UPSC Sociology 2026 Paper 2
Model Answer:
In Indian sociology, religion extends beyond personal belief, navigating a complex tension between Dharma (structural-moral duty) and Upasana/Bhakti (devotional worship and ritualism).
Debates on Duty and Worship in the Sociology of Indian Religion
- Cosmic Order versus Devotion: Louis Dumont observed that classical Hinduism prioritizes svadharma (caste-bound duty) over individual worship, subordinating personal religiosity to the hierarchical preservation of cosmic order (Rta).
- Bhakti as Subversion of Hereditary Duty: Thinkers like A.K. Ramanujan highlight that Bhakti movements democratized religion by rejecting caste-ascribed duties, replacing Brahminical orthopraxy with unmediated, egalitarian personal worship.
- Structural-Functional Integration: M.N. Srinivas in Religion and Society among the Coorgs demonstrated that ritual worship (puja) and ancestral rites actively reinforce kinship duties, harmonizing personal devotion with collective solidarity.
- Subaltern and Dalit Critique: B.R. Ambedkar argued that sacred ‘duty’ was engineered to legitimize graded inequality, advocating a transition from ritual worship to universal ethical morality (Dhamma).
- Modern Ethical Synthesis: Reformers like Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi redefined worship by merging it with duty, popularizing Seva (selfless service) and Nishkama Karma as the highest forms of religious devotion.
- Contemporary Compartmentalization: In modern India, Milton Singer noted that while devotional worship proliferates through commodified, ostentatious rituals, it increasingly operates decoupled from traditional social and civic duties.
While duty traditionally enforces structural hierarchy, worship continuously offers transformative avenues for individual agency, ethical renewal, and social resistance.
