Indian traditions, Nivedita and Coomaraswamy
Dharma
In the account of Dasharatha’s rule, dharma is glossed as righteousness and an established code of ethics. The king’s decision about succession is placed within his responsibility for the welfare of the realm. At the end of Yudhishthira’s journey, the dog he refuses to abandon becomes Dharma, the God of Righteousness. The ethical principle therefore appears as a test of conduct towards a vulnerable companion.
Also known as Righteousness · Dharma in Indian traditions
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In the sources
Principal account
TraditionalIn the account of Dasharatha’s rule, dharma is glossed as righteousness and an established code of ethics. The king’s decision about succession is placed within his responsibility for the welfare of the realm.
Further detail
TraditionalAt the end of Yudhishthira’s journey, the dog he refuses to abandon becomes Dharma, the God of Righteousness. The ethical principle therefore appears as a test of conduct towards a vulnerable companion.
Context & interpretation
This entry selects the collection’s ethical gloss and personified test. Dharma has wider and varied meanings across Indian traditions, which these passages do not exhaust. The transforming dog is a traditional narrative illustration rather than a documented supernatural event.
Original passages
Source 1
Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists
righteousness, the established code of ethicsOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Nivedita and Coomaraswamy, Myths of the Hindus & Buddhists (1914), active reader leaf 55
Exact passage checked against the active edition text and original-leaf mapping; whitespace and scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0109-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0109-E001-P0055
- Original scan leaf
- 55
- Recorded leaf number
- 55
- Current Reader position
- 46
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists
Dharma himselfOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Nivedita and Coomaraswamy, Myths of the Hindus & Buddhists (1914), active reader leaf 261
Exact passage checked against the active edition text and original-leaf mapping; whitespace and scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0109-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0109-E001-P0261
- Original scan leaf
- 261
- Recorded leaf number
- 261
- Current Reader position
- 252
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed