1. DHARMA HINDUISM – KS3 Aim of this presentation:
- to help students understand the concept of dharma (in the sense of ‘duty’) in Hinduism by focusing on Bhagavad-Gita story of the God Krishna taking the form of a charioteer to explain the importance of dharma to the soldier Arjuna.
to explore Hindu beliefs about dharma in relation to the key question: What does dharma mean to a Hindu?

2. The Big Question What does dharma mean to a Hindu?
How can I fight against my own relatives?
Follow your dharma and fight.
Introduce students to key question: What does dharma mean to a Hindu?
Look at the cartoon of Krishna and Arjuna. Ask the students to suggest what dharma means in this context.
Explain the background of the great battle in the Bhagavad-Gita and how Arjuna is persuaded to follow his dharma as a soldier (kshatriya) and fight rather than run away and become an ascetic (sannyasin – someone who has renounced the world).
For a simple summary of the background to the battle, see, e.g.,
Key point: for Hindus, fighting evil and protecting good can be achieved if you follow your dharma.
In the Bhagavad Gita Krishna tells Arjuna that he must follow his dharma. He must fight evil and protect good as a soldier.

3. Hindu beliefs about dharma
One meaning of dharma is religious duty.
It involves fighting evil and protecting good.
Fulfilling dharma helps spiritual progress.
You should follow your dharma without attachment or desire for reward.
Performing your own dharma imperfectly is better than doing another’s dharma perfectly.
Show students this slide and ask them to suggest which of these points would be most likely to persuade Arjuna that his duty is to fight, even against his own relations.
Ask the students to suggest how people today might fulfil their duty in a variety of different jobs.
Can students think of some examples in today’s society where people might find themselves in a situation where duty conflicts with favouring themselves, friends or family?

4. The 4 varnas and their dharma
Brahmin (priest) to provide wisdom and guidance
Kshatriya (warrior) to lead, be heroic and be resourceful
Vaishya (merchant) to provide for the needs of others
Shudras (workers) to serve others
Explain to the students that ‘varnas’ are the four traditional divisions of society that apply only to men; women have their own dharma. Traditionally, dharma also depends on a person’s age and the stage they are at in life; each stage of life carries different responsibilities.
Explain that Hindus today recognise that everyone in society has their own role to play and should do their duty to the best of their ability. This is important for everyone’s spiritual journey towards a better rebirth and eventual liberation.
Ask students to suggest what the main dharma of a Hindu student might be.

5. Conflicting duties
Show student this slide: can they remember the dilemma that faced Arjuna (slide 2)?
Explain that dharma can refer to moral duties for all human beings as well as to more specific duties to do with a social role. It is sometimes difficult to tell what the ‘right thing to do’ actually is.
Ask the students to work in pairs to make a list of duties that apply to everyone, whatever age or occupation or gender. After a few minutes, ask them to pass their lists onto the next pair who choose each of the duties in turn and suggest a situation where a person’s particular role might lead them to think that the right course of action is different from the general duty, e.g., ‘Do not kill’… ‘unless you are a soldier defending the innocent’.

6. What does dharma mean to a Hindu?
Ask students for their answers to the key question ‘What does dharma mean to a Hindu?’
Bring out the point that dharma, in the sense of duty, is, in the first place attached to the role in life that a person has; it can depend on their age, stage of life, family and social responsibilities and so on, but is seen as something that is essential to spiritual progress.
Remind the students that Hindus believe in karma and reincarnation, so the way that people perform their duties in this life will affect what happens to them in the future.
Students could follow up this introduction to dharma by investigating the ideas of war and peace in Hinduism, age, and producing a guide to the Hindu soldier’s duties.
Learning outcomes: describe and compare different interpretations of duty in Hinduism.