Meaning of Dharma: What Dharma Is in Hinduism and the Gita

What dharma means in Hinduism

Dharma comes from the Sanskrit root dhri, meaning to support, to hold, or to maintain. The word has a broad range of meanings, including duty, ethics, law, order, and religion. In Hindu thought, dharma is one of the four aims of human life. Dharma includes duties that depend on a person's circumstances and social role. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna urges Arjuna to carry out his duty as a warrior. The Gita teaches doing one's duty for its own sake, not for personal reward.

Dharma in the Bhagavad Gita

Diya's Bhagavad Gita tags 13 verses as dharma. These are the 6 that Diya's daily verses and affirmations return to.

Sanskrit and transliteration	English
जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युर्ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च। तस्मादपरिहार्येऽर्थे न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि॥ jātasya hi dhruvo mṛtyurdhruvaṃ janma mṛtasya ca | tasmādaparihārye’rthe na tvaṃ śocitumarhasi ||	For one who is born, death is certain; and for one who has died, birth is certain. Therefore you should not grieve over what cannot be avoided.

Sanskrit and transliteration	English
न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत्। कार्यते ह्यवशः कर्म सर्वः प्रकृतिजैर्गुणैः॥ na hi kaścitkṣaṇamapi jātu tiṣṭhatyakarmakṛt | kāryate hyavaśaḥ karma sarvaḥ prakṛtijairguṇaiḥ ||	No one can remain even for a moment without performing action; everyone is helplessly made to act by the qualities born of nature.

Sanskrit and transliteration	English
यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत। अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम्॥ yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānirbhavati bhārata | abhyutthānamadharmasya tadātmānaṃ sṛjāmyaham ||	Whenever dharma declines and adharma rises, O Bharata, then I manifest Myself.

Sanskrit and transliteration	English
परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम्। धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे॥ paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṃ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām | dharmasaṃsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge ||	For the protection of the good, the destruction of evildoers, and the establishment of dharma, I manifest age after age.

Sanskrit and transliteration	English
यतः प्रवृत्तिर्भूतानां येन सर्वमिदं ततम्। स्वकर्मणा तमभ्यर्च्य सिद्धिं विन्दति मानवः॥ yataḥ pravṛttirbhūtānāṃ yena sarvamidaṃ tatam | svakarmaṇā tamabhyarcya siddhiṃ vindati mānavaḥ ||	By worshiping through one's own work the One from whom beings arise and by whom all this is pervaded, a person attains perfection.

Sanskrit and transliteration	English
सहजं कर्म कौन्तेय सदोषमपि न त्यजेत्। सर्वारम्भा हि दोषेण धूमेनाग्निरिवावृताः॥ sahajaṃ karma kaunteya sadoṣamapi na tyajet | sarvārambhā hi doṣeṇa dhūmenāgnirivāvṛtāḥ ||	One should not abandon the work born of one's nature, O son of Kunti, even though it has defects; all undertakings are covered by defect, as fire is covered by smoke.

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