Manusmriti, also known as Manav Dharmashastra or the Laws of Manu, is an ancient book of Hinduism that gives legal, social, and religious teachings. It provides a list of ten signs or qualities, whose presence in a person indicates that they have dharma in them.
The first and foremost is dhriti (fortitude or patience). All good things are difficult to attain. One needs to be patient. Even after attainment, things may be lost—one may lose a beloved possession, or a dear relative. One needs to bear these with fortitude. The second is kshama (forgiveness or tolerance). It is not necessary or advisable to reply to every wrong with another wrong. Sometimes, it is better not to respond and break the cycle of action-reaction. The third is dama (self-control). One should not be arrogant or excessively proud of one’s qualities. It also means being judicious and not saying whatever comes to mind.
The fourth sign is asteyam (non-stealing). We need to have integrity and honesty, not just in our actions but also in our thoughts. The fifth sign is shauch (purity). Cleanliness is of two types—external (keeping our body, clothes, and surroundings clean, and eating clean food), and internal (keeping our thoughts clean). The sixth sign is indriya nigrah (control of sensory and motor organs). We have five sensory and five motor organs. We need to keep them under our control rather than becoming their slaves. The seventh sign is dhi (wisdom). This can also be called the power of discrimination. This means true knowledge, which allows one to discriminate between right and wrong paths in every situation, despite difficulties and temptations.
The eighth sign is vidya (knowledge). It refers to our education as well as our understanding of the practical realities of life. According to the Upanishads, knowledge is of two types: vidya, which refers to the higher knowledge of the soul, and avidya, which refers to the lower knowledge of material things. To be successful, one needs both kinds of knowledge: avidya to perform successfully in the physical world and vidya for spiritual enlightenment. The ninth sign is satyam (truthfulness). It means seeking truth and always following the path of truthfulness. Being truthful gives us enormous peace of mind and is our protective shield in difficult times.
The last is akrodha (absence of anger). In everyone’s life, there are inevitably difficult circumstances and provocations, which can goad one to anger. Absence of anger does not mean one never gets angry, but is not angry without justification.
A person who has these ten characteristics is fully prepared to be a good person, a dharmic person.
