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Dharma is the duties a Hindu should follow in their life. There are various types of dharma for a Hindu. Some are personal duties and some are eternal duties, meaning that they are for everyone. Dharma or duties are expected of all Hindus, and Hindus should live their lives with these in mind. Dharma is one of the four main aims in a Hindu’s life. The four aims are:

Sanatana dharma

Sanatana dharma is an important dharma that means eternal truth. It is universal, which means it applies to all people at all times. Many Hindus would refer to their religion as sanatana dharma rather than Hinduism as they believe it sums up their beliefs better.

For Hindus, following sanatana dharma means living their lives in such a way that they are always considering their moral choices and making the best decisions they can.

• They should also worship and pray so that they are thinking about God. They should read and learn the scriptures so that they can understand their religion and its teachings better.
• They should live their lives with the ultimate aim of achieving freedom from samsara, or moksha.
• Hindus should also care for all other living beings, such as plants, trees and animals. This means treating them with respect and looking after the environment.
• Hindus should also consider how they are treating people who are in need of help and support, and they should look after them in the best way they can.

Varnashrama dharma

Another important dharma is varnashrama dharma, which is more of a personal duty. Varnashrama dharma means the duties a Hindu should follow depending on their stage in life and their caste. Some Hindu societies are organised according to caste. There are four main traditional castes and thousands of subgroups, called jat or jati, within these. The group a Hindu is born into can decide what jobs they may get and what their duties are in life. Some aspects of this concept are controversial because they raise human rights issues about fairness and equality in Hindu societies today.

The Rig Veda describes the whole of society as if it were a human body:

• The teachers and priests are like the head. These are regarded as those closest to achieving moksha.
• The warriors and leaders are like the upper body.
• The merchants, traders and farmers are like the strong legs.
• The manual workers and labourers are like the feet.

The Dalits are a large group in Hindu society, making up over 15% of India’s population. The word ‘Dalit’ means ‘the broken’ or ‘the oppressed’. It is a name that Dalits choose for themselves. It replaces older, very negative terms such as ‘untouchables’ and ‘outcastes’. The Dalits are excluded from the caste system, and they have experienced persecution. It is illegal in India to discriminate against anyone in employment, but caste groupings can still keep society unequal and unfair in some ways.

A Hindu has to complete their dharma based on their caste but also based on what stage of life they are in. There are four stages of life, called ashramas, and a Hindu goes through all of these in their lifetime. The stage of life a Hindu is in decides what their dharma is.