Panel Discussion on Inner Awakening and Righteous Living - Dharma as the Compass for Daily Life

The evening session of the ongoing three-day Summer Course featured an insightful panel discussion on ‘Inner Awakening and Righteous Living - Dharma as the Compass for Daily Life’. Moderated by Prof Rani P L (Dean, Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences and Languages & Literature, and Director, Anantapur Campus), the panel brought together Ms Sai Swaroopa Iyer (Program Lead, INDICA) Ms Sai Geetha M N (Senior Director, Software Engineering, Lowe’s India) Dr Lathasree (Senior Medical Officer, Sri Sathya Sai General Hospital) and Ms Vidyulatha Narayan (Manager, Education Division, East Sussex County, UK.)Drawing upon Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba's teachings, the speakers explained that Dharma is not merely a code of conduct but the very expression of one's innate divinity. They reiterated Swami's message that righteousness in the heart leads to peace in the world, while emphasising trikarana shuddhi—the unity of thought, word, and action—as the hallmark of a noble life. The panel elaborated on various dimensions of Dharma, including Swarupa Dharma, the realisation of one's true divine nature, and Deha Dharma, the responsibility of caring for the body and mind through pure food, conduct, thoughts, speech, and balanced living. Quoting examples from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Bhagawad Gita, the speakers explained that true Dharma lies in performing one's duties selflessly, with detachment, and offering every action to the Divine while upholding universal human values. Concluding the discussion, the panel affirmed that Dharma ultimately becomes the foundation for inner awakening, enabling one to listen to the voice of conscience, purify the mind, and manifest the divinity within. By making Dharma the natural way of life, they noted, humanity can move from individual transformation to universal harmony and lasting peace.