After writing Mahabharata ganesh asked simillar question to vyasa maharshi. Vyasa maharishi told essense of all puranas in half sloka

UNIVERSAL DHARMA

(in Sanskrit) ” SLOKAARTHENA PRAVAKSHYAAMI YADUKTAM GRANTHA KOTIBHIHI, PAROPAKARAHA PUNYAAYA PAPAAYA PARA PEEDANAM .” (VedaVyasa’s Maha Bharatham)

(in English) (1) PASSIVE DHARMA ” DO NOT DO TO OTHERS WHAT YOU WANT OTHERS NOT TO DO TO YOU.” (2) ACTIVE DHARMA: ” DO TO OTHERS WHAT YOU WANT OTHERS TO DO TO YOU.” (BHAAVAM–import):

Every RELIGION in the world prescribes certain code of conduct (DO’s and DON’Ts) to its followers . They will do well to follow their Own Religious code because these tenets have been prescribed and revised from time to time by Great Seers and Thinkers of that Religion according to the needs, at that point of time, of the society which they want to serve selflessly. In the BHAGAVAD GITHA enscripted by Sri Veda Vyasa, Lord KRISHNA says–“SWADHARME NIDHANAM SREYAHA, PARADHARMO BHAYAAVAHAHA.” He means — it is better to die following one’s OWN DHARMA , rather than following other dharmas which are always fearful. Why so? At the philosophical level most of the religions do not have much conflict. Only at the practice part, they differ because their prescriptions are directed towards a society of a particular region and a particular time of psychological values-evolution. If all or most of the members of a society follow the same Religion which their fore-fathers and their fore- fathers…have been following ( of course with due modifications prescribed by series of great Seers of that Religion from time to time), it is in their geniology and so there is no inner conflict; there is coherence and harmony in the society. On the other hand, if a section of the society is tempted to follow the practical part of any other religion, then those individuals and their families/communities are alienated from their own brotheren, and disharmony prevails ! VEDA VYASA MAHARSHI, who has classified the entirely mixed-up VEDA RAASI into four categories- RUK, YAJUS, SAAMA and ATHARVA VEDAS- is the best person to know the Heart and Soul of the Vedas !and He sums up all the dharmas in half-a-sloka and provides us with a Universal Standard (TOUCH-STONE) to self-test how pure our Gold (MIND) is, whether we are following Dharma or not, and whether we are Righteous or not ! THE HIGHEST OF ALL DHARMAS IS THIS: You do not like others to do certain things to you, to behave in certain ways with you, and to treat you in certain ways. You certainly know all these things clearly, as your mind tells you that it is not happy with such and such things, matters,etc; Then, if you SIMPLY ABSTAIN from doing similar things to others (so as not to cause displeasure to them), you are among the DHAARMIKAS of the world, whom GOD loves ! This is PASSIVE DHARMA. The still higher level is the ACTIVE DHARMA. It is to POSITIVELY DO TO OTHERS what will cause relief, help, pleasure and delight to them. Doesn’t this Dharma set an easy and clear vision before any Human Being, irrespective of his Religion, Nationality, Language, Educational level, Profession or Occupation, etc. etc.? And hence be called a UNIVERSAL DHARMA !

Similar Stories