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In the Hindu Weltanschauung world is reigned by a law (dharma), revealing itself in nature and custom. It maintains the cosmic order and
prescribes all beings, from god to the plants, their duties and their right ethical behaviour. Furthermore it lays down, considering the law of karma, that all actions will be punished or
rewarded in a life hereafter. In this sense, the dharma is a principle, carrying all life. Therefore dharmasignifies the highest truth (satya). It regulates furthermore all modes
of social interaction between men, their duties towards the government, as well as the process of the various sacrificial ceremonies.
In this sense dharma includes religion, ethics, law and custom.
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Textbooks of the dharma. This books include a collection of texts, prescribing in metrical form rules and duties for the Hindu society. The dharma-shastrasare based on the tradition of the dharma-sutras,
but they consider much more than these the duties out of the common law and national law. Furthermore it includes a complete cosmogony, the description of religious ceremonies and duties for the
different social groups of the caste system, lying strong impact on purifying rites.
Especially the law-books of Manu, Narada and Yajnavalkya were considered until late medieval times as
authoritative.
See: Sastras
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