Within Ayyavazhi, dharma is not merely an ethical guideline but the very axis around which cosmic and social order turn. Its primary scripture, Akilattirattu Ammanai, narrates existence as a struggle between dharma and adharma, especially through the contrast between Kali Yukam, the age of darkness, and the envisioned Dharma Yukam, the age of righteousness. Ayya Vaikundar’s mission is portrayed as the destruction of this dark age and the establishment of a righteous rule grounded in truthfulness, compassion, and moral conduct. Living by these dharmic principles is treated as the true worship of the divine, and spiritual liberation is said to depend on such moral character rather than on birth or social status. Thus, social justice, relief from oppression, and ethical governance are understood as natural extensions of spiritual duty.

Unity, in this tradition, is rooted in the vision of a single supreme reality, often expressed through the concept of Ekam, from which all beings and deities emerge as manifestations. This theological oneness undergirds a strong rejection of caste hierarchies and untouchability, identifying such divisions as expressions of the dark age that dharma seeks to overcome. All religions are viewed as diverse paths converging on the same divine truth, and all humans are regarded as children of the same divine source. The movement therefore promotes caste equality, gender equality in spiritual practice, and the inclusion of people from every social background, affirming that spiritual advancement is open to all who live righteously.

These convictions are not left at the level of doctrine but are woven into communal life and worship. Pathis and Nizhal Thangals function as open centers of devotion, where no rigid priestly or caste hierarchy is allowed to define access to the sacred. Shared meals and charitable food distribution, often spoken of as anna dharma or annadhanam, deliberately bring people of different backgrounds together in a single fellowship. Community gatherings, prayers, and festivals are designed to integrate elements from multiple religious traditions and to gather people across social divisions, making unity a lived experience rather than a mere ideal. Service to the oppressed and active opposition to social injustice are treated as concrete expressions of dharma, so that spiritual practice and social transformation move hand in hand.

In this way, Ayyavazhi presents dharma and unity as two sides of the same coin: righteousness is fulfilled only when it heals division, and genuine unity can arise only from a life ordered by dharma.