Concept of Dharma: Spiritual and Moral
Humanism does not concern itself with after-life or the problems of ultimate reality or
godhead. While humanism emphasizes the duties of man towards his fellow - beings, of love
and service to mankind, it looks with unconcern on his duties to God or to his higher
self. But the Dharma ideal is spiritual. The answer given by Dharma- putra in the Yaksha
Prasna, Mahabharata, Vana Parva, Adhyaya 314, slokas 59, 60 points out clearly that Dharma
is not merely enlightened humanism, but some thing more and comprises duties to God and to
the spirits of one's ancestors also, which are entirely religious and spiritual. The story of the Yakshaprasna briefly is this. It happened once; when
the Pandava brothers were wandering in the forest they
became thirsty and wanted some water to quench their thirst. Sahadeva went first in search
of water, found a tank and approached the water. He was confronted suddenly by a Yaksha
who said that he should answer questions put to him and that if he answered them
satisfactorily he could drink the water.
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