Concept Of Justice In The Context Of Dharma: An Ancient Philosophy
- IJLLR Journal
- 7 days ago
- 2 min read
Rochani Rao K N, Assistant Professor of Law, MKPM RV Institute of Legal Studies
ABSTRACT
The concept of Dharma is in India since the very Vedic period. origin can be traced back to Vedas, and the holy scripture Bhagavad Gita depicts the wider connotation of dharma. Dharma in contradiction to the general understanding does not mean religion. The word Dharma originated from the Sanskrit word, 'dhr' means to uphold or to support what is stable and eternal. Manu-smriti prescribes dharma as the set of obligations incumbent on each member of social classes which to be carried out in the different stages of our life. Knowledge, patience, justice, love, and dedication are the pillars of the concept of dharma. So, dharma is a very wide concept, of which justice is a part. According to lord Krishna, dharma is for the soul and a path to ultimate salvation. Dharma has a wide variety of meanings. For example, the term can be used to refer to justice, what is morally right in a given situation, religious obligations of people, righteous conduct in all areas of life that benefits other living things, supporting a cause that benefits the public, giving alms to the poor, natural qualities or characteristics or properties of living things, duty, law, etc. We often equate law and justice to dharma, but dharma is a broader idea that encompasses different aspects of justice and much more. This paper analyzes the concept of dharma and its importance in the real world and also analyzes the concept of justice in relation to dharma and its interrelations. This paper also talks about the practical situations in which the concept of dharma was adopted by the Indian courts while rendering justice.
Keywords: Dharma, justice, inter-relation, ancient philosophy.
