THE CONCEPT OF LAW AND DHARMA AND IT’S RELEVANCE IN INDIAN JURISPRUDENCE

Two categories can be used to classify the concept of dharma. One is the normative concept, which is said to have come from a norm, for instance, what one ought to do and what one ought not to do (for example, one ought not to steal and one ought to tell the truth), and the other is how it governs an individual's day-to-day activities in their social and personal life. For example, it outlines the responsibilities and obligations that each person has to their family, society, life, and God. Several Dharmasastra, Vedas, and Smritis are where the word "dharma" first appeared. People were ruled by the idea of dharma in ancient times. Prior to it, there weren't any laws created specifically for the society. Raj Dharma, the king, was tasked with providing the populace with justice through dharma. Santana dharma, Samanaya dharma, Varna dharma, Savadharma, Guna dharma, Stri dharma, and many others are among the several varieties of dharma. If we delve further into the idea of dharma, we find that dharma and law are connected. The constitution was established as the highest law in the current legal system, and no one is above it. Dharma used to be supreme. There are numerous instances in contemporary times where the judiciary has used dharma to guide its conclusions in legal proceedings.