Deciphering Dharm

With the abundance of material available today, with reference to Dharm, we have become acquainted to a rather broad, and unfounded understanding of this term. From motivational speakers, to lawmakers, from media persons to your local hairdresser, everyone seems to be an inveterate Acharya in their own right, giving their enlightened take on this universal principle. Dharm is not a religious dogma, it is an infinite collection of laws dedicated to the sustenance of all that has been, is, and will be.The term Dharm itself comes from the Sanskrit root denoting sustenance or bearing, and it with that foresight that the Rishis of the past placed a great deal of emphasis on this essential notion. We have heard many speak of Dharm as being a religion in itself, and by the definition of religion, one can gather that the narrative is pointing towards one particular understanding of the divine.

This common misunderstanding leads us to believe that when the Shastras speak of the Sanatan Dharm, they speak of Hinduism. While it is true that the genesis of these ideals is the Ved and other Vedic literature, one cannot disagree that the themes of morality, dedication, ethics, and humanity explored in these scriptures are a global asset, with no faith, religion or sect holding absolute monopoly over them. The question of individuality arises when we note that apart of these mundane ideals, Vedic literature expresses above all, the Adhyatmik essence of our world, and our life in it. This, without a doubt, is singularly attributed to the Ved, and the various sects which hold the Ved as supreme. This possibly, is where the entire confusion of Dharm, and its relation to Sanatan Dharm finds its source. Time and time again, those who read Shastras always find an elaborate explanation of an ideal, weaved through a story, concluding with a resounding proclamation of, thus is the Sanatan Dharm, thus is the Sanatan Dharm.

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