In a major breakthrough near the ancient site of Kurukshetra, researchers have recovered clay tablets inscribed with the 'Dharma-Swarupa-Vada', dating to approximately the 4th century BCE. The tablets outline a sophisticated deontological ethics, debating the inherent nature (Swarupa) of virtue versus its social utility.
The inscriptions present a dialogue between two sages regarding the 'immutable essence' of Dharma, suggesting that moral laws are as constant as physical laws. This early philosophical inquiry into the ontology of ethics provides a crucial precursor to the formalization of Dharma-shastras, highlighting a period of intense intellectual debate regarding the foundations of social and cosmic order.