Talk:Karm, Dharm and Samsāraa:Related Concepts: Ṛtaṃ, Satyaṃ, Dharm and Karm

By Vishal Agarwal

These four terms are used interchangeably in the śāstrā because the range of their meanings overlap a lot. ‘Ṛtaṃ’ was used more commonly in the ancient Vedic sacred texts and was almost replaced by ‘dharm’ in later texts.

Satyaṃ literally means ‘true, truth’, ‘real’ (i.e., not imaginary), ‘existent’, ‘unchangeable, eternal’ and so on. One should speak that which is satyaṃ, or truthful, accurate and non-misleading. A mirage is asatya or not satyaṃ because it does not really exist.

Ṛtaṃ means ‘universal, dynamic cosmic order’ or that which is in accordance with divine will or divine mind. For example, the planets in the solar system revolve around the sun in concentric and oval circles and do not collide with each other in accordance with ṛtaṃ.

Dharm is a concept that encompasses morality, virtue, virtuous conduct, ethics, duty, that which is consistent with the injunctions or commands of the sacred texts, actions that are done to achieve a specific purpose or beneficial result (e.g. charity in the hope of a better after-life), justice, legal rules or law and so on. The word dharm is derived from the Sanskrit root ‘‘dhri’’ which means to ‘uphold’, ‘adopt’ or ‘safeguard’ etc. Therefore, dharm basically means something we must practice, adopt, uphold and live by, so that it safeguards us.

A scholar explains the term in the following words:

“Dharm is the inherent individual responsibility each of us owes to (1) the society of sentient beings we are born into, (2) the environment, and finally, (3) the higher “self” within us.”

“The concept of dharm has a varied and comprehensive connotation. The word is derived from the root ‘dhri’ – to uphold – and stands for the Supreme Principle which upholds and sustains the whole universe and the activities of all beings in it. It also means: (1) the essential property of an entity which makes it what it is; (2) the chief innate characteristic of an entity or being; (3) virtue, religious conduct; (4) the principles which hold a society together (dharmo dhārayate prajāḥ); (5) law, justice, ethics and morals; (6) the duties pertaining to persons, individually and collectively, in the different social conditions, status, and stages of life; etc. So the word ‘dharm’ is used in different cognate senses at different levels and in different contexts. Only in a secondary sense it is used to represent God-centered religion as understood in the West.”

As mentioned above, dharm is also taken to mean the nature, essential or inherent property of a substance or a creature. For example, the dharm of a snake is to bite its perceived enemy. The dharm of a liquid is to flow along the gradient of the surface on which it is poured. In our present discussion, we will only use this term to mean the dharm of humans, or ethics, morality, virtue etc.

A fundamental, core and foundational principle of dharm is truth (satyaṃ). In most cases, that which is true is consistent with dharm although sometimes they contradict each other. For example, speaking a truth that causes pain to the listener is not always dharm. Leaving these exceptions aside, dharm and satyaṃ overlap quite a bit and therefore these two terms are used interchangeably.

Likewise, the divine cosmic order, will or mind is expressed through the teachings of sacred texts like the Vedas. And practicing the teachings of the Vedas is dharm. For this reason, ṛtaṃ and dharm are often used interchangeably, although ṛtaṃ emphasizes the mental aspect or understanding whereas dharm emphasizes action based on it. In a way, dharm can also be taken as a subset of ṛtaṃ, with the former dealing with human beings and the latter with the entire universe.

Karm means action – physical, mental and verbal. In most cases, dharm is expressed through actions – like educating one’s children, worshipping the devas, giving alms and so on. Therefore, dharm and karm are often used synonymously or interchangeably. Karm is used typically for physically practiced dharm. Satyaṃ is typically used for verbal actions that are consistent with dharm.

A modern scholar summarizes:

“... ṛta, satya, and dharm refer to the three aspects of the same principle of reality. Thought in sync with ultimate reality or universal order is ṛta. ṛta expressed in speech is satya or truth about reality. ṛta and satya when becomes manifest in action as ethical duties, is dharm.”

He also cites Śatāvadhānī R. Gaṇeśa –

“The wise understand ṛta as a system inherent in the universe, satya as a manifest reality of that system, and dharm as the work that is done with a firm understanding of the system and its manifestations. So, ṛta corresponds to an inner realization, satya corresponds to an external manifestation and dharm corresponds to an action leading to a result.”