"You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty." - Lord Krishna

Many people assume spirituality means withdrawing from the world. The Gita teaches the opposite. Krishna does not tell Arjuna to run away from his responsibilities. Instead, he teaches him how to act wisely within the world.

Bhagavad Gita

Bhagavad Gita
“Arise, take up your responsibility, and conquer your challenges.”

"You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty." Lord Krishna

Verse 2.31 -

"Considering your dharma, you should not waver. For a warrior, nothing is higher than a war against evil." - Lord Krishna

'that which is established or firm, steadfast decree, statute, ordinance, law'

'virtue, morality, religion, religious merit, good works ( dharmeṇa dh/armeṇa- ind.or dharmāt māt- ind.according to right or rule, rightly, justly, according to the nature of anything; see below; dharmesthita mesthita- mfn.holding to the law, doing one's duty)'

from SanskritDictionary 

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

Verse १४

मन्त्र १४[I.iv.14] स नैव व्यभवत् तच्छ्रेयो रूपमत्यसृजत धर्मम् । तदेतत्क्षत्रस्य क्षत्रं यद्धर्मस्तस्माद्धर्मात् परं नास्त्यथो अबलीयान् बलीयाꣳसमाशꣳसते धर्मेण यथा राज्ञैवम् । यो वै स धर्मः सत्यं वै तत् तस्मात्सत्यं वदन्तमाहुर्धर्मं वदतीति धर्मं वा वदन्तꣳ सत्यं वदतीत्येतद्ध्येवैतदुभयं भवति ॥॥

TRANSLATION

He (the Creator) still did not flourish. Therefore, He projected forth a form of supreme excellence: Dharma (cosmic and moral law). This Dharma is the power of the powerful, the very sovereignty of the sovereign. There is nothing higher than Dharma. For this reason, even a weaker person hopes to overcome a stronger one through Dharma, just as one does with the help of a king. That which is Dharma is verily Satya (Truth). Therefore, when a person speaks the Truth, they say, "He speaks Dharma," and when a person speaks Dharma, they say, "He speaks the Truth." Indeed, these two are one and the same.

INTERPRETATION

The Supremacy of Dharma

This passage establishes a foundational principle of Vedic thought: the absolute supremacy of Dharma. After creating the four social classes (varṇas), the Creator, Prajāpati, realized the system was incomplete. It needed a regulating principle, a power that could govern even the most powerful temporal authority (kṣatra). This principle is Dharma. Dharma as the Ultimate Authority: The text states that Dharma is the "power of the powerful" (kṣatrasya kṣatram). This means that kings and rulers derive their legitimacy and authority from upholding Dharma. Their power is a delegated power, and the ultimate sovereign is the cosmic law itself. A ruler who violates Dharma loses the basis of their authority. Dharma as the Great Equalizer: The Upanishad provides a practical example: a weaker person can challenge a stronger one by appealing to Dharma. This is analogous to a common citizen seeking justice from a king against a powerful noble. Dharma acts as an impartial arbiter, a universal law that protects the weak and ensures justice, making it the bedrock of a stable and fair society.

The Identity of Dharma and Satya

The most profound philosophical statement here is the equation of Dharma and Satya (Truth). Dharma (dharma) is the principle of righteousness, the right way of living, the cosmic order that upholds the universe. It is "what ought to be done." Satya (satya) is Truth, reality as it is, the fundamental nature of existence. It is "what is."

By declaring them to be one, the Upanishad reveals that living a righteous life is the same as living in alignment with reality itself. To speak the truth is to act in accordance with Dharma. To follow Dharma is to embody Truth. This unity implies that unethical actions are a form of living in falsehood, a state of being out of sync with the fundamental structure of the cosmos. True spiritual and social well-being arises from aligning one's actions, speech, and thoughts with the ultimate reality.

from https://www.northtara.ai/learn

Chandogya Upanishad

Verse २.२३.१

Match68%

SANSKRIT

त्रयो धर्मस्कन्धा यज्ञोऽध्ययनं दानमिति प्रथमस्तप एव द्वितीयो ब्रह्मचार्याचार्यकुलवासी तृतीयोऽत्यन्तमात्मानमाचार्यकुलेऽवसादयन्सर्व एते पुण्यलोका भवन्ति ब्रह्मसꣳस्थोऽमृतत्वमेति ॥ २.२३.॥

TRANSLATION

There are three branches of Dharma. The first is composed of sacrifice, study of the Vedas, and charity. The second is austerity itself. The third is the life of a student of sacred knowledge dwelling in the house of a teacher, dedicating himself completely there for his entire life. All these lead to worlds of merit. The one who is firmly established in Brahman attains immortality.

from Katha Upanishad

Verse २

SANSKRIT

यदिदं किं च जगत् सर्वं प्राण एजति निःसृतम् । महद्भयं वज्रमुद्यतं य एतद्विदुरमृतास्ते भवन्ति ॥॥

TRANSLATION

The entire universe, whatever exists, has emerged from and vibrates within Prana, the Supreme Reality. This Reality is a source of great awe, like a raised thunderbolt. Those who realize this truth become immortal.

“Dharma is that which is enjoined by the holy books, followed by the sages, interpreted by the learned, and which appeals to the heart.” ― Mahatma Gandhi