Sanātana Ḍharma
Most Organized Eternal Way Of Life
सत्यं ब्रूयात् प्रियं ब्रूयान्न ब्रूयात् सत्यमप्रियम् ।
प्रियं च नानृतं ब्रूयादेष धर्मः सनातनः ॥ १३८ ॥
satyaṃ brūyāt priyaṃ brūyānna brūyāt satyamapriyam |
priyaṃ ca nānṛtaṃ brūyādeṣa dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ || 138 ||
He shall say what is true; and he shall say what is agreeable; he shall not say what is true,
but disagreeable; nor shall he say what is agreeable, but untrue; this is the eternal law.
—(Manusmriti - 138)
Sanatana = eternal, Dharma has no equivalent word in any language (English included)
Sanatana-dharma – duties which take into account the person’s spiritual (constitutional) identity as atman and are thus the same for everyone. Sanatana-dharma refers to “the eternal law” which is universal. Dharma is sometimes translated as ‘religion’ but that is not exactly the meaning. Dharma actually means ‘that which one cannot give up’ and ‘that which is inseparable from oneself’. The warmth of fire is inseparable from fire; therefore warmth is called the dharma, or nature, of fire. Similarly, sad-dharma means ‘eternal occupation.’ That eternal occupation is engagement in the transcendental loving service of the Lord.
Sanātana means “all-inclusive” and devoid of time; hence, Sanātana is “Anant” (eternal). “Adi” means beginning and “Antam” means an end; “Anant(am)” means that which has no beginning or end. So, a Ḍharma which is inherent in all, irrespective of time or place is Sanātana Ḍharma. Ḍharma originates from the root concept “Ṛta”, which refers to the natural flow or the natural phenomena. Ḍharma has a spectrum of definitions but, in short, it can be classified in two ways – one, it is an innate property of every entity in creation which constitutes a phenomenon; second, it is a path to a choice-of-action (or inaction) towards the cumulative well-being of the surrounding. Sanātana Ḍharma is not a name, nor a title, nor a religion, nor a philosophy.
Sanatana dharma, is a term used to denote the “eternal” or absolute set of duties or religiously ordained practices incumbent upon all Hindus, regardless of class, caste, or sect.
This is an attempt to understand Sanathana Dharma in its wholeness.
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