Dharma

Hindu personification of dharma — cosmic order and righteousness. In Mahabharata genealogy he is the divine father of Yudhiṣṭhira, conceived by Kuntī through Sage Durvāsā's mantra. The Yakṣa-praśna at the lake (Vana Parva 297) is Dharma testing his son's wisdom. Compound identification with Yama as Yama-Dharma — the god of death whose judgment weighs the moral life. The Mahabharata's closing Svargārohaṇa Parva has Yudhiṣṭhira merge with Dharma, completing the father-son identification.

Children

• Yudhiṣṭhira

Domains

• righteousness cosmic order
• death judgment yama identification

Powers

• Assumes disguising forms to test righteousness
• Judges the dead and allots their fate
• Judges and assigns fate to the dead
• Restores the dead to life
• Revives the dead
• Tests righteousness in disguise

Epithets

• धर्मराज devanagari · Dharmarāja'King of Righteousness' — judge of the dead, identified with YamaMahābhārata; Garuḍa Purāṇa (primary)

Relations

• lover: KuntīInvoked by Kuntī using Sage Durvāsā's mantra; fathered Yudhiṣṭhira.Mahabharata, Adi Parva 122 (Sambhava Parva) (primary)

Sources

• existence: Ṛgveda 10.92 (early dharma personification); Mahabharata Adi Parva 122; Vana Parva 297 (Yakṣa-praśna); Manusmṛti 1.81-86; Garuḍa Purāṇa (primary)