What is the difference between dharma and karma?
They are the two most used — and most confused — words in Hindu thought. Dharma is what upholds; karma is action and its fruit. How do they work together in a life?
The verse
Dharma: that which upholds
Dharma comes from dhṛ, "to hold, to support". It is the order that holds the universe together and, in human life, the right way of living — truthfulness, non-violence, duty to family and society, and one's own particular duties (svadharma). The Mahabharata says: "dharma is so called because it upholds all beings."
Karma: action and its fruit
Karma is action — and the consequences that action brings. If dharma is the map, karma is the journey we actually take. But who decides what is dharma when duties conflict? That was Arjuna's question…
The journey continues for members
- When duties conflict
- How they fit together
- For life today
Sources
- Bhagavad Gita — 3.35, 4.20–23, 18.66
- Mahabharata — Karna Parva 69.58 (dharma upholds), Anushasana Parva