It is hard to give a dictionary-definition of dharma or find an apt synonym for it in the English language; for, dharma is that all-pervasive cohesive principle, which keeps all things in a harmonious state of integration. Now, this harmony and integration is discoverable in every level of life. Physically, it is the energy which holds one’s body in unison and does not allow it to disintegrate; vitally, it is the force which keeps the prana moving in harmony with the body; mentally, it is the power which maintains the sanity of thought and keeps the psychological apparatus working in an orderly fashion and not allow it to run riot in a haphazard manner; morally, it is the urge which recognises as much value in others as in one’s own self and regards in them the proper status, which they are occupying in their own places; intellectually, it is the logical principle of coherence of judgment and correspondence of idea with fact. In the external universe, it acts as the force of gravitation, physically; as mutual reaction, chemically; as the principle of growth and sustenance, biologically; as cooperative enterprise, socially. Finally, it is the principle of the unity of the Self, spiritually.

 If the Divine Being can be found present in a desire that is in consonance with dharma, as the Bhagavadgita puts it in its 7th Chapter, then, naturally, no ordinary desire for objects of sense can be regarded as divine, for, it obtains the sanction of Divinity only when it is in agreement with the principle of dharma which, as we have seen, is so vast and comprehensive that, when it becomes the divinely acceptable feature in the human being, it ceases to be an over-mastering passion as in the case of mortal desires but becomes a suggestion for the recognition of the Infinite in all finite values of life.

This majestic vision of life, is manifest in human society as the order of varna and ashrama, two terms as difficult to understand as the word dharma. Usually, varna and ashrama are translated as the ‘caste system’ and the tradition of the ‘four orders’ of life. This forthright and offhand definition has led to many misconceptions about the significance of these phases of the methodology of life, so that varna, according to this interpretation, becomes a disrupting factor in life, most undesirable and pernicious, and ashrama a meaningless grandmother’s superstition of an antediluvian type. But, not so is the truth of the matter.

Varna does not mean ‘colour’ referring to the Aryan or the Dravidian difference of skin, nor indicating anything like the superior and the inferior in the social organisation of human beings. To think so would be a total misconstruing of fact. Varna is not a ‘colour’ visible to the eyes but a ‘degree’ conceivable by the mind; which means to say that by the term varna we are to understand the degrees of expression of dharma in human society in such a way that their coming together or coordination will sustain human society and existence. Though life is a continuous and single whole enshrining in its bosom knowledge, power, richness and energy, all together, it cannot be manifest in any particular human individual in such a comprehensive fashion unless he is a Superman (ati-manava). In ordinary human beings, such a blending, of the four factors is impossible. There is always a preponderance of either understanding, will, emotion or action, practically corresponding to these four factors contributory to the essential necessities of life, which cannot ignore any of these four aspects. Inasmuch as these factors of life’s growth and sustenance are diversely found preponderating in different individuals, it has been found necessary to cause a coordination of the different groups of individuals in whom there is a pre-eminence of these factors, separately. Just as the head cannot do the work of the legs, the eyes cannot hear and the ears cannot see, and so on, so that the perfection of the organism is maintained by a co-ordination of these limbs and organs of the body, human society is held together as a single growing and prospering organism by a coordination of those individuals in whom there is a predominant manifestation of the mentioned factors, severally. The question of ‘superior’ and ‘inferior’ among the individuals does not arise here, since the purpose is to help the growth of each and everyone towards a complete view of life and an achievement of the total value of life by each person, enabling each one, in this way, to participate in all the four values, the blending together of which alone can be regarded as complete fulfilment. The absence of anyone of these factors or values would point to a serious defect in the organism of human society and the individual. And happiness is nowhere to be found where perfection is absent. The psychic and spiritual personality of an individual seeks growth and expansion in the process of evolution, and this growing and intensifying process of life assumes a marked emphasis at a certain stage, in which condition the individual’s attitude to life puts on a distinct form of thought and conduct. These stages are what are known as the ashramas, and they are mainly four: the stage of the exuberance and energy of adolescence, which needs training and discipline and seeks learning and knowledge; the stage of outer activity and social relationship, wherein one fulfils the normal human desires and performs the expected duties as a unit of the wider society of people; the stage of greater maturity of thought, in which one detects the evanescence of temporal values and material possessions, and aspires to delve into the truth behind phenomena; the stage of illumination in which one lives a life of at-one-ment with the Ultimate Reality. The ‘stages’ are the ‘orders of life’ necessitated by the progressive emphasis which it receives in outward evolution.

Yoga has been defined as union with Reality, in its different degrees of manifestation, both within and without. Thus, by the fulfilment of one’s functions in life through the laws and disciplines of vama and ashrama, one moves gradually from the outer to the inner—from the external forms to the deeper meaning of things—and rises upward, from the gross to the subtle, and from the subtle to the ultimate essence of existence. The concepts of the four purusharthas—dharma, artha, kama and moksha; of the four varnas,-the classes of society wielding spiritual, political, economic and manual power; of the four ashramas—the stages of study and discipline; performance of duty, individually as well as socially; withdrawal from attachment to perishable things; and communion with the Supreme Reality;these sum up the total structure of life in its integrality, excluding nothing, and including everything in its most comprehensive gamut.

It was pointed out that this all-encompassing picture of life is difficult to visualise, at one stroke, and so the ancient adepts have instituted a threefold approach to this truth of life, viz., the envisagement of life through the concepts of the objective (adhibhuta), the subjective (adhyatma) and. the super-normal Deity-aspect of Reality (adhidaiva) transcending both the objective and the subjective aspects of experience. Here, again, the proper way would be to move from the outward to the inward and then go to the upward; which means that we have to take into consideration, first of all, the physical and social reality outside, then study and discipline our individual life and personality, and finally go upward to the higher superintending controlling Power which would point to an ascent to one’s final Goal. In our capacity as contents of the physical world and parts of human society we would do well, initially, to conduct ourselves in such a way that we do not violate the laws of Nature outside and the rules of the community and society in which we live. The laws of health and hygiene and of ethics and morality in society are, thus, preliminary requisites in this grand evolutionary process of human aspiration. The five elements—Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether—have their own laws and principles of action which restrict our lives to their ways of working and demand of us an obedience to their constitutional functions. Purity of food, water and air, among other things, is called for in the maintenance of health. The alleviation of hunger and thirst and heat and cold, and protection from the excesses of Nature’s forces are the ‘creature comforts’ that anyone would need to live a life of reasonable ease. Without this minimum of aid, the very basis of one’s physical existence might become insecure. Over and above these minimum requisites, there is the call of society upon the individual, namely, loyalty and allegiance to its customs, manners and traditions, apart from a human behaviour and conduct in respect of others around oneself. Herein, the requirements of varnaand ashrama get included, and, in addition, there is the need to observe the canons of not hurting others, being truthful with others, not appropriating the belongings of others, non-indulgence in the cravings of the senses beyond the limits permitted by the rules of health, and absence of greed in general. While these may be regarded as disciplines pertaining to one’s life in the ‘objective’ world (adhibhautika-prapancha), they have some relevance to one’s ‘subjective’ (adhyatmika) life, as well, since these outward disciplines of conduct greatly influence and reveal one’s inner character. Study of exalting literature, such as the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Bhagavadgita, and such other powerful revelations of higher wisdom, a life of simple living and high thinking, of servicefulness and austerity in one’s demeanour, are further regulative trainings in one’s personal or subjective life. Beyond the objective and the subjective levels, there is the transcendent (adhidaivika) Control exerted by the Omnipresent Almighty Being, through its ‘manifestations’, which are usually called ‘gods’ in religious parlance. These ‘gods’ have a hierarchy of their own, and they differ in their degree of the Almighty Power which they express through their forms of manifestation. To give a rough idea of what such a hierarchy would mean, we have, as we have already noted earlier, the gradations mentioned in the Taittiriya Upanishad, the realms of the Gandharva, Pitri, Deva, Indra, Brihaspati and Prajapati. These are names of wider and wider revelations of Reality in gradually increasing intensity, in its successive stages. The highest cosmical manifestations, however, are called virat, hiranyagarbha and isvara, meaning its physical, subtle and causal conditions. The Aim, ultimate, is the Absolute—Brahman.