Everything in this universe has its dharma. Starting from a tiny dust particle to Human Being, everything is governed by its dharma. Water has its dharma of flowing from the high ground to the low ground, from upward to downward and not vise-versa. Air has its dharma. It does not leave any vacuum unfilled. Immediately, air rushes to the vacuum and fills it up. Oxygen in the air has its dharma. Its dharma is to burn, and that is why we could light a fire; and get hot water in the winter. Oxygen not only burns outside, it also burns inside our body. In the process of metabolism it burns the food that we have consumed and then converts them into energy. Thus we are able to live, so also live all the animate beings. A tree has its dharma. It gives shade, fruits flowers. It gives fire wood, it gives food. Its dharma is only to give and not to take anything in return. So is the case with a flower. It gives its beauty and fragrance for us to enjoy and does not expect any reward. The Sun gives us light and warmth. It rises in the east and sets in the west. That is its dharma. Dharma of a dog or a horse is faithfulness and loyalty; and a fox’s dharma is cleverness. A cloud’s dharma is to rain. A bee’s dharma is to hoard. It collects honey and stores it in the honey-comb. The earth moves around the sun, so also all the planets and the moons. Our solar system moves according to its respective dharma. Similarly all the solar systems that exist in this universe move around according to their predetermined dharma. There are countless such Brahmands; in other wards countless universes that move around according to their respective dharma. That is how the entire creation, the entire Jagat is going on with its existence; with its being, because of dharma; because everything animate or inanimate is following its dharma.

Suppose water does not obey its dharma of flowing from a higher plane to a lower plane. On the contrary it starts flowing in reverse direction. Then what will happen? The entire world shall be deluged. It will get destroyed. Similarly, from tomorrow onwards trees decide not to give the food to us. We shall perish. In similar manner if the sun does not give us light and warmth; clouds stop raining, oxygen does not help metabolize our food, the celestial bodies like stars, planets and the moons stop moving around according to their dharma then the result is sheer catastrophe. It will bring total destruction of the universe.

There is another aspect to dharma. Dharma is not different between one dog and the other dog; between one tree and the other tree of same species. It is not different from one rose to another one; it is not different between the water in a tank and that in a river or sea. Dharma does not differ between two molecules of air or between two atoms of oxygen. So far so good. At the level of lower order of creation, dharma maintains harmony and a universal order. Everything is moving on according to this dharma, everything from sand particle to Mahatattwa, all are held by dharma.
But what about the homo-sapience, who are the highest form of creation? It appears there are completely different forms of dharma between one race and the other, between one cast and the other, and between two groups of individuals or even between two individuals. When it comes to humans, dharma takes seemingly different forms, and that is why we are seeing today a kaleidoscopic hue of dharma in form of different religions in our society. We have different religion for different communities. We have got the Hindu religion for the Hindus, Islam for the Muslims, Christianity for the Christians. Apart from these three principal communities, there are other innumerable religions such as Buddhisim, Jainisim, Zorostrianism, Bahai-ism and so on. According to their religion, humanity is divided into different communities such as The Hindus, The Christians, etc. Further, among these communities there are sub divisions according to certain peculiar aspect to their belief. So much about the lesser religions.

What about the Hindu religion? Before we further proceed in our discourse, let us first examine what do we mean by dharma? What is religion?

Religion does not mean dharma. Religion is only part of dharma. Religion means belief – belief in a super human entity in form of a personal god or gods entitled to obedience and worship. However, dharma is much wider than belief only. From the above mentioned discussion you can see that dharma for water, air, clouds etc mean their properties or characteristics. So, we can know about the dharma of an object from its property or characteristics. For example: transparency is the property or dharma of glass, hardness is the dharma of a rock, attracting the iron pieces is the dharma of a magnet. When we come to the lower order of the animate objects like birds, animals, insects, then dharma not only means their individual distinctive characteristics or traits peculiar to the species, but also the natural law that governs them. In lower order of creatures like animals and birds etc, you will notice seasonal variation of procreative activities unlike in humans. For their survival as well as for propagation of their species, they are entirely governed by the law of nature or prakriti, so that becomes their dharma.

Bur what happens in case of human beings, which is the finest of all creatures. Dharma for a particular religious community is belief in their personal god and its worship as mark of their obedience and allegiance. However, religion of one community may not be able to satisfy the needs of another community. Moreover, in case of humans merely preservation of self and propagation of their species does not satisfy the needs of a human being. So, dharma in case of humans should be something that satisfies all the needs.

Then what is dharma?? Dharma has been derived from the stem ‘Dhru’ which means to hold. “Dhriyate dharma ityahuh sa eva Paramah Prabhuh” – because it holds, it is called dharma. Whether virtue or vice, whether knowledge or ignorance, whether beautiful or ugly, in other words, whether good or bad – one that holds all is dharma. The entire three worlds of gross, subtle and causative – all these worlds are held and entrusted by the single entity called dharma. Conversely, the one that is held by all these three worlds is dharma. Why only the three worlds; even all the possibilities in these three worlds starting right from the Mahatattwa up to the tiny atom are held, protected and governed by this single entity called dharma. Dharma is the band-master in the orchestra of the creation. Its essential nature is Happiness, and that is why all the objects of the world are in constant movement with distressful longing.

There is a need of all the objects of the universe for dharma as well as for its sadhana; be it Gods, humans, worms and insects, plants or even the innert objects. Man has dharma as well as knowledge of dharma; where as the birds, animals, insects and plants etc do have dharma, but do not have the awareness of dharma. That is why they are guided by the laws of nature. Because man has the knowledge, he is the most excellent creation of all; he is far superior than all other creatures. Man is the ultimate development in the process of evolution and therefore the human body is the most suitable field for dharma sadhana, that is to say realization of dharma. Man by continuous practice through successive births, becomes highly elevated in the knowledge of dharma and advances in the path of spiritual achievement. Therefore, man, if he so desires and tries, can become successful very easily in realization of dharma. Other creatures do not have capacity to achieve this; however, they are definitely governed and preserved by dharma. In matter of realization and practice man has a free will, which the lower form of creatures lack. They are under the influence of Prakriti. It is the view of the western scientists that even a sand particle, through process of evolution, will be able to graduate to a man possessing brightness of wisdom. The dharma, that takes the sand particle along the path of evolution or the path of development through successive births till it reaches the stage of a man, is entirely the law of nature. However, man’s progress to the ultimate can be achieved by his own desire because he has the knowledge of dharma.

When man lacks the knowledge of dharma, he is as good as an animal and remains engaged in eating, sleep and co-habitation only. Hence, man without dharma-jnan is a pashu or animal. It is the sacrosanct duty of man to attain humanity discarding bestiality or animal instinct by spiritual discussion and discourse. Gaining
humanity is not the ultimate goal. From state of human we have to graduate to state of godhood and ultimately we have to strive to attain close proximity to supreme consciousness, what is called ’Brahm Sayujya’. Man has been endowed with this potency. Hence, dharma is that, by practice and study of which man attains ‘Brahm Sayujya’ discarding animal state. The very practice of it is ‘dharma sadhana’ or spiritual practice.

The dharma that is continuing since time immemorial and still present and shall remain ever again, which is eternal – called “Sanatan Dharma”. The Hindu seers and sages, by their yogic vision and transcendental meditation, have realized, perceived and discovered the ultimate truth and therefore this is also known as ‘Hindu Dharma’. This dharma is universal and satisfies the needs and aspirations of the entire mankind, the entire universe. It governs, protects and holds in its hands one and all - it is “Sanatan Dharma”. Therefore, the shruti proclaims:

“Shrunwatu Vishwe Amrutasya Putrah,
Vedahmetam Purusham Mahantam,
Aditya Varnam Tamasah Parastat.”

The Hindu seers say “Oh the people of this world, the descendants of ‘Amrit’, listen to me; I have perceived the brightly illuminating Purush (the ultimate being) who is situated beyond this darkness of ignorance. Have no fear, you will get Him; you will see Him. I shall tell you the means of getting Him.”

This is “Sanatan Dharma”.