What is Dharma? Are Dharma and Religion same or different?

This is Dharma, That is Dharma, We should follow Dharma, Our Religion is our Dharma, Our Dharma is the best among rest, all these and many more such phrases we have heard or still hear in our life, sometimes in the Newspapers, sometimes in the Tv shows, sometimes in a friend's or a known person's speech and if some of us are from an orthodox family following or believing in a certain kind of religion then that person might also hear this kind of words or phrases in his/her family.   

Today in this article, I will discuss the fundamental concept of Dharma which is mentioned in the Vedas. So, the word "Dharma" is a Sanskrit word from there it inherited to other Indian languages like Hindi, Bengali, etc."Dhri" is the Dhatu of the word "Dharma", to be precise the word "Dharma" is not mentioned exactly with this particular pronunciation in the Rigved rather in the Rigved there is a word "Dharman/Dharmana" is present and it repeatedly appears in different places within the Rigved. This Dhatu "Dhri" is the root word of this word "Dharman/Dharmana". The meaning of this word "Dhri" is "धारण", "Dharan" in English it means "To support/ Hold". This "Dhri" word merged with the suffix "अन" "Aan/Ana" and this way the word "Dharman/Dharmana" came into being. This suffix word "Aan/Ana" has a peculiarity in it which makes it one of the weird suffixes in Sanskrit Grammar. Sometimes this suffix "Aan/Ana" indicates  "गुण / Guṇa" or "Quality or Standard" and sometimes it indicates "वृद्धि / Vṛddhi" or "Growth or Elevation" when it merges with a Dhatu.

So, based on this, the word "Dharman/Dharmana" has got two meanings...

1.  "The quality or standard which supports the growth or elevation".
2.  "The quality or standard which is held by someone or something to elevate himself/herself /itself".

Now, allow me to describe the difference between these two statements. In the first statement the word "Dharman/Dharmana" is projected in a macro aspect covering the entire creation under it and in the second statement the word "Dharman/Dharmana" is projected in a micro aspect where individualism or impression of privatization can be seen. So, the idea of "Dharman/Dharmana" is applied in both the matters of public and private. This makes it unique, flexible, and unavoidable, and the opposite word or antonym of this word "Dharman/Dharmana" is "Adharman/Adharmana". Actually, there is no proper antonym for this word. In Sanskrit when it becomes difficult to create an antonym of a word then as per Sanskrit Grammar adding "अ/A" at its beginning as a prefix to make a new word that can be used as an antonym of it. The same thing has been done here. Now, a question arises here...

Q. Why did I say this?

A. I said this because when this kind of antonyms is created to identify the opposite idea of a specific word then that opposite idea is also a part of the original idea identified by the original word. The word "Adharman/Adharmana" is also part of the" Dharman/Dhramana". For now, just remember this I will explain this later because before understanding this I need to explain something else which is needed to understand this.

Description of Dharma

Let's understand this, using the help of a short scenario. So, the scenario goes like this, there is a family who lives in a city. In that family, there are four members a husband, a wife, and their two children one boy and one girl. The husband has an occupation and the wife has to but in the initial years of marriage later she decided to focus on household affairs after the birth of their first child. Right now, their family income is well enough to maintain a decent lifestyle, they also have a bunch of investments in different financial policies. They are having a good time, suddenly one of their known person falls sick and is admitted to a hospital. Doctors diagnosed that person with a critical illness which requires a lot of money to invest at that moment, that person doesn't have any health insurance because of unknown reason, so a family member of that person reaches to this family for monetary help. This family manages to get some monetary help after cut short their monthly house budget. After that, doctors diagnosed that patient then prescribed medicines and necessary guidelines along with it and after some time that patient is discharged by the hospital authority. 

                                                                   A few years later, this patient was again admitted to the hospital and the patient's family again arrived on the doorstep of this family for monetary help. At this moment, the boy child of this family cracked the Medical entrance exam and ready to take admission in Medical College and the girl child is also preparing herself for the MBA entrance examination which she is going to face one and a half year later. Now, what should this family do?

In this following scenario, I have covered mostly all ideas which are related to the second meaning of the word "Dharman/Dharmana" which is a micro aspect of the concept "Dharman/Dharmana". The statement for that is:-"The quality or standard which is held by someone or something to elevate himself/herself /itself". Let's understand this in a bit of detail...

1. First and foremost is the decision of the wife, when she has decided to leave her occupation and fully indulge herself in the family affairs only. In this scenario, she acknowledged the "Housewife and a Mother's " role compare to her "Employ" role. After a long process of analysis, she gave priority to home affairs. This is what she holds and this is her "Dharman/Dharmana" which is right for her as per her livelihood. 

                              Now, think what if, she chooses to remain as employ and continue with her occupation and job role and she hires a nanny or a babysitter to take care of her newborn child. Then that would also become her choice and in this scenario, she upholds her "Career", gives it her priority. This is also "Dharman/Dharmana", which is also right for her as per her livelihood. Now, look it carefully, both these analogies are right but nature is contradictory to each other. It means Dharman/Dharmana has a Paradoxical nature in it which makes it weird and complex to understand but unavoidable at the same time. Now, Let's move forward...

2. When the family of the patient who was admitted to the hospital, came for the first time and ask for monetary help to this family, they helped them out by giving a sufficient amount of money after cut short in their monthly home budget. This is Dharman/Dharmana.

3. But when that patient's family came to their doorstep for the second time for monetary help, that situation is called "Dharma Sangkat" or "A situation of Antagonism". Because if they help that patient's family then that is Dharman/Dharmana and if they say no to that family then also that is "Dharman/Dharmana" because they have their genuine reasons to say "No" to that family, which are... 

i) The boy of that family cracked the medical entrance examination and right now he needs a lump sum of financial support till he completes his medical studies. 

ii) Their girl who is preparing for the MBA entrance exam also needs a lump sum investment for the preparation and the MBA studies itself.           

Here, in this situation same priority game comes in. This family has to choose what is "Needs of Hour" for them. Here, whatever they choose is "Dharman/Dharmana", this indicates that in the path of Dharman/Dharmana sometimes you have to take a decision which will sound pleasant to somebody and nasty to somebody. 

The idea of Dharman/Dharmana proclaimed that "You who is following the path of Dharman/Dharmana can't make feel pleasant to everybody, how hard you may try, with whom you interact in this world of plurality". So, you need to understand the "Needs of the hour" or the "Priority factor" of the facing situation to come to a conclusion which is best among the rest.

Now let's talk about, the first meaning of the Dharman/Dharmana which is the macro aspect of it. The statement for that is:- "The quality or standard which supports the growth or elevation". The macro aspect of Dharman/Dharmana deals with social issues at large. When society develops an issue that impacts in a grand scale to the people belong to a single community or more than one community that requires attention and in the flow of time, society goes through "the process of change" and this change embraces some clamor in the society by its members. To settle down this clamor and resolve the issue which is developed in the society sometimes society needs a Leadership and sometimes Administrative moves, sometimes Renaissance and sometimes Revolt which ultimately end up in a War or War kind of situation.

                                                          Now, sometimes a peculiar situation developed within the society when both the micro aspect and macro aspect of the Dharman/Dharmana gets disturbed by an issue or a set of issues. This kind of situation emerges within society because of three reasons...

i) Ignorance

ii) Obduracy 

iii) Both mixture of ignorance and obduracy. 

This is called "Adharman/Adharmana" which is also part of the "Dharman/Dharmana". First understand, how it is a part of the Dharman/Dharmana.

When this type of situation developed within the society, then members who are directly or indirectly related to that issue or the set of issues, eventually started following either the Mob mentality or being motivated in a certain way where they have to support the issue or set of issues even after knowing that the issue is fragile and destructive. When this happens, that is known as Adharman/Adharmana but because each member related to this issue or set of issues taking initiatives or behaving as per the comprehension of their mind; that's why it is Dharman/Dharmana for them because they uphold their priority and decided their stand in the situation and behave accordingly but their stand started disturbing the fabrics of the society; that's why it is Adharman/Adharmana too. This way, the Adharman/Adharmana is also a part of Dharman/Dharmana.

To be precise, Adharman/Adharmana is a kind of micro aspect of Dharman/Dharmana which disturbs and tries to destruct the macro aspect of Dharman/Dharmana, Thus it is considered as an opposite concept of Dharman/Dharmana which is also eventually a part of it. It sounds weird and nonsensical but at the same time, it is also true and unavoidable. Till now, I talked about the concept of "Dharman/Dharmana", now I will discuss how this "Dharman/Dharmana" becomes "Dharma".

Few intellectuals and scholars suggest that the word "धर्म/Dharma" first appears in the Atharvaved. Sorry to say but I didn't find that. If anyone knows this as true then please tell in the Mantra where it first appears within the Atharvaved. This word is actually from Itihasved which is the 5th Ved in the Vedic Parampara. 

Itihasved means "Mahabharata" which is known as "Jaya" and the "Ramayana" and Eighteen Puranas which were written by Bhagavan Maharishi Krsna Dwaipayana Ved Vyasa. But in this list, the Eighteen Upapuranas and Thirty-five Aupapuranas or Atipuranas are not included. Now, a question arises here...

Q. Is there any difference between the meaning of the word "Dharman/Dharmana" and "Dharma"?

A. The concept "Dharman/Dharmana" is abstract as I described that above which is the subject of speculation and intellectual discussion but the "Dharma" is an executable version or applied version of it. The Dhatu of this word is the same which is "Dhri" because "to execute the theory which is introduced by Dharman/Dharmana word this word "Dharma" needs to carry the same root meaning". Let's discuss this with an example from Ram Charit Manas which was written by Goswami Tulsi Das. It is a version of Ramayana which is written in the Awadhi language in the 16th century during the Bhakti Movement.

Ram Darbar

तापस बेष बिसेषि उदासी। चौदह बरिस रामु बनबासी॥

सुनि मृदु बचन भूप हियँ सोकू। ससि कर छुअत बिकल जिमि कोकू॥

Pronunciation:- Tapas Vash Bishasi Udasi| Chouda Barisha Ramu Banbasi|| Sune Mridu Bachana Bhup hiyou Sooku| Sasi kar chuwata bikula jimi koku||

Translation:- In a disguised form like a Tapaswee Ram has to live in the jangle for the next fourteen years. After hearing this statement from a tender voice King felt indescribable pain, like when Ruddy shelduck bird feels when the moonlight touches its eyes.

This is the second Choupai (Poetic lines) from Ram Charit Manas, Ayodhya Kand after Doha number Twenty-eight. One of the most popular Choupai from Ram Charit Manas. Tapaswee means "Ascetic person who has dedicated his life to achieve a certain goal like developing scientific theories, understanding the realm of this cosmos, crafting a masterpiece, composing one or many literatures (s) or song(es) which can enlighten the people about the reality, learning a form of classical dance profoundly or invest himself into a deep spiritual journey". If any female takes such initiative in her life then she can be called Tapasweeni. Now, back to our topic...

In the Ramayana when this episode appeared, then during the Rajya Abhishek ceremony when King Dasharath didn't find his one of the wife "Kaikaya" in the ceremony complex, he asked his Prime Minister about this and a few times later his prime minister informed the king that "Queen Kaikaye is at the Koop Bhavan", after hearing that King went there and asked Queen Kaikaye about the matter which is disturbing her and brought her in the Koop Bhavan. After that, a lot of emotional drama was acted by Queen inside that room, and finally she able to convince the king to take oath in the name of his most beloved son Ram that he would give whatever she is going to ask for. King Dasarath agreed. After that, She asked for two promises from King, first," transfer the kingship of Ayodhya in the name of "Bharata" who is her biological son" and the second one is, "Send Ram into exile for next fourteen years in a disguised form like a tapaswee". After hearing this, King felt indescribable pain but for the sake of family tradition, he gave his silent support to these two promises of the queen.     

 When the would-be prince Ram aware of the fact that one of the step-mother named "Kaikaye", asked him to leave this Kingship of Ayodhya kingdom and directed him to go to the Jungle for the next fourteen years in a disguised form of a Tapaswee; Without any hesitation, he promised his step-mother that he will follow whatever she asked him to follow, he also convinced his father and got his permission who was the existing King of the kingdom at that time. Later, he also convinced his own biological mother "Kaushaliya" and got her permission too for this journey to the jungle. 

When his beloved wife Sita got this news of exile of Ram, she decided to go with him (Ram) in the jungle, and one of Ram's younger stepbrother "Laxman/Laxmana" also insisted Ram take him along with, first Ram denied but later he allowed him but with a condition and the condition was, "If and only if his means Laxman's own biological mother "Sumitra" permits this journey". After hearing that, Laxman went to his mother's room for permission and he got the permission without any argument but with a condition, and the condition was, "He has to take care of his brother Ram and his sister-in-law Sita and protect them from the endangerment and uncertainty of the jungle".

After that, They went for the Jungle

Ram leaving for Jungle

In this piece of the story from Ramayana, the way each character behaved in that crafted tensed situation is a fine example of the Dharma. First, let's understand the situation itself then the behavior of each character. It is a crafted situation by Queen Kaikaye who was motivated by her own personal maid "Manthara", She (Manthara) inserted fear and anxiety into the mind of Queen Kaikaye and dragged her into a mixed state of consternation and perturbation which ultimately developed nervousness and a form of insecurity which is also known as a vulnerability within her mind. In this psychological turbulence of mind, she lost her conscience and crafted this situation which drastically changed almost all the equations related to politics, society, administration, emotion, and history of both Ayodhya and the World at that time. This is the intensity of this situation.

As I have mentioned earlier the behavioral syndrome of each character in this situation where each person took an initiative after analyzing their position in that circumstance and they had chosen the priority as per the comprehension of their mind. That's why, each person followed "Dharma", even the queen Kaikaye and her maid Manthara. Till now, I have described the concept of "Dharma", "Dharman/Dharmana" and "Adharman/Adharmana". Here I need to mention that the applied version of "Adharman/Adharmana" is "Adharma". It is also a part of Dharma just like its abstract version.

Q. Are Dharma and Religion the same or different?

A. To know this let's first understand the meaning of Religion. So, the meaning of the word "Religion" as per the Oxford Dictionary is...

1. The belief in and worship of superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.
2. A particular system of faith and worship.
3. A pursuit or interest followed with great devotion.

So, as per these meanings, it is clearly understood that Religion is an organized system of faith that has a different style of rituals to project devotion to somebody, here this somebody would be God or Gods. So, technically it is nothing to do with Dharma from a macro prospect, and from the micro prospect, there is an indirect relation between both of these two concepts. When someone believes in a certain system that person knowingly or unknowingly upholds that system. This act automatically creates an emotional bonding of that person with that system and that emotional bonding elevates the attachment of that person with that system. Please, focus your concentration.

 So, this personal or individual emotional attachment which either imposed on that person by his known ones or that person independently chooses this for himself or herself. Now, there is a catch. If and only if, this system is imposed on a person by that person's known ones but he or she doesn't develop the bonding with that system then as per the concept of Dharma, that system is not a Dharma for that person only, if after being imposed that person develop emotional bonding with that system then it surely becomes that person's Dharma. So, acceptance of that system by that person is the most essential part which would ultimately decide whether that system would be considered as Dharma or not, and if that person independently chooses that system then that would consider as Dharma of that person. That's why I have previously mentioned that there is an indirect relation between the micro aspect of Dharma and Religion.  

                                    So, all the religions which were existed or are existing or are going to exist in near future, all are merely a system. Among them, few are organized and few will be organized and the rest are either was unorganized or is unorganized or will be in an unorganized form in near future.

In the next article, I will describe the categories of Dharma and how do we knowingly or unknowingly follow those categories in our life.

Summary:- "Dhri" is the Dhatu which means "To support/Hold" and it is the root word of the word "Dharman/Dharmana" which can be found in the Rigved. This Dharman/Dharmana is an abstract concept and the applied version of this concept is introduced by the word "Dharma" and this word can be found in the Itihas Ved. The opposite of this concept is introduced by the word "Adharman/Adharman" which is also an abstract concept but the applied version of this word is introduced by the word "Adharma". Religion and Dharma have no direct relation but there is an indirect relation between them which depends on the circumstances and the acceptance of the person who believes in the religious system.

Thank you 🙂🙏