History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.69

v6.c81.69

Though in this way in some passages even of the Ṛgveda the senses of 'vrata' and 'dharman' appear to have coalesced, there are verses where all the three words or two of the three occur. It may be noted that even in what are regarded by Western scholars to be later portions of the Atharvaveda (e. g. 18. 2 7, 14 1. 51) the word is dharman. All three words occur in Ṛg V. 63. 7³³ 'O wise Mitra and Varuṇa! You naturally (or according to your fixed rule of conduct) guard your ordinances with the wonderful power of an *asura*; you rule over (or shine over) the whole world according to the principle of cosmic order, you establish in the heaven the Sun that is (like) a brilliant chariot'. Vrata and dharman occur in V. 72. 2 and VI. 70. 3³⁴; ṛta and vrata occur in I. 65 2, II. 27. 8, III. 4 7, X. 65. 8. Speaking generally, 'ṛta' is the cosmic order that has been there from the most ancient times Vrata means the laws or ordinances supposed to be laid down by all gods or by individual gods. Dharman meant religious rites or sacrifices or fixed principles. Gradually the conception 'ṛta' became faint and receded into the background and 'satya' took its place. Dharman became an all-embracing conception and vrata came to be restricted to sacred vows and rules of conduct to be observed by a person as a member of a community or as an individual