Dharma is the sanatana (eternal) ordering principle that sustains rita (cosmic harmony), manifesting as both the universal law governing all existence and the specific svadharma (personal duty) of each individual according to varna, ashrama, and circumstance. The Bhagavad Gita (3.35) declares: 'Shreyaan svadharmo vigunah paradharmat svanushtitat' — better is one's own dharma, though imperfectly performed, than the dharma of another well performed. The Manusmriti and the Dharmasutras elaborate dharma across four domains: rita (cosmic order), varna-dharma (social duty), ashrama-dharma (stage-of-life duty), and svadharma (individual calling), while the Mahabharata (Shanti Parva) famously declares dharma's subtlety: 'Dharmasya tattvam nihitam guhayam' — the essence of dharma is hidden in a cave.