ANANYA MISHRA
214026
ON THE TOPIC
DHARMA, ITS TYPES AND MODERN POLITICS
IN THE MONSOON SEMESTER OF
2015-16
Introduction
In Hinduism, dharma is the religious and moral law governing individual conduct and is one of the four ends of life. In addition to the dharma that applies to everyone (sadharana dharma)—consisting of truthfulness, non-injury, and generosity, among other virtues—there is also a specific dharma (svadharma) to be followed according to one’s class, status, and station in life. Dharma constitutes the subject matter of the Dharma Sutras, religious manuals that are the earliest source of Hindu law, and in the course of time has …show more content…
Though he had inherited many traditions he had not agreed in to with any one of them. These cultural derivations varied from ancient texts to his immediate predecessors. Gandhi did never claim to be an original thinker. But when we look into all his sayings the conceptual framework is similar in many ways to a philosopher. Regarding the radical formulations and practical pursuits he portrays in his works, we have every reason to accept him as a philosopher in the Indian sense. Many political Scientists thought that Gandhi was a combinations of a prophet and a politician of the highest caliber. So he had combined within himself aspects of the Philosopher and politician. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, a great admirer and critic of Gandhi, once said that Gandhi had to play the roles of a world teacher as well as the Supreme leader of the Indian National Liberation Movement. In a tone of criticism he further said, often his former role that is the role of a world teacher became so prominent that he had to compromise with his other role. .Impeccable dichotomy could be find in the works of Mahatma Gandhi. He saw a great potential in politics as it could be an excellent instrument for the uplift of mankind in social, economic, moral and spiritual spheres. Gandhi himself admitted to his South African friend that his bent of mind was …show more content…
Many great philosophers right from Plato could not reconcile the dichotomy between reality and ideal. Gandhain principles cannot be disbelieved because to some extent it is based on Utopian principles. The dreams and the vision great political leaders had becomes basis of the construction of great empires always and Gandhian views have set a high benchmark for our independence struggle and post-independence transformations. This vision of our great father of the nation shaped modern politics of