Svadharma, Sfintiparva, and Andhayug: Exploring the Psycho-Social Terrains of Dharma within Ancient and Contemporary Indian Texts'

Abstract

Philosophical and psychological thought in early India is primarily based on dharma. It is highly complex and encompasses several interrelated meanings that have generated discourse across a wide range of fields and schools of thought. In Buddhism, it denotes a deep metaphysical thought process. Simultaneously, within the broader context of Hinduism, it encompasses a wide range of thought, including the details of everyday life, ritual action, an emphasis on one’s duty, and even psychological problems that aid understanding and inspire human action. As a social and ethical principle, dharma embodies a moral order that incorporates both natural and positive law and delineates the duties and responsibilities associated with individual societal roles. Therefore, even as its modern implications equate it to religion, it was much more than that in its genesis. The objective of the paper is to understand the changing contours of one aspect of dharma — svadharma — as it appears in various ancient texts, such as the Bhagavad Gita and the Santiparva, and to connect its import to the implications of dharma in the contemporary Hindi play Andhayug. This, in turn, may require us to examine the interconnection of this term with yet two other facets of dharma, Apaddharma and Moksadharma. This research examines the Bhagavad Gita, the Santiparva of the Mahabharata, and Dharmavira Bharti’s play Andhayuga. It seeks to explore the different hues of dharma —its underlying philosophies, changing interpretations, applications, and inferences in the context of society and psychology.