Our dharma is the most unique, compact, expansive and the easiest to follow. One may ask what is dharma. It is nothing but a manual of good conduct, as derived from the Vedas. One may ask who is the author of Vedas? Having emanated from the breath of the Lord, who has neither a beginning nor an end, but is omnipresent, the Vedas show the pathway to God through correct observances, said His Holiness Sriman Sadagopa Ranganatha Yathindra Mahadesikan, the 46th pontiff of Ahobila Math, in his gracious speech.
The Vedas themselves are very difficult to comprehend, hence the dharma to be followed by various people is delineated in the sastras. The Brahmins have a pivotal role in that their adherence to the dharmic life will determine the welfare of the entire society. While following dharmic life benefits oneself and one's descendants, non-compliance brings harm all around. To instil the dharmic life and to espouse its importance, the Lord himself came to earth in several avatars. He also sent the Azhwars and the acharyas to ensure they teach devotees in a simple and easy-to-follow manner, and show the way of adherence to a principled life. Unless one follows the stipulated practices and routines (even one-third of what is stipulated is sufficient), one is not prepared and ready for saranagathi — the surrender of oneself to the Supreme to rid oneself of the cycle of rebirths. Women too have a crucial role to play in supporting and ensuring that the men follow dharma and perform the essential duties expected of them, as laid out in the sastras. This would ensure the well-being of not only the performer but also his descendants and society.