Yato Dharmastato Jayah

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The emblem of the Supreme Court of India bearing the inscription, which it has adopted as its official motto.

Yato Dharmastato Jayah (Sanskrit: यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः, romanized: yato dharmastato jayaḥ) is a Sanskrit shloka that occurs a total of 13 times in the Hindu epic the Mahabharata. It means "Where there is Dharma, there will be Victory".[1][2]

Translations of
यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः
Sanskritयतो धर्मस्ततो जयः
Assameseযতো ধৰ্মস্ততো জয়ঃ
Bengaliযতো ধর্মস্ততো জয়ঃ
Hindiयतो धर्मस्ततो जयः
Malayalamയതോ ധർമസ്തതോ ജയഃ
Marathiयतो धर्मस्ततो जयः
Odiaଯତୋ ଧର୍ମସ୍ତତୋ ଜୟଃ
Tamilயதோ தர்மஸ்ததோ ஜய:
Teluguయతో ధర్మస్తతో జయః
Urduیَتو دھرمَستَتو جَیَہ
Gujaratiયતો ધર્મસ્તતો જયઃ
Glossary of Hinduism terms

Meaning

The phrase comes from the Mahabharata verse 13.153.39.[3] On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, during the Kurukshetra War, when Arjuna tries to shake the despondency of Yudhisthira;[4] he states "victory is ensured for the side standing with Dharma".[5] It occurs again when Gandhari, the mother of Kauravas, having lost all her sons in the war, utters it with the intent: "Where there is Dharma, there is Victory".

Reference in Hindu scriptures

The phrase is often complemented with another shloka in the Mahabharata. [6] Dhritarashtra is warned using this phrase by Vyasa to discourage the unrighteous ways of his sons.[7] It again occurs in the Stri Parva of Hindu Itihasa Mahabharata.[8] It is also told by Bhishma to Duryodhana in Bhagavad Gita Parva. Yato Dharmastato Jayah occurs a total of eleven times in the Mahabharata.[4]

In Karna-Upanivada Parva, Karna while accepting his mistakes in front of Krishna, also said this.

In Vidura Niti, when Dhritarashtra is interacting with Vidura, he uses this phrase. He says, "though I know that victory lies on the path of Dharma, even then I cannot forsake my son Duryodhana".[9]

Dharma Viveka, a Sanskrit poem composed by Halayudhvi, ends with this phrase.[10]

In studies

In Bala Vihar, an educational activity for children, Chinmaya Mission uses this message to supplement the concept of Karma.[11] Scholar Alf Hiltebeitel takes this up in detail in his study of Dharma and Bhagwat Gita.[4] Before Alf, the scholar Sylvain Lévi is known to have studied this phrase in detail with varying interpretations.[4][12] In an article of the Indian Defence Review journal, it is characterized as "best sums up the Indian thought", here meaning, "If we are righteous, then victory will be ours [India's]".[13] In the study of ethics, it is taken to convey that "ultimate victory is that of righteousness".[14]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Why Justices Broke the Code of Silence - Mumbai Mirror -". Mumbai Mirror. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  2. ^ Joseph, Kurian (2017). "यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः". Nyayapravah. XVI (63): 7.
  3. ^ www.wisdomlib.org (2021-09-17). "Mahabharata Verse 13.153.39 [Sanskrit text]". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
  4. ^ a b c d Hiltebeitel, Alf (2011). Dharma: Its Early History in Law, Religion, and Narrative. Oxford University Press, USA. p. 545547. ISBN 9780195394238.
  5. ^ Sharma, Rambilas (1999). Bhāratīya saṃskr̥ti aura Hindī-pradeśa (in Hindi). Kitabghar Prakashan. p. 352. ISBN 9788170164388.
  6. ^ Sharma, Arvind (2007). Essays on the Mahābhārata. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 409. ISBN 9788120827387.
  7. ^ Pandey, Kali Charan (2011). Ethics and Epics: Reflections on Indian Ethos. Readworthy. p. 20. ISBN 9789350180334.
  8. ^ The Mahábhárata: an epic poem (in Hindi). Education Committee's Press. 1837. p. 349.
  9. ^ Satyaketu (19 January 2021). Vidur Neeti (in Hindi). Prabhat Prakashan. p. 108. ISBN 9789350481615.
  10. ^ Haeberlin, John (1847). Kavya-Sangraha: a sanscrit anthology (in Sanskrit). p. 506.
  11. ^ Yato Dharmah Tato Jayah. Chinmaya Mission. pp. Chapter 1.
  12. ^ Lévi, Sylvain (1996). Mémorial Sylvain Lévi (in French). Motilal Banarsidass. p. 295. ISBN 9788120813434.
  13. ^ Verma, Bharat (15 January 2013). "Indian Defence Review: Jul-Sep 2010". Lancer Publishers: 32. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  14. ^ Pandey, Kali Charan (2011). Ethics and Epics: Reflections on Indian Ethos. Readworthy. p. 19. ISBN 9789350180334.
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