Dharma (/ˈdɑrmə/; Sanskrit: धर्म dharma,  listen (help·info); Pali: धम्म dhamma) is a key concept of Hinduism and later became a part of Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism. Dharma is a Sanskrit word which simply means righteousness.In Hinduism, dharma signifies behaviors that are considered to be in accord with rta, the order that makes life and universe possible,[note 1] and includes duties, rights, laws, conduct, virtues and ‘‘right way of living’’. In Buddhism dharma means "cosmic law and order", but is also applied to the teachings of the Buddha. In Buddhist philosophy, dhamma/dharma is also the term for "phenomena".[note 2] In Jainism dharma refers to the teachings of the Jinas and the body of doctrine pertaining to the purification and moral transformation of human beings. For Sikhs, the word dharm means the "path of righteousness".The Classical Sanskrit noun dharma is a derivation from the root dhṛ, which has a meaning of "to hold, maintain, keep".[note 3] The word "dharma" was already in use in the historical Vedic religion, and its meaning and conceptual scope has evolved over several millennia. The antonym of dharma is adharma.