Page 96 - Hinduism

or Śāstra which prescribes the duties that ought to be done. They are called nidhis. They are righteousness in practised acts. Dharma is righteousness in action and is the essence of duty and it consists in reverence to parents, teachers and sages; truthfulness, charity, courage and kindliness to all creatures. It includes the performance of the five yajñās or sacrifices to the devās and pitṛs above, to men and lower animals. It brings out the solidarity of the universe and the need for mutual helpfulness. The violation of these duties is adharma and entails sin or pāpa. Adharma includes evil and sin; it is evil in the moral sense and sin in the religious sense as it is the violation of a Divine Law. By doing the acts of dharma, the general attitude of dharma or righteousness is attained. A man then becomes a dharmavan like Dharmaputra and is like Rāma, the very incarnation of righteousness on earth. Śrī Rāma practised truthfulness (satya) devotion to vows, kindliness to all creatures and self-control. He subordinated artha and Kāma to the discipline of dharma. Dharma is thus the very essence of duty for duty's sake.
Artha is an end of life which is both desired and desirable. A student who finishes his studies or academic life should enter on the life of a householder or gṛhastha. He ekes out his livelihood by doing hard and honest work for the maintenance of his family and others. Wealth is not an end in itself and the miser who hoards his wealth for the
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