Encyclopedia.com > Dictionaries, Thesauruses, Pictures, and Press Releases > The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions > January 1997

Ṛta(m)

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions | 1997 | 671 words | Copyright

Ṛta(m) (Skt., ‘fixed order, rule’). In Hinduism, the sense of fundamental order and balance which obtains in the universe and must be observed and sustained through appropriate sacrifices, rituals, and behaviours. Ṛta as a word is related to ṛtu, the seasons, which recur with regularity out of the control of humans—or for that matter, of gods. Mitra and Varuṇa are invoked in the Vedas as guardians of ṛta, but they are never regarded or described as its creator or controller. Ṛta is deeper and more fundamental than the gods, and anticipates the impersonal law of karma, and the pervasive rule of dharma.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

JOHN BOWKER. "Ṛta(m)." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN BOWKER. "Ṛta(m)." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-tam.html

JOHN BOWKER. "Ṛta(m)." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-tam.html

Learn more about citation styles

Find thousands of answers for hundreds of subjects at Answers Encyclopedia .

All answers verified by trusted sources at Encyclopedia.com

Try Answers Encyclopedia now!

For students and teachers!

Encyclopedia.com provides students and teachers facts, information, and biographies from verified, citable sources, including:

Encyclopedia.com provides students and teachers facts, information, and biographies from verified, citable sources, including: