[ SANSKRIT TERM ]
धर्म· dharma
Right action. The path you're meant to walk because of who you are.
MEANING
Dharma is the most central concept in the Bhagavad Gita and arguably in Indian thought. It's often translated as "duty," "righteousness," or "religion," but none of those capture it. Dharma is the action that fits — fits your nature, fits the moment, fits the larger order you're part of. The Gita's entire 700-verse argument hangs on Arjun's question: what is my dharma when every available action breaks me? Krishna's answer reframes dharma as the action you can take without losing yourself, even when no clean option exists. Personal dharma (svadharma), universal dharma (sanatana dharma), and the dharma of one's role (varna dharma) are distinct layers that the Gita weaves together.