Dharma as the first aim
धर्म पुरुषार्थ
Also written: dharma purushartha · dharma as goal of life · duty in hinduism
Dharma is placed first not because it is the most attractive aim but because it is the container. Wealth and pleasure sought outside it destroy the one who seeks them; sought within it, they are called blameless by the śāstra itself.
The three debts one is born with
The Taittirīya Saṁhitā states that a person is born owing three debts, and dharma at this level is simply their discharge.
| Ṛṇa | Owed to | Discharged by |
|---|---|---|
| Deva-ṛṇa | The powers that sustain the world | Yajña, worship, the daily offering |
| Ṛṣi-ṛṇa | The seers who preserved knowledge | Study, and passing knowledge on |
| Pitṛ-ṛṇa | The ancestors who gave the body | Raising a family, and the rites for the departed |
Sāmānya and viśeṣa dharma
| Kind | Applies to | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| Sāmānya dharma | Everyone, without exception | Non-injury, truth, non-stealing, purity, restraint, patience, generosity, compassion — the universal floor |
| Viśeṣa dharma | This person, in this role, at this stage | Varṇa dharma, āśrama dharma, the duties of a profession, of a parent, of a ruler |
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Last revised 2026-08-16. Corrections are welcome — see how this site is written.