A Dharma Reader traces the definition and process of Indian law from the third century bce to the middle ages. Its breadth captures the centuries-long struggle by Indian thinkers to theorize law in a complex society. In classical times, India’s diverse groups like family, caste or other institutions settled on a concept of law. How did they reach consensus? Was it based in religion or transcendent knowledge? Did it depend on time and place? What apparatus existed to ensure justice and fair verdicts? Book tries to address these questions. It includes new and accessible translations of key texts, notes that explain the significance and chronology of selections, and a comprehensive introduction that summarizes the development of various disciplines in intellectual and historical terms.