Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 50
Rudra-Śiva: Names, Two Natures, and the Logic of Epithets (रुद्रनाम-बहुरूपत्व-प्रकरणम्)
यज्ञोपवीतधरणं यज्ञो धर्मक्रियास्तथा | भृत्यानां भरणं धर्म: कृते कर्मण्यमोघता
yajñopavītadharaṇaṃ yajño dharmakriyās tathā | bhṛtyānāṃ bharaṇaṃ dharmaḥ kṛte karmaṇy amoghatā
Wika ni Śrī Maheśvara: “Ang pagsusuot ng banal na sinulid (yajñopavīta), ang pagsasagawa ng handog na sakripisyo, at ang pagtupad sa mga gawaing-dharma ay tunay na mga tungkulin; gayundin, ang pag-aaruga at pagtustos sa mga umaasa sa iyo ay dharma. At kapag ang isang gawain ay ginawa na, ang wasto at di-pumapalya nitong pagtupad ay dharma rin.”
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is not limited to ritual markers like the sacred thread or sacrificial rites; it also includes social and moral obligations—especially sustaining those under one’s care—and the integrity to complete undertaken duties effectively and without failure.
In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction-focused setting, Śrī Maheśvara articulates a broad definition of dharma, placing ritual observance alongside practical responsibility and emphasizing that righteous action includes dependable follow-through in one’s deeds.