In Vedic Sanskrit, Rta (ṛtá) literally means the "order or course of things", cognate to Avestan aša. In the Vedas, rta lays the philosophical foundation for the Hindu conception of dharma. In current usage, the use of the term rta is eschewed for the more developed and now standard dharma. Rta became deified as the father of justice and righteousness, unyielding but eminently fair. It grew, as Radhakrishnan states, "from physical divine" in its purvey. Rta was morality, the equitable law of the universe.