~Adharma~

Adharma is a Sanskrit word which means “what goes against dharma” or, more literally, “not-dharma.” This has connotations of wrong, evil, immorality and vice. It can also be translated as chaos, disorder and disharmony. It is a complex term which has different shades of meaning depending on the context. It is used in yogic philosophy as well as other Indian religions.

Its opposite, dharma, etymologically means “what supports and sustains”; thus, adharma can represent all attempts to destroy or oppose this process of supporting or sustaining. It is often written as a pair in the scriptures of dharma-adharma. Whereas dharma leads to well-being, prosperity and spiritual enlightenment, adharma leads away from all of these.