Dharma
noun /ˈdɑː.mə/ — Sanskrit: one's moral duty, cosmic order, and the path true to one's nature
Definition
A central concept in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism: the cosmic order that underlies existence, and each individual's duty or right path within it. To live according to one's dharma is to live in accordance with both one's nature and the larger order of things.
Beyond the definition
The path that was always yours. Dharma is not a rule imposed from outside but an inner truth about what you are for — the shape of the life that fits you. Violating it produces a specific discomfort; following it produces a specific rightness.
Origin & history
From Sanskrit 'dharma' — from the root 'dhr' (to hold, to sustain). That which holds or sustains — the underlying order that holds existence together, and the individual's role within that order. One of the most ancient and complex concepts in human thought.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The Bhagavad Gita is, among other things, a sustained meditation on dharma: Arjuna's struggle to understand his duty when it conflicts with his love.
There is a secular dharma: the sense that some people have of what they are for — the specific work that, done badly, leaves them less themselves.
Living out of alignment with one's dharma has a particular texture: not guilt exactly, but a sense of being the wrong shape for one's own life.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Dharma” when the meaning fits your context: A central concept in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism: the cosmic order that underlies existence, and each individual's duty or right path within it. To live according to one's dharma is to live in accordance with both one's nature and the larger order of things.
Synonyms
moral duty, cosmic order, right path, sacred law
Antonyms
adharma, disorder, deviation
Related words
Questions about this word
What does "Dharma" mean?
Dharma is noun meaning: Sanskrit: one's moral duty, cosmic order, and the path true to one's nature. A central concept in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism: the cosmic order that underlies existence, and each individual's duty or right path within it. To live according to one's dharma is to live in accordance with both one's nature and the larger order of things.
Where does the word "Dharma" come from?
From Sanskrit 'dharma' — from the root 'dhr' (to hold, to sustain). That which holds or sustains — the underlying order that holds existence together, and the individual's role within that order. One of the most ancient and complex concepts in human thought.