The Dharma of Relationships, How Roles Change With Situations

In life, relationships don’t stay the same forever. People evolve, circumstances shift, and the role someone plays in your life today may not be the role they play tomorrow. The Bhagavad Gita offers profound clarity on this—something rarely discussed. It teaches that every relationship has a dharma (duty), and that dharma changes with life’s situations, stages, and inner growth. Just as Arjuna’s role shifted drastically on the battlefield, our roles in relationships transform based on what life demands from us. Understanding this truth helps reduce conflict, protect emotional balance, and deepen bonds instead of breaking them.

One of the most powerful lessons Krishna gives Arjuna is that nothing in life remains fixed—not circumstances, emotions, or roles. If we expect relationships to remain static, disappointment becomes inevitable.

• In childhood, a parent’s dharma is protection.
• In adulthood, that dharma shifts to guidance.
• In old age, it shifts again toward companionship and mutual support.

Likewise:

• Friends who once played the role of daily support may later become distant but still emotionally significant
• A partner may sometimes need you as a listener, sometimes as a motivator, and sometimes simply as emotional silence.
• A sibling may shift from being dependent to being the one who supports you during adulthood.
• Problems arise not because relationships change, but because we resist the change.

Krishna teaches Arjuna that refusing to adapt creates suffering. When Arjuna tries to hold onto his earlier roles nephew, brother, friend Krishna reminds him: “Your dharma right now is that of a warrior.”

This teaches us:

• Your role depends on what life needs from you in the moment, not what you feel comfortable being.
• Accepting shifting roles in relationships prevents emotional friction, reduces unrealistic expectations, and creates spiritual maturity.

In the Gita, Krishna emphasizes that dharma is dynamic. What is right in one situation may be completely wrong in another. This principle applies deeply to relationships.

• Sometimes, your dharma is to stay.
• Sometimes, your dharma is to walk away.
• Sometimes, your dharma is to fight for the relationship.
• Sometimes, your dharma is to let it breathe and heal on its own.

Your role adapts as life unfolds.

For example:

When someone is hurting, your dharma may be compassion. When someone crosses boundaries, your dharma becomes self-respect. When someone depends on you, your dharma is support. When someone must learn to stand alone, your dharma is to step back. Krishna teaches that attachment to one fixed role blinds us, while awareness of changing dharma liberates us. This understanding transforms the way we navigate relationships:

• You stop forcing people to act as they once did.
• You stop punishing yourself for changing.
• You stop expecting permanent behavior from evolving humans.
• You give space for growth for yourself and others.

When you accept that roles shift because karma shifts, relationships become more peaceful, flexible, and emotionally intelligent.

The Gita teaches that the soul evolves through changing circumstances, duties, and relationships. When we cling to old roles, pain arises. When we accept life’s flow, relationships transform into sources of growth, not stress. Understanding the dharma of relationships means seeing each bond as a living journey one that shifts, deepens, or even completes as destiny unfolds. When you adapt your role with awareness instead of fear, you allow love, respect, and wisdom to flourish naturally. And that is the true spiritual maturity the Gita wants us to carry into every relationship in our lives.