The term Dharma originates from the Sanskrit root 'Dhṛ', which means to hold, maintain, support, or sustain. Etymologically, it denotes that which upholds the cosmic order (Rta) and sustains human society. In classical sociological analysis, Dharma is not merely religion in the Western dogmatic sense; rather, it is a complex configuration of moral obligations, cosmic laws, ethical duties, and legal codes.
- Radhakamal Mukerjee's Theory of Social Values: In his seminal work The Social Structure of Values (1949), Radhakamal Mukerjee treats Dharma as the supreme institutionalized value that integrates human desires (Kama) and economic pursuits (Artha) toward the ultimate spiritual liberation (Moksha).
- Indological Perspective: G.S. Ghurye and P.H. Prabhu emphasize that Dharma provides the normative glue for Hindu social institutions, binding the individual to the collective through a network of reciprocal duties known as Varnashrama Dharma.
- Max Weber's Sociology of Religion: In The Religion of India: The Sociology of Hinduism and Buddhism (1916), Weber analyzes Dharma in relation to Karma and Samsara, highlighting how the concept of cosmic justice legitimized the traditional caste stratification system through theodicy.