Dharma in Sri Aurobindo’s The Renaissance in India and Other Essays on Indian Culture

• Published in: Journal of Dharma studies 2024-08, Vol.7 (2), p.171-189
• Main Authors: Mondal, Snigdha, Choudry, Anuradha
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anthropology; Hinduism; Non-Western Philosophy; Original Article; Religion and Philosophy; Religious Studies
• ISSN: 2522-0926; 2522-0934
• DOI: 10.1007/s42240-024-00176-x

‘India that is Bharat’ as stated in the Indian Constitution is ‘the land of the Dharma and the Shastra’ according to Sri Aurobindo (SA) and is assuming an important position on the world stage as she transitions from being a developing country to a global superpower on politico-economic fronts, spear-heading a renaissance seventy-five years after independence in an attempt to rediscover and express the spirit of her nation, her svadharma . The concept of dharma has been a consistent fundamental pillar of Indian culture, and SA in his seminal work, The Renaissance in India and Other Essays on Indian Culture (1997), refers to India’s relentless quest for dharma defined as the innate nature/law behind every action which she tries to apply onto the outer structures and forms of life, creating in the process a perfect synchronisation of both the inner microcosm and the outer macrocosm (Aurobindo, 1997d, p. 9). The term dharma , though a two lettered Sanskrit word, has accommodated a vast array of meanings in different socio-cultural contexts which despite their diverse connotations reflect the predominant underlying meaning as given by Sri Aurobindo. This article, based on the book mentioned above, seeks to present the concept of dharma in the light of his writings, to demonstrate why and how it plays such a pivotal role in the development and sustenance of Indian civilisation and culture and serves as its distinctive feature.