What is Dharma?

Dharma is most widely used term in India but it is also most wrongly interpreted term. British wrongly translated Dharma as "Religion", comparing it with Abrahamic faiths.

This is a wrong and malicious translation, but now we Indians have started using Dharma as a term for religion which in fact is totally different thing. How is Dharma different from religion? -

Dharma means "A set of qualities we should adopt and improve". There are a number of qualities we can adopt but the set qualities we must adopt is called Dharma. What are these qualities?

धृति: क्षमा दमोऽस्‍तेयं शौचमिन्‍द्रियनिग्रह:।धीर्विद्या सत्‍यमक्रोधो दशकं धर्मलक्षणम्‌।।

patience, forgiveness , restraint, not stealing, inner and outer purity, not indulging in sensory pleasures, Intelligence, true knowledge, truth, not to be angry.

Those who have these qualities are called Dharmic those who dont have these qualities are called Adharmi. Dharma means trying to attain these qualities.

Religion on the other hand promotes Blind Faith, believing in something without thinking and analyzing. They usually have an "unquestionable" book and "unquestionable" prophets.

Religions are expansionist in nature whereas Dharma is inclusive. Religions ask you to believe blindly, Dharma asks you to attain true knowledge through questioning.

Religions might have some elements of Dharma, they might have some elements of Adharma.
We are not followers of any Religion, we are followers of Dharma, Sanatana Dharma.

Hinduism is a later term used by foreigners to describe followers of Sanatana Dharma. We can use it as it has become a noun now representing Sanatana Dharma.

So religion is not Dharma, dharma is unique and same for all humans, Sanatana Dharma is Manav Dharma that is Dharma for all humans.

Now a days many people ask what do you prefer Nation or Dharma, my answer is that there cannot be a Nation without Dharma.

Imagine if all people start doing whatever they want without restraint, become impatient etc etc can we have a nation? In fact forming a Nation is a device to implement Dharma in society.

Religion of the other hand has no significance over Nation, Nation is always above religions

I think I have clarified the meaning of Dharma, if readers have any questions they can directly ask in comments.

End.