At the interface of ‘<Emphasis Type="Italic">Dharma</Emphasis>’ and ‘<Emphasis Type="Italic">Karma</Emphasis>’: Interpreting moral discourse in India

The paper examines the Hindu, Indian concepts of karma and dharma as interpreted in the contemporary, urban Indian context. Using in depth interviews, the study was conducted with 30 respondents from Vadodara city belonging to different socio-economic and professional statuses. Results indicate that both the concepts were infl uenced by an individual’s life stage, gender and socio-economic status. Like karma, the concept of dharma also mainly comprised fulfi lling role-related responsibilities and duties. Integrating both the concepts, it can be said that dharma is the larger framework within the peripheries of which individual karma operates. The concepts of karma and dharma seem to provide a background template for deciphering right and wrong human behavior/conduct in the Indian context.