Quick Guide on Dharma
The Mahābhārata is a well known ancient Bharatiya (Indian) epic that masterfully weaves mythology, philosophy, politics, ethics, and human psychology into the sweeping story of a dynastic conflict between the Pāṇḍavas and Kauravas. Spanning seven generations over more than a hundred years, it features over 1,000 named characters and remains the longest known epic, with over 100,000 verses.
At its core lies the Bhagavad Gita, a revered dialogue on duty, self-realization, and spiritual wisdom. The Mahābhārata has shaped Bharat’s literature, law, governance, and moral discourse for centuries. Its enduring relevance lies in its exploration of dharma — righteousness — as a nuanced, evolving principle that guides individuals through complex moral choices. Through its epic scale and intimate dilemmas, it reflects not just heroic ideals but the full spectrum of human experience.
As the embodiment of Sanātana Dharma, or eternal truth, the Mahābhārata presents dharma not as rigid law but as contextual and deeply personal. Its teachings offer timeless guidance for navigating the balance between personal desire and universal duty, between action and renunciation, making it both a spiritual compass and a mirror for society.*
At one point, even the epic itself makes a confident claim that:
धर्मे चार्थे च कामे च मोक्षे च भरतर्षभ।
यदिहास्ति तदन्यत्र यन्नेहास्ति न तत् क्वचित्॥
Essentially saying that whatever is in this epic regarding dharma (righteousness), artha (wealth), kama (desire, pleasure), and moksha (liberation), it may be found elsewhere too in part or full. But anything that is not here, will be found nowhere else.
Bhagavad Gita is a dialogue, in the backdrop of battlefield, between two close friends, both evolved souls, each one quick to grasp the intent and context of other’s questions and concise responses. Ved Vyas, through the stories and long form of Mahabharat attempts to give context, cause and consequences that are easy to visualize, connect to and understand.
The closing lines, the closing thoughts and ideas of an epic is most crucial as it has to ensure that the reader, or the listener takes the most potent lessons and learnings from it.
So is the case with Mahabharat too. In the following part of this blog, we will briefly look at the last four shlokas (verses) of the Mahabharat. Each a gem, rich and potent. Read and reflect. The last book, the 18th, is named “Svargārohaṇa Parva (The Book of the Ascent to Heaven)” and chapter 5 is about concluding verses.
##Shloka 47th — Fourth last: Book 18, Chap 5##
माता पितृसहस्राणि पुत्रदारशतानि च ।
संसारेष्व अनुभूतानि यान्ति यास्यन्ति चापरे ॥
Thousands of mothers and fathers, several kids and siblings and friends and enemies, we all have. The cycle of life continues. We have discussed that Mahabharat is full of stories of great kings and greater sages, even GODs, and their big destinies and declines, their soaring egos and humbling defeats.
With this one shloka, the authors brushes all the big egos into dust by stating that the world and life continues, no matter what.
##Shloka 48th: Third Last: Book 18, Chap 5##
हर्षस्थान सहस्राणि भयस्थान शतानि च ।
दिवसे दिवसे मूढम आविशन्ति न पण्डितम ॥
Life is a string of thousands of happy moments, and some sad moments. And yet, we pre-occupy ourselves, consume ourselves, with those few sad ‘unhappy’ moments and forget the joys and pleasures of thousands of happy ones. In the process, we make our life into a curse.
##Shloka 49th: Second Last: Book 18, Chap 5##
ऊर्ध्वबाहुर विरौम्य एष न च कश चिच छृणॊति ।
मे धर्माद अर्थश च कामश च स किमर्थं न सेव्यते ॥
I pray, why no one listens to me, that serves your dharma and it will deliver you kama(desires) and moksha, but no one does. Essentially saying do your dharma, and it will deliver you.
##Shloka 50th: The Last one: Book 18, Chap 5##
न जातु कामान न भयान न लॊभाद: ।
धर्मं तयजेज जीवितस्यापि हेतॊः ॥
नित्यॊ धर्मः सुखदुःखे तव अनित्ये: ।
जीवॊ नित्यॊ हेतुर अस्य तव अनित्यः ॥
Under all pressures, distractions, whatever happens, never stop doing dharma (duties of the role of life you are in) w/o even worrying about outcomes, happens or not, as desired.
This is the most intriguing closing verse of any. It tells us to do dharma, no matter what. Even when you feel like no progress is made, no desired outcomes are coming your way, when doubts arises, when frustrations and fatigue sets in, and when you feel like questioning everything. On the promise of the previous shloka49, Mahabharat insists you should continue performing your karmas based on your dharma.
Many times, I wonder why the 49th and 50th shlokas were not interchanged. Especially because the 49th still has an optimistic tone. But then, upon reflection, I like the 50th as the last shloka because it is about realism. The essence of Mahabharat is about recognizing and living in realism.
So what is dharma?
Judaism and Christianity have similar set of dos/don’t in form of “Ten Commandments”, while in Islam, Quranic verses Surah Al-An’am (6:151-153) and Surah Al-Isra (17:23-39) contains a set of core injunctions that are analogous to the Ten Commandments.
Sanatan/Hinduism have no such hardwired injunctions. Sanatan essentials outlines a comprehensive multi-dimensional concept of dharma that sustains positives of life & society, is ever evolving with time and dependent on context. So with such abstract interpretations, how does a person determine one’s dharma? This is a topic in itself that I hope to write about separately, but here is it in brief.
The concept of Dharma in Sanatan (Hinduism) is profound, multi-layered, and deeply philosophical. It forms the cornerstone of spiritual, social, and ethical living. Dharma essentially translates to “that which upholds” — referring to laws, duties, righteousness, and moral order.
Dharma is your duties of the role you have assumed in your life. At once, you are a child of, father-mother of, husband-wife, a student of, a member of society, a citizen of, and such. At once, your dharma or your duty is towards what you are, want to be, desire to be, destined to be, need to be.
The Dharma applicable to you can be put in three categories:
- Sadharana (General) Dharma: This refers to the universal moral principles and ethical values that apply to all human beings, regardless of their station in life, varna/role, or community. It represents common duties that help uphold the moral and social order like ahimsa (Non-violence), satya (Truth), asteya (Non-stealing), daya (Compassion), shanti (Peace), dama (Self-control) etc.
- Vishesha (Special / Individual) Dharma: are specific duties and responsibilities based on an individual’s unique context, which include their stage in life, occupation, varna/role, and personal situation. These can be understood in following sub-categories:
- varna dharma (Occupational Duties)
- ashrama dharma (Stages of Life) like brahmacharya (Student focused on learning and self-discipline), grihastha (Householder fulfill family responsibilities, earn, and contribute to society), vanaprastha (Retirement and gradually withdraw from worldly duties and engage in spirituality and mentoring the young), sannyasa (Renunciation of material life for spiritual liberation.)
- Svadharma (Personal Dharma): Individualized duties based on one’s nature (svabhava), abilities, and circumstances.
- Kula Dharma (Family Duties): Responsibilities specific to one’s family traditions.
- The third, Apad (Emergency) Dharma: In extreme crises, duties may temporarily shift to preserve life or stability, even if it is at the cost of hurting someone else.
It becomes all the more challenging because most often, the contexts are overlapping. And so often, the most dominant tendencies that help with performing dharmas are not necessarily the most important dharma one should have followed. The doṣas like greed, desires, anger etc and other instant gratification etc tends to overpower dharmas associated with sadhgunas like compassion, sympathy, truth, sacrifice etc.
Your dharma then is amalgamation of all the duties inherited from the roles & responsibilities at that time. At each moment, in each phase of your life, and in each role you fulfill in life, your dharma, your duties can evolve, change or refine.
When Dharma Conflict: How to Prioritize?
Very often, we are placed in situations when dharma options conflict. It becomes important to detach emotionally and apply objective rationality as you attempt to prioritize the right dharma to side with. In simple terms, here’s how to manage them:
- Context is King — Dharma is not fixed; it is relational and situational. Example: Telling a lie to save an innocent life may be higher dharma than truth-telling.
- Hierarchy of Duties: Dharma to truth/conscience > dharma to family > dharma to selfish desire.
- Bhagavad Gita Guidance: “Better to fail in your own dharma than succeed in another’s.” (BG 3.35). That means stay authentic — even if it’s hard.
- Consult Inner & Outer Guidance: Dharma conflicts will isn’t always clear — but it becomes clearer with viveka (discernment) and vairāgya (detachment).
Dharma is the most dynamic and ever changing. What was true yesterday, may not be today, and may be different tomorrow.
One has to be fully aware of ‘now’ and to-be. Choose your dharma to the best, or at least to your best. Slowly and surely, with viveka and vairagya, everything will fall in place.
Namo Namah.
P.S.: We’d love to read your thoughts on the article in the Facebook comments.
Also see:
Ami Ganatra has several wonderful talks on Dharma. One such link is attached here.
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* chatgpt used to improve some paras and the image refinement.