Dharma in Samskara In Hinduism, a person is offered many paths towards salvation depending on his or her caste. The only toll to pay on this path is that of dharma, or duty. If one fulfills one’s dharma, then one comes closer to liberation ( moksa ). For a woman, this means obeying her husband. For a brahmin man, this means living his life according to the four life-stages ( asramas ) and practicing the vedic rituals. In the novel, Samskara , U.R. Anantha Murthy contrasts many possible paths to salvation including that of Naranappa and that of Praneshacharya; at first glance, a sinner and a saint. However, throughout the novel it becomes less clear who, if either, of these two is actually performing their dharma. I do not believe that either Naranappa nor Praneshacharya are successful at performing the dharma of a brahmin man because neither fulfilled both the life stages and the performance of the rituals. Dharma can be loosely translated to mean "duty... religion... ju...
