In Simple Terms
Your duty — what you are meant to do given who you are and where you stand.
Overview
The principle of right order — cosmic, social, and personal. Your dharma is your nature-aligned duty. Not following dharma creates disorder; following it sustains the cosmic order.
Why It Matters
The Gita begins with a crisis of dharma. Without clarity on duty, right action is impossible.
Key Verses
Study these verses to understand Dharma
Related Concepts
Prerequisites
Study these concepts first: —
Advanced Topics
Continue to: Svadharma, Nishkama Karma
Dharma in Practice — Three Levels
The cosmic order that keeps things in their right relationship — truth, non-violence, compassion, integrity. These apply to all people in all contexts. When Arjuna wonders whether to fight, Krishna doesn't override these — he shows that in Arjuna's specific situation, fighting IS truthful (cowardice would destroy dharma) and IS compassionate (allowing injustice to continue is harm).
Your dharma is determined by your nature, your role, and your circumstances. A doctor's dharma includes saving the patient even at personal inconvenience. A teacher's dharma includes honest correction even when it disappoints. A parent's dharma includes protection even at personal sacrifice. BG 3.35: "Your own dharma, imperfectly performed, is better than another's dharma done well."
The Gita begins with Arjuna's dharma crisis: two legitimate duties in direct conflict. As a warrior, his dharma is to fight. As a son and student, his dharma is to protect his family and respect his teachers. The Gita does not dissolve this conflict with an easy answer — it deepens Arjuna's understanding until he can hold both and choose wisely. Real dharma dilemmas are never simple.
Revision
30-Second
Dharma (Duty / Right Order / Righteousness) — Your duty — what you are meant to do given who you are and where you stand....
Key Verse
1.40
Found In
Primary: Ch. 1, 2, 3, 16
Study in Learning Blocks
Find this concept taught in detail across these structured lessons:
Chapter 2 Blocks → · Chapter 3 Blocks → · Chapter 18 Blocks →