Dharma is the path of righteousness and living one s life according to the codes of conduct as described by the Vedas and Upanishads. Its western equivalents might include morality ethics virtue righteousness and purity. The term dharma can best be explained as the law of being without which things cannot exist. The word dharma is derived from dhri which means to hold . It literally means that which holds the people of this world and the whole creation. The same is described in the Vedic Text in Atharva Veda as Prithivim dharmana dhritam i.e. this world is upheld by dharma . In Hinduism Dharma is the very foundation of life. Tulsidas the author of Ramcharitmanas defined the root of dharma as compassion. Buddha has also described this principle in his book Dhammapada. According to Hindu philosophy it s GOD who holds us through Truth and or Love . Dharma prevails or truth prevails is the essence of Hinduism. In order to achieve good karma Vedas teach that one should live according to dharma the right action . This involves doing what is right for the individual the family the class or caste and also for the universe. According to the Bhagavat Purana righteous living or life on a dharmic path has four pillars truthfulness satya austerity tap purity shauch and compassion daya . It further adds that the adharmic or unrighteous life has three main vices pride ahankar bad company sangh and intoxication madya . Manusmriti prescribes ten essential rules for the observance of dharma Patience dhriti forgiveness kshama piety or self control dama honesty asteya sanctity shauch control of senses indriya nigrah reason dhi knowledge or learning vidya truthfulness satya and absence of anger krodha . Manu further writes Non violence truth non coveting purity of body and mind control of senses are the essence of dharma . In Bhagwad Gita Lord Krishna says that in the society dharma is likely to fall from time to time and to bring dharma back a GOD representative is born from time to time. The shloka parithraanaaya saadhoonaam vinaasaaya cha dhushkr.thaam dharma samsthaapanaarthaaya sambhavaami yuge yuge Chapter IV ndash 8 says that For the protection of the virtuous for the destruction of evil doers and for establishing the rule of righteousness Dharma I am born from age to age in every age . Another shloka yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata abhyutthanam adharmasya tadatmanam srjamy aham means that O descendant of Bharata Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice and a predominant rise of irreligion at that time I descend Myself . Deepak Chopra in his book Seven Spiritual Laws of Success talks about the Law of Dharma or Purpose in Life . According to him everybody should discover his or her divinity find the unique talent and serve humanity with it. With this one can generate all the wealth that one wants. According to him when your creative expressions match the needs of your fellow humans then wealth will spontaneously flow from the un manifest into the manifest from the realm of spirit to the world of form. In spiritual terms this is an attempt to find out whether one s life is progressing as per the Laws of Dharma Dharma in Sanskrit means purpose in life which according to the scriptures is said to be the sole purpose for a human being to manifest in this physical form. For one to achieve DHARMA he suggests the following affirmative exercises Today I will lovingly nurture the god or goddess in embryo form that lies deep within my soul. I will pay attention to the spirit within me that animates both my body and my mind. I will awaken myself to this deep stillness within my heart. I will carry this consciousness of timeless eternal being in the midst of time bound experiences. I will make a list of my unique talents. Then I will list all of the things I love to do while expressing my unique talents. When I express my unique talents and use them in the service of humanity I lose track of time and create abundance in my life as well as in the lives of others. I will ask myself daily How can I serve and How can I help The answers to these questions will allow me to help and serve my fellow human beings with love. Karma dharma and samsara are three fundamental aspects of Hinduism. Buddhism Jainism and Hinduism are all built on these aspects. Dharma is one s appropriate role or attributes. Karma measures how well one performs one s dharma explains why one is born where he or she is and why there is suffering and seeming injustices. Samsara is the continuous cycle of birth death and rebirth and the context for all experience. Dharma sutras from Dharma Sh stras are the basic texts which talks about the morality of individuals and the society. Most Indian laws are made from these Sh stras. In Jainism also the wheel of Dharma Chakra with 24 spokes represents the religion preached by the 24 Tirthankaras consisting of nonviolence Ahimsa and other virtues. The very first word of the Gita is Dharma . The Gita concludes with the word Mama . The whole of Bhagavad Gita is contained in the two words Mama and Dharma . When you join these two words it becomes mamadharma meaning your true Dharma . This is what the Gita teaches. What is your Dharma How to achieve your dharma Do unto others what you do unto yourself and satisfy your conscience. That is your Dharma. The word Living Dharma signifies right action in every moment of the life. Do not follow the dictates of body and do not indiscriminately follow the mind for the mind is like a mad monkey. Hence follow the conscience. Disclaimer The views expressed in this write up are my own .