Dharma and its Application in Ancient India | Madhulika Chebrol Dharma and its Application in Ancient India (original) (raw)
The thought of Dharma is part and parcel of Indian Culture. Being one of the four Purusharthas, it is capable of upholding and integrating the whole society. Among the great concepts and doctrines, the basic principles and directives of Hinduism, Dharma stands out pre-eminent, with a vast, deep and pervasive significance of its own. The concept of Dharma is vast and vide. It is a Sanskrit expression of widest import. There is no corresponding word in any other language. Dharma is the lifeforce of the society, like 'Prana' in an individual. Any state or institution or even society or an individual cannot exist without Dharma. Those who believe in discrimination, in effect, don't practice Dharma. They never attain real happiness.
The Concept of Dharma -A Review
Ex civil servicemen association of Nepal, 2022
The Dharma is the part of Vedic heritage. Dharma is likely a natural concept. Foundation of dharma is humanity, reasonability and rationality in human conduct. Dharma is considered a secular concept as well. Dharma was placed above faith, belief and religion. At times dharma was recognized ‘sovereign of sovereigns’. It is because dharma was supreme or above all. The sovereign or the king has to perform their work as per the norm and values of dharma. The people too run their all affairs abiding by dharma even in the absence of nation, king, ruler and all. Indeed dharma is a dynamic concept. It is recognized differently in different times in line with dharma-chakra (circle of dharma)
St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology, 2024
This entry delves into the origin, sources, and role of the Dharmaśāstra (science of dharma) in the historical and cultural context of ancient India. In contrast to other ancient civilizations (such as the Roman Republic and Empire), ancient Indian society was characterized by the lack of a uniform legal system, having instead multiple legal systems united by a common jurisprudence called Dharmaśāstra. The initial works within this tradition are the Dharmasūtras, four of which are handed down from manuscripts (i.e. the āpastamba-, Gautama-, Baudhāyana-, and Vasiṣṭhadharmasūtra), approximately dated from the third century BCE to the first century CE. These works are written in aphoristic prose (sūtra) and tend to preserve the entire scholarly debate about dharma rather than provide an unambiguous, authoritative version of the issues addressed. Such argumentative modality is innovated by the composition of the Mānavadharmaśāstra, the first Dharmaśāstra or Smṛti to be handed down, approximately dated to the second century CE. This work, written in verse (śloka) and ascribed to a divine figure, imposes its authority in the debate surrounding dharma by taking an assertive stance and eliminating all dissent in most cases. The Mānavadharmaśāstra innovation was then followed by later Smṛtis, of which only four major texts are handed down from manuscripts – the Yājñavalkya-, Nārada-, Viṣṇu-, and Parāśarasmṛti – dated approximately from the late fourth century to the eighth century CE. Following an examination of the genesis of the Dharmaśāstric tradition, connected to the (re-)Brahmanization of the Buddhist concept of dharma, this entry deals with the four dharmamūlas (‘roots of law’) on which the Dharmaśāstra is grounded, i.e. śruti (‘revelation’), smṛti (‘tradition’), ācara (‘conduct’), and ātmatuṣṭi (‘self-satisfaction’ or ‘personal preference’), along with its textual history. Finally, coming to the present day, this entry discusses the role of Dharmaśāstra in the living forms of Hinduism and, specifically, how it has survived in modern Hindu law. Citation: Giudice, Alessandro. 2024. ‘Law and Religion in Brahmanism: the Dharmaśāstra’. St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology. Edited by Brendan N. Wolfe et al. Available online at https://www.saet.ac.uk/Hinduism/LawandReligioninBrahmanism.
Dharma and the Indian Constitution
Christ University Law Journal
"Sarva Dharma Sambhavana" is a fundamental precept of Dharma. It is also the predominant thread that runs through several Supreme Court decisions. Was this merely coincidental, or does the Indian Constitution actually imbibe and mirror the principles of Dharma? The relation between Dharma and the Indian Constitution is examined keeping this very fundamental question in mind. The paper is an assertion that the Constitution is framed based on the principles of Dharma and not merely inspired by the western cultures, which the framers of the Constitution failed to realize. Dharma, as per popular notion, is not a singular construct of the Hindu way of life, but is common to all religions. Dharma and religion are two separate entities and are often confused to be one and the same. This paper clarifies these differences and through the descriptive and analytical method, traces the evolution of this concept and its subsequent connect with the laws that govern us. The crux of the paper lies in the fact that law and dharma are strongly interwoven and there is no way the two can be separated.
The Concept of Dharma and its Significance in the Mahabharata
As the title suggests, the theme of this article is the discussion of the concept of dharma and its significance in the Mahabharata. After a general introduction, the concept of dharma is looked at in terms of Hinduism, followed by some background information about the Mahabharata as seen in the context of dharma. This is followed by a sampling and discussion of a selection of verses from the Bhagavad Gita in which the god Krishna delivers his sermon to Arjuna before the commencement of the battle of Kurukshetra. Lastly dharma is looked at in its specific sense known as Raja dharma, or the dharma of kings, in which Bhishma, a key figure of the Mahabharata instructs King Yudhisthira in making the right choice by assuming his responsibilities as king. The two sermons, one delivered by Krishna, the other by Bhisma, are not only looked at in the context in which they took place, but also examined from our modern day perspective, and how they can possibly impact our present day lives. The conclusion briefly looks at how dharma can be understood in terms of the modern day disciple.
Anthropology of Civilization: DHARMA -THE INDIAN CULTURAL HERITAGE
American anthropologist, Robert Redfield writes that, "style of life" as used here, includes the way of getting a living in so far as these contribute to the shaping of ideas of the good life. The term emphasizes the judgments, implicit or explicit or expressed, as to what right conduct is (1953, 61). Today, we are living in a conflicting world and loosing harmony of individual and social living. This paper explains that DHARMA and religion is not the same thing as MANDIRA (temple) is not like a Hindu Church. DHARMA, therefore, is a way of life than mere faith in God. DHARMA in Indian society, explains this right conduct for human being, and it means one that upholds the universe, the discipline or the code of conduct for the people.