Key Idea: Hindu ethics runs through sva-dharma — the duty of a particular person, determined by varna and stage of life and governed by the varnashramadharma. So the first question in Hindu ethics is not what is right but who is asking, which is a genuine difference from the traditions in Section B.
Tested as
- Whether Hinduism has universal moral rules
- The Three Objectives and the Three Debts
- Ahimsa, diet, and the treatment of sentient creatures
Watch for
- Treating dharma as a universal moral law
- Claiming all Hindus are vegetarian
- Discussing caste with no Hindu voices in the answer
Use
- Sva-dharma, varnashramadharma, dharma, artha, kama
- Ahimsa; dharma yuddha in the Bhagavad Gita
- Pap and punya — sin, and holiness or spiritual excellence
| Item | What it contains |
|---|---|
| The Three Objectives | Dharma, duty; artha, material means; kama, pleasure — with moksha as the fourth and different aim |
| The Three Debts | To learn and recite the Vedas; to give puja to the gods; to have a son |
| Sva-dharma | The personal code of an individual, determined by varna and jati, governed by the varnashramadharma |
| Ahimsa | Non-violence; the guide lists the treatment and worth of sentient creatures, diet, fasting, vegetarianism, protection of the weak |
| Dharma yuddha | Just war in defence of the sanatana dharma — see the Bhagavad Gita |
| Caste | Controversial within Hindu society; illegal as discrimination in India yet habitual; contested among Hindus in Western environments |
Important: Action produces karma, and karma keeps a being in samsara — so a life spent performing duty would seem to generate exactly what liberation requires escaping. The Bhagavad Gita answers with karma yoga: it is attachment to the fruits of action, not action itself, that binds. Naming the tension before giving the answer is what makes an essay here analytical.
Discuss the importance of ahimsa in Hindu ethics.
🔒 Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
Evaluate the claim that sva-dharma makes Hindu ethics unfair.
🔒 Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
What are the Three Objectives and the Three Debts? Objectives: dharma, artha and kama, with moksha as the fourth and different aim. Debts: to learn and recite the Vedas, to give puja to the gods, and to have a son.
What is sva-dharma? The personal code of an individual, determined by varna and jati and governed by the varnashramadharma — so the content of duty differs from person to person.
How does the Gita resolve the karma problem? Through karma yoga: it is attachment to the fruits of action, not action itself, that binds — so duty performed without attachment does not perpetuate samsara.
What is dharma yuddha? Just war in defence of the sanatana dharma, defended in the Bhagavad Gita — which shows ahimsa in Hinduism is a weighty principle rather than an absolute one.
Exam tips
- Name the karma-and-duty tension before you resolve it. The Gita's answer only counts if the problem is stated.
- Sva-dharma is particular; ahimsa and karma are universal. Both halves belong in an essay on Hindu ethics.
- On caste, report the arrangement, the Hindu objection, and who is making it.
- Dharma yuddha belongs in the five-tradition comparison on the use of force.