Dharma and the Indian Constitution

Abstract

"Sarva Dharma Sambhavana" is a fundamental precept of Dharma. It is also the predominant thread that runs through several Supreme Court decisions. Was this merely coincidental, or does the Indian Constitution actually imbibe and mirror the principles of Dharma? The relation between Dharma and the Indian Constitution is examined keeping this very fundamental question in mind. The paper is an assertion that the Constitution is framed based on the principles of Dharma and not merely inspired by the western cultures, which the framers of the Constitution failed to realize. Dharma, as per popular notion, is not a singular construct of the Hindu way of life, but is common to all religions. Dharma and religion are two separate entities and are often confused to be one and the same. This paper clarifies these differences and through the descriptive and analytical method, traces the evolution of this concept and its subsequent connect with the laws that govern us. The crux of the paper lies in the fact that law and dharma are strongly interwoven and there is no way the two can be separated.