution.’(3) A large concept of one of the Vedas, the Rgveda, is that all beings have a path set for them by the ordinances of Rta, and failure to follow these would result in different forms of calamity and suffering. The importance of Rta can be seenin he Vedas, where it says ‘the absolute truth which is Rta, is the only true knowledge’. (4)It is believed that there are many different types of dharma in Hinduism; the first ofwhich being Sanatana dharma. This is seen to Hindus as the means to base theiractions and morals, as the right way of living. It is believed to Hindus that everythingin the universe comes from sanatana dharma, except from Brahmin, who in himselfresides outside of the universe. It is also believed that all other religions, includingBuddism and Christianity, stem from Hinduism, and in fact there is the same ‘god’for all religions, who is just seen in many different forms.

Dharma is your natural, inborn, inherent function, nature or property. In a broader sense Dharma or Dhamma is a body of spiritual knowledge about how a person should live upon earth and regulate his life according to the best of the moral and spiritual percepts. In a limited sense it denotes virtue, mortality, religious duties and spiritual practice. Currently, Dharma is also interpreted to mean a religion or a philosophy in the western sense.

Hindus believe God is the source and the upholder of Dharma. Buddhist consider the Buddha as the source of their Dhamma. Life is considered in both traditions to be a battle between good (dharma) and evil (adharma). In ancient times, the religious traditions of India were called Dharma. For example, Vaidika Dharma, Shaiva Dharma, Vaishnava Dharma, Jaina Dharma and Buddha Dharma were the most popular dharmas of ancient India.