It has the same
significance as the English phrase "World Order". When used in this context as
one of the fundamental
purusharthas, it denotes the duties, which are parts of a scheme, which binds together
human beings in the bonds of mutual rights, and duties, of causes and consequences of
actions and which thus maintains society in perfect order. The word "Dharma" is
derived from the root "dhr" which means to uphold, sustain and nourish Probably
because Dharma has been in later literature personified and has been used as the name for
Yama, the God of Justice, it may have acquired a masculine form through, of course, it has
to be recognised that the gender of Sanskrit words does not exactly coincide with the
appropriate gender of the things denoted by the words. Vide Daara: (Masculine gender) for wife. Hence in all later Sanskrit
literature you can never find "Dharmaani" used as the
plural of "Dharma. Though the word Dharma as I have already mentioned, comprises many
things and its significance is very wide, in so far as the word is used to denote the
primary purushartha, its basic conception and its principle are very clearly enunciated by
our Indian thinkers. The purpose of Dharma is the stability of society, the maintenance of
social order, and the general welfare of mankind. And whatever conduces to the fulfilment
of this purpose is called "Dharma". |
