[Advaita-l] Musings on the fundamentals of Hinduism

[Bhaskar YR]

"Dharma" according to Wikipedia means "Righteous duty or any virtuous path
in the commonsense of the term",that which 'upholds or supports".It is not
just orderliness which falls under "krama".In English this merely means
"law".Dharma has wider significance in the Vedas and puranas.From the
Philosophic view(both Adwaitic and Buddhistic),this means "the being" or
creatures,which are generally called "living beings".

praNAms 
Hare Krishna

With our limited & conditioned knowledge, we can hardly draw any 
conclusive demarkation line between dharma & adharma!! is it not?? Hence 
for dharma jignAsa (which deals with what is dharma and what is adharma 
etc.) shAstra is the ONLY pramANa becayse both these concepts 
(dharmAdharma) are not cognisable through our senses. Moreover there is no 
 boundaries like desha (space), kAla (time) nimitta for these concepts. 
Shankara's sUtra bhAshya on ashuddhamiti chenna shabdAt is quite relevant 
& appropriate  here to determine how shAstra is the ONLY pramANa for 
dharma jignAsa.  Shankara clearly says here : tena na shAstrAdrute 
dharmAdharma vishayaM vijnAnaM kasyachidasti...

Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
bhaskar