Dr. Dolgobinda Shastri
My dear young friends, here is a attempt to convey the connotation of the word ‘Dharma’.
The word ‘Dharma’ in Sanskrit has so many meanings such as-The Supreme One, Absolute Entity or the Supreme Creator, Param Brahma; the inherent & inseparable quality of a matter, a sum total of the ten virtues- Dhriti (patience) Kshama (forgiveness), Dama (self-control of sense organs), Asteya (not taking any thing without the knowledge of the proper authority), Saucha (inward and outward purification), Indriyanigraha (cessation from sensual enjoyment), Dhi (sharp intellect), Vidya (wisdom), Satya (truth), Akrodha (free from anger). A Sanskrit verse defines Dharma as: “Acharaprabhabo Dharma
Dharmasya Prabhuh Achyutah.”
What is Dharma? The answer is one who is the originator of Achara i.e. the right conduct.
The Prabhu or Supreme Absolute Entity is Achyuta or who never deviates or diminishes. He always remains in full form.
It is a Himalayan blunder to take up the word ‘Secular’ as ‘Dharmanira- peksha’, so far as India or Bharat Varsa is concerned. The exact meaning of ‘Secular’ is agnostic i.e. the principle of one who does not believe that God can be known or in other words we can take secular as mortal, worldly corporal etc.
The English word ‘Religion’ is not the proper synonym of the Sanskrit word Dharma. Religion means a particular system of faith one believes such as the Christianity, Islam, Buddhism etc. We can say that a religion is a particular cult of worship preached or propagated by any person of extraordinary devotional quality such as Jesus Christ, Prophet Mohammad, Gautam Buddha or the modern age saints such as Siridi Sai Baba, Satya Sai Baba, Sri Aurobindo,Swami Nigamananda, Swami Anukulchandra.
Dharma also means the incomparable quality of a product such as burning of fire. Fire also gives light and heat, but other things also give light and heat.
Hence, the root verb ‘Dhru’ of Dharma means to hold , to keep up, to sustain.