Svadharma, Sva-dharma: 17 definitions

Introduction
In Hinduism
1. Vaishnavism
2. Purana
3. Shaktism
4. Yoga
Languages
1. Marathi
2. Sanskrit
3. Hindi
4. Kannada
See also
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Introduction:

Svadharma means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi, Hindi. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

Alternative spellings of this word include Swadharm.

In Hinduism

Vaishnavism (Vaishava dharma)

Source: ISKCON Press: Glossary

Svadharma (स्वधर्म).—Specific duties of a particular body performed in accordance with religious principles in order to achieve liberation.

Source: Pure Bhakti: Bhagavad-gita (4th edition)

Svadharma (स्वधर्म) refers to “one’s prescribed duty; occupation according to one’s nature”. (cf. Glossary page from Śrīmad-Bhagavad-Gītā).

Source: Pure Bhakti: Brhad Bhagavatamrtam

Svadharma (स्वधर्म) refers to:—One’s own duty; prescribed occupational duties; religious duties. (cf. Glossary page from Śrī Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta).

context information

Vaishnava (वैष्णव, vaiṣṇava) or vaishnavism (vaiṣṇavism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshipping Vishnu as the supreme Lord. Similar to the Shaktism and Shaivism traditions, Vaishnavism also developed as an individual movement, famous for its exposition of the dashavatara (‘ten avatars of Vishnu’).

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English Translation

Svadharma (स्वधर्म) refers to “one’s own duty”, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.54 (“Description of the duties of the chaste wife”).—Accordingly, as a Brahmin lady said to Pārvatī: “[...] O gentle lady, the chaste ladies can be divided into four classes. Even when they are remembered they dispel sins. The divisions comprise of the superior etc. They are superior, middling, inferior (nikṛṣṭā) and very inferior. I shall explain their characteristics. Listen with attention. [...] O Pārvatī, she who ponders over her duty (svadharma) mentally and desists from going astray is inferior among the chaste. Of course she is pure in conduct. [...]”.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

Svadharma (स्वधर्म).—Practised in Śakadvīpa;¹ Paraśurāma accused by Śiva as lacking in the practice of;² to be insisted upon the subjects by the Kings;³ of castes; departure from, leads to hell;⁴ Daityas routed for having departed from their dharma.⁵

1) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 19. 106; Vāyu-purāṇa 49. 103.
2) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 23. 71; 50. 2.
3) Matsya-purāṇa 215. 63; 225. 5.
4) Viṣṇu-purāṇa I. 6. 9, 41-2.
5) Ib. III. 18. 12, 48.

context information

The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.

Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)

Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions (shaktism)

Svadharma (स्वधर्म) refers to “one’s own way (of worship)”, according to the Devīpurāṇa verse 88.1-3.—Accordingly, “People desiring liberation worship the Mothers by way of the Vedas and the Śaiva Tantric revelation. They are also worshipped in accordance with the Gāruḍatantras, Bhūtatantras, and Bālatantras. Beneficent, they bring all endeavors to fruition, and are like wish-fulfilling jewels. Heretics of the future—[viz.] the Buddhist proponents of Gāruḍa Tantra—will worship them according to their own methods, devoted to their own ways (svadharma-nirata), dear child. They give rewards that accord with any disposition wise people worship them with, whether they be Brahmins or even lowborn outcastes”.

context information

Shakta (शाक्त, śākta) or Shaktism (śāktism) represents a tradition of Hinduism where the Goddess (Devi) is revered and worshipped. Shakta literature includes a range of scriptures, including various Agamas and Tantras, although its roots may be traced back to the Vedas.

Yoga (school of philosophy)

Source: ORA: Amanaska (king of all yogas): A Critical Edition and Annotated Translation by Jason Birch

Svadharma (स्वधर्म) refers to “one’s own religious duties”, according to the Yogayājñvalkya 6.12, 16-6.19ab.—Accordingly, while discussing that yoga was practised by all four castes and women: “[...] [If] a Brahmin is learned in the Vedas and always devoted to his religious duties (svadharma), he should repeat a Vedic mantra and never a non-Vedic one. Some [Brahmins] wish to repeat a non-Vedic mantra for the well-being of [all] people. As [in the case of] a Brahmin, mantra repetition is prescribed for a Kṣatriya in Prāṇāyāma. [...]”.

context information

Yoga is originally considered a branch of Hindu philosophy (astika), but both ancient and modern Yoga combine the physical, mental and spiritual. Yoga teaches various physical techniques also known as āsanas (postures), used for various purposes (eg., meditation, contemplation, relaxation).

Languages of India and abroad

Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

svadharma (स्वधर्म).—m (S) Own, proper, or peculiar duty, office, or business; as giving alms is the svadharma of a householder; administering justice, the svadharma of a king; praying &c. that of a Brahman; fighting, that of a Kshatriya; the proper business, work, function, or action of an intelligent creature in general. 2 The proper, native, or inherent quality; the property, peculiarity, or own nature or constitution: also any natural quality or property.

Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-English

svadharma (स्वधर्म).—m Own, proper or peculiar duty; &c.; the inherent quality.

context information

Marathi is an Indo-European language having over 70 million native speakers people in (predominantly) Maharashtra India. Marathi, like many other Indo-Aryan languages, evolved from early forms of Prakrit, which itself is a subset of Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages of the world.

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Svadharma (स्वधर्म).—

1) one's own religion.

2) one's own duty, the duties of one's own class; Manusmṛti 1.88,91; स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः (svadharme nidhanaṃ śreyaḥ paradharmo bhayāvahaḥ) Bhagavadgītā (Bombay) 3.35.

3) peculiarity, one's own rights.

Derivable forms: svadharmaḥ (स्वधर्मः).

Svadharma is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms sva and dharma (धर्म).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Svadharma (स्वधर्म).—m. 1. that which is due to somebody, one’s right, Chr. 21, 8. 2. one’s duty, [Daśakumāracarita] in Chr. 181, 4. 3. peculiar duty or occupation. 4. peculiarity.

Svadharma is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms sva and dharma (धर्म).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Svadharma (स्वधर्म).—[masculine] one’s own right or duty.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1) Svadharma (स्वधर्म):—[=sva-dharma] [from sva] a m. o°’s own rights (maṃ-√labh, ‘to get justice’), [Mahābhārata]

2) [v.s. ...] o°’s own duty, [Maitrī-upaniṣad; Manu-smṛti; Yājñavalkya] etc.

3) [v.s. ...] peculiar property, peculiarity, [Horace H. Wilson]

4) [=sva-dharma] b etc. See p. 1275, col. 3.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Svadharma (स्वधर्म):—[sva-dharma] (rmmaḥ) 1. n. One’s own duty; what is proper for each caste.

[Sanskrit to German]

Svadharma in German

context information

Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.

Hindi dictionary

Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionary

Svadharma (स्वधर्म) [Also spelled swadharm]:—(nm) one’s own duty/religion; ~[cyuta] who has neglected his duty/religion, fallen from duty or religion; -[cyuti] falling from duty or religion; -[tyāga] apostasy; ~[tyāgī] a renegade; apostate; negligent of duty/religion.

context information

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Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Svadharma (ಸ್ವಧರ್ಮ):—

1) [noun] the aggregate of one’s natural, conginetal characteristics.

2) [noun] the duty entailed by one’s profession.

3) [noun] the religion one follows since his or her birth.

4) [noun] the distinct personality of an individual regardeda persisting entity; individuality.

context information

Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.

Relevant text

Search found 30 books and stories containing Svadharma, Sva-dharma; (plurals include: Svadharmas, dharmas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Verse 18.47 < [Chapter 18 - Mokṣa-yoga (the Yoga of Liberation)]

Verse 2.31 < [Chapter 2 - Sāṅkhya-yoga (Yoga through distinguishing the Soul from the Body)]

Verse 3.9 < [Chapter 3 - Karma-yoga (Yoga through the Path of Action)]

+ 7 more chapters / show preview

Verse 2.2.126 < [Chapter 2 - Jñāna (knowledge)]

Verse 2.4.208-209 < [Chapter 4 - Vaikuṇṭha (the spiritual world)]

Verse 1.2.49 < [Chapter 2 - Divya (the celestial plane)]

+ 11 more chapters / show preview

Chapter 3: Karma Yoga

Chapter 6: Conclusion

Abstract (of the six chapters)

+ 2 more chapters / show preview