What was Dharma in ancient India?

 Introduction

1.The logo of the Supreme Court of India is Yato Dharmah, Tato Jayah. It means where there is  a Dharma, there is victory. 

2.Dharma in ancient India had a wider connotation. It meant righteousness or virtue. 

3.According to Dr. S Radhakrishnan, every form of life, every group of men has its Dharma, which is the law of its beings. Dharma or virtue is conformity with the truth or things, adharma or vice is opposition to it. 

4.According to P.V. Kane, the writers of Dharma shastras meant by Dharma not a creed or religion but a mode of life or a code of conduct which regulated a man’s work and activities as a member of society and as an individual. Dharma was intended to enable man to reach the goal of human existence, that is, Moksha or liberation from the cycle of life and birth. 

5.According to Bhagwat Geeta, Dharma is equated with Rta, that is, cosmic order and it is treated as synonymous with truth. He who protects Dharma is protected in turn by Dharma (Dharmo Rakshati Rakshita). It is the law of nature which helps man to attain the supreme end of life (Moksha or Liberation). 

Dharma is not religion

1.In common parlance, Dharma is equated with religion like Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism or the likes. The central theme of a religion is belief in God or supernatural beings which controls the universe, a messenger of God, a holy book and a set pattern of rituals to be observed during one's life and after his death. However, in Hinduism there are more than one single sacred books. Nor is there a concept of the messenger of God. It has no founder or central authority to command its followers. The concept of purity and pollution plays an important role in Hinduism. It is tolerant towards all other religions and does not believe in conversions. 

2.On the other hand, Dharma consciously aims at achieving a higher perfection of human life that is moksha. It involves knowledge of reality and performance of duties. Dharma is the foundation of social structure. It has universal application. It enjoins the members of the society to subject themselves to obligations and responsibility regardless of individual differences. 

3.Ancient law givers developed the concept of Varnasharam Dharma. It means that there are four varnas, that is, Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. There are four ashramas, that is, Brahmacharya, Grahashthya, Vanprastha and Sanyasa. Thus, every varna has specific functions in conjunction with the station of his life. For example, if a person comes from Brahmin Varna and he is below 25 years of age, his Dharma is to gain knowledge, to know the rituals Hindu religion to improve his personality and character, to observe celibacy, to offer gurudakshina after the completion of his study. Similarly, if a person comes from a Kshatriya varna and if he is below 25 years of age, his principal dharma is to learn and practise different kinds of weapons to safeguards himself and the society, to understand the intricacies of governance because in the next stage of life he will have to administer the community.  

Kinds of Dharma 

1.Manu speaks of Sapta Dharma or seven types of Dharmas. These are 

• Sanatan Dharma (eternal and unchanging principle of Dharma) - It consists of general rules and duties which are almost universal in nature. These are truth non-violence, non stealing, to observe celibacy, control of senses etc.

• Raj Dharma - It is the duty of the king to observe equalities of laws and treat everybody equally, to protect them from enemies from within the state and from without, that is, protection from external aggression. 

• Stree Dharma - It implies duties, responsibilities and purity of character of women. It signals fidelity towards their husbands.

• Dampatya Dharma (Conjugal) - Duties of husband and wife towards each other, their family, distant relatives and society.

• Swa Dharma -  It means duties of different varnas according to the station of his life. 

• Ashram Dharma - It refers to duties of a person in different stages of his life. 

• Apad Dharma - It refers to the specific rules to be followed by individuals when they are or the society is in deep crises. 

Importance of Dharma in ancient India 

1.In the book Arthashastra, Kautilya exhorts the king to be Dharma Pravartak, means protector of the Dharma. Thus, he laid stress upon the duty of the King was that he must ensure that there must not be any deviation from duties each Varna of the society had been assigned to. There must not be intermixture of Varna on account of anuloma or pratiloma marriages. The king must ensure that people lead virtuous lives. 

2.The emperor Ashoka, propagated Dhamma but it was not a sectarian faith. Although his personal religion was Buddhism, he never forced his subjects to follow the principles of Buddhism. Instead, he propagated the principle of Dhamma. The basic  objective was to preserve the social order. He ordained that people should obey their parents, pay respect to the Brahmins and Buddhist Monks and show mercy to the slaves and merchants. Above all Dhamma was meant to show firm devotion to the king. He emphasised compassion towards animals and proper behaviour towards relatives. It was meant to strengthen the institution of the family and the existing social classes. Tolerance was the cardinal principle of the Dhamma.  

3.In Deccan and South India,almost all kings of different dynasties like Pallavas, Chalukyas, Western Ganga, Eastern Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Cholas, Pandyas took the title of Dharma Maharaja. The basic aim of all the kings was to protect the society and to ensure that nobody is allowed to deviate from duties that had been assigned to them according to the varna or the station of his life. It was their duties to ensure purity in the social relation and to prevent admixture of varnas. For example, when Kalbharas, the peasants revolted in Deccan and South India against the privileges of Brahmins in the 7th century AD, the three important powers like Chalukyas, Pallavas and Pandyas jointly crushed the peasant revolts and re-established Brahmanical social order.  

Conclusion 

1.According to P.V. Kane, in Rig Veda, the word Dharma was used 56 times. It means to maintain order, religious and moral duties or virtue, the right way of living.

2.There are four goals of life in Hinduism. These are Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. Thus, Dharma is the basic foundation of life.

3.In Buddhism Dharma or Dhamma is basically the teachings of the Buddha. Similarly, in Jainism, Dharma refers to the teachings of the Tirthankaras. In Sikhism, Dharma refers to the path of righteousness, proper religious practices and performing moral duties. 

4.Thus,  Dharma has wider connotations in Hindu religion and philosophy. It is distinct from various religions of the world. It talks about the holding of social orders and realities of life. It does not talk about supernatural beings like various religions of  the world like Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism or Jainism or others.