Glossary · Philosophy
Dharma
धर्म
What does Dharma mean?
Dharma comes from the root 'dhri', meaning 'to hold' or 'to sustain'. It is the principle that holds individuals, society, and the cosmos together. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna repeatedly urges Arjuna to follow his svadharma — his own duty as a warrior — rather than abandon the battlefield out of grief.
The Gita's teaching is nuanced: dharma is not blind rule-following but action aligned with one's role, stage of life, and inner nature, performed without attachment to results. Chapter 18 concludes that surrendering to the divine is the highest dharma of all.