Good conduct is the supreme virtue - आचारः परमो धर्मः

For about two thousand years, it seems there is fight about who others bow to in their private moment with the divine. Even when we say the divine is beyond our perception, every 'religion' has a form of the divine, or attributes.

Why does it matter who likes which form? What matters is what is their behaviour, actions, deeds.

Taking an analogy. it is fine to say 'My child is the cutest', but not right to say 'Your child is ugly.' Everyone finds their child to be the best for themselves. Comparison and competition is not what parenting is about, but giving loving care and instilling good values is.

Similarly, you will not get seats in heaven or final liberation by where your blind faith is, but by how you treat others, including humans, animals, plants, environment, earth...

See how the wealthy and powerful are behaving in the largest economies!

If you can't be positive to others, at least be neutral.

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And now the language aspects -



Good conduct is the supreme virtue.
= आचारः परमो धर्मः ।
= āchāraḥ paramo dharmaḥ
= AchAraH paramo dharmaH
(manusmṛiti 1:108)

āchāraḥ = [good] conduct [is]
paramo = paramaḥ (paramaH, परमः) = supreme, beyond all
dharmaḥ = duty, virtue, quality, characteristic


If you note, the visarga after paramaH changes to paramo, but not after AchAraH.

The rule says -
if the first word ENDS in a (short vowel) and visarga H (aH or अः)
and the second word STARTS with 'a' OR 3rd/4th/5th of the group (g, gh, ~N, j, jh, ~n, D, Dh, N, d, dh, n, b, bh, m) OR y, r, l, v, h)
THEN
the visarga becomes 'u', combines with previous 'a' (of aH), and makes 'o'.

If the second word starts with 'a', that 'a' vanishes and an avagraha sign is put.

For example:
yashaH + abhilAShI = yasho'bhilAShI (यशः + अभिलाषी = यशोऽभिलाषी) = fame + desirer

yashaH + dA = yashodA (यशः + दा = यशोदा) = fame + giver (fem.) = foster mother of Lord kRiShNa

manaH + haraH = manoharH (मनः + हरः = मनोहरः) = desiring faculty + snatcher = someone very captivating

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(c) shashikant joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।
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