History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s1.1.2

v1.c6.s1.1.2

In these passages the meaning seems to be ‘fixed principles or rules of conduct’. In the Vājasaneyasaṁhitā the above senses of the word *dharman* are found and in II. 3 and V. 27 we have the words ‘dhruveṇa dharmaṇā’. In the same Saṁhitā the form ‘dharmaḥ’ (from dharma) becomes frequent, e. g. X. 29, XX. 9. The Atharvaveda contains many of those verses of the Ṛgveda in which the word *dharman* occurs, e. g. VI. 51. 3 (acittyā chet tava dharmā yuyopima), VII, 5. 1 (Yajñena yajñamayajanta) VII. 27. 5 (trīṇi padā vicakrame). In XI. 9. 17 the word ‘dharmaḥ’ seems to be used in the sense of ‘merit acquired by the performance of religious rites’.⁸ In the Aitareya-brāhmaṇa, the word *dharma* seems to be used in an abstract sense⁹, viz. ‘the whole body of religious duties’. In the Chāndogya-upaniṣad¹⁰ (2. 23) there is an important passage bearing on the meaning of the word *dharma* ‘there are three branches of *dharma*, one is (constituted by) sacrifice, study and charity (i. e. the stage of house-holder); the second (is constituted by) austerities (i. e. the stage of being a hermit); the third is the *brahmacārin* dwelling in the house of his teacher and making himself stay with the family of his teacher till the last; all these attain to the worlds of meritorious men; one who abides firmly in *brahman* attains immortality.’ It will be seen that in this passage the word ‘*dharma*’ stands for the peculiar duties of the *āśramas*.