Miscellaneous - Religion   

Dharma as a way of life

CHENNAI: Dharma or righteousness is the sustaining force of all ethical and moral living. It is the core of life and has an everlasting presence and hence the term Sanatana Dharma. In the Mahabharata, Lord Krishna defines Dharma as that which maintains a balance and upholds the affairs of the entire universe.

When in the Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna states that He incarnates time and again to restore Dharma as and when there is a decline in its practice, it is to be noticed that there is no threat to its survival, pointed out Sri Kesava Dikshitar in a discourse. Since Dharma is fostered and kept alive by people through their practice, it may so happen that there may be times when people forget its tenets and fail to uphold them in their daily life. This is the cause of the eternal feud between the Dharma and Adharma and when it reaches a crescendo, it requires the presence of the Almighty to vanquish evil and restore balance among the good. Dharma also has a latent but powerful presence in the Sastras and scriptures.

Though the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu are well known, the Bhagavata Purana speaks of many more of His incarnations and this is so because of Lord Vishnu’s responsibility of protecting the good against the evil. While the Lord incarnated as Narasimha, or Lord Rama for specific purposes, it is believed that He also incarnated as Sage Vyasa to propagate Dharmic values through the Puranas and the Mahabharata. These texts, besides providing a means to us to relive the days of yore when the incarnations of the Lord had taken place, also ensure the continuous presence of Dharma as a way of life among the people.

The Mahabharata is considered to be the fifth Veda and it is believed that listening to it can absolve people of their sins. Yudhishtira and Duryodhana are symbolically referred to as two trees. Yudhishthira is a vast tree, formed of religion and virtue; Arjuna is its trunk; Bhimasena, its branches; Nakula and Sahadeva its fruits and flowers; and its roots are Lord Krishna and the Vedas. Likewise Duryodhana is another equally vast tree full of anger; Karna is its trunk; Sakuni its branches; Dussasana its fruits and flowers; and its roots the blind king Dhritarashtra.

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