The third goal of Hindu life, dharma, can be creatively interpreted and
employed to ensure equality of opportunity and social structures that
are just and conducive to liberation from all expressions of oppression.
Dharma is a rich and multifaceted concept. It is derived from the
Sanskrit root, dhr, meaning “to support, to sustain,” and is understood
to include the corpus of values that make for social stability and wellbeing.
The opposite of dharma is adharma and the latter is equated
with chaos, disintegration, and suffering. Dharma emphasizes the
social context in which all human goals are pursued. It reminds us that
the unrestrained and heedless pursuit of individual or corporate wealth
and pleasure causes suffering to others and social instability.