Yato Dharmastato Jayah (Sanskrit: यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः|translit=yato dharmastato jayaḥ) is a Sanskrit shloka that occurs a total of 13 times in the Hindu epic the Mahabharata. It means "Where there is Dharma, there will be Victory".[1] [2]
| Sa: | यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः |
| Bn: | যতো ধর্মস্ততো জয়ঃ |
| As: | যতো ধৰ্মস্ততো জয়ঃ |
| Hi: | यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः |
| Mr: | यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः |
| Ta: | யதோ தர்மஸ்ததோ ஜய: |
| Te: | యతో ధర్మస్తతో జయః |
| Or: | ଯତୋ ଧର୍ମସ୍ତତୋ ଜୟଃ |
| Gu: | યતો ધર્મસ્તતો જયઃ |
| Ur: | یَتو دھرمَستَتو جَیَہ |
| Ml: | യതോ ധർമസ്തതോ ജയഃ |
| Ka: | ಯತೋ ಧರ್ಮಸ್ತತೋ ಜಯಃ |
The phrase comes from the Mahabharata verse 13.153.39.[3] On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, during the Kurukshetra War, when Arjuna tries to shake the despondency of Yudhisthira; he states "victory is ensured for the side standing with Dharma".[4] It occurs again when Gandhari, the mother of Kauravas, having lost all her sons in the war, utters it with the intent: "Where there is Dharma, there is Victory".
The phrase is often complemented with another shloka in the Mahabharata. [5] Dhritarashtra is warned using this phrase by Vyasa to discourage the unrighteous ways of his sons.[6] It again occurs in the Stri Parva of Hindu Itihasa Mahabharata.[7] It is also told by Bhishma to Duryodhana in Bhagavad Gita Parva. Yato Dharmastato Jayah occurs a total of eleven times in the Mahabharata.
In Karna-Upanivada Parva, Karna while accepting his mistakes in front of Krishna, also said this.
In Vidura Niti, when Dhritarashtra is interacting with Vidura, he uses this phrase. He says, "though I know that victory lies on the path of Dharma, even then I cannot forsake my son Duryodhana".[8]
Dharma Viveka, a Sanskrit poem composed by Halayudhvi, ends with this phrase.[9]
In Bala Vihar, an educational activity for children, Chinmaya Mission uses this message to supplement the concept of Karma.[10] Scholar Alf Hiltebeitel takes this up in detail in his study of Dharma and Bhagwat Gita.[11] Before Alf, the scholar Sylvain Lévi is known to have studied this phrase in detail with varying interpretations.[11] [12] In an article of the Indian Defence Review journal, it is characterized as "best sums up the Indian thought", here meaning, "If we are righteous, then victory will be ours [India's]".[13] In the study of ethics, it is taken to convey that "ultimate victory is that of righteousness".[14]