Sanatana Dharma?

[shvu]

 

For most part of the time, we (including myself) are content enough, accepting whatever stories we are told and repeating them to the rest of the world. It does not require much intelligence and effort to passively accept and repeat. In short, it is the easy way out. One such item is the usage of the name "Sanatana dharma".

 

Every T, D & H appears to take a lot of pride in calling Indian religion as Sanatana Dharma and is very quick to correct someone of using the "wrong" name Hinduism, for it is actually a distortion of the name Sindhu, coined by muslims (apparently), has a foreign origin, yaada, yaada, yaada...

 

The next immediate, natural question, although surprisingly seldom asked, is about the source of the name "Sanatana Dharma". Who coined this name and when? I have posed this question to a couple of know_alls who are very keen on correcting Indian history of distortions by the British Marxists, leftists, rightists, bottomists, etc. For reasons best known to them, they have this strong notion that Indian history has got to be older than what is said in the Textbook. It does not matter how old, but as long as a theory gives an older date, they are fully willing to support it. They of course, knew everything about the term hinduism, but not_so_surprisingly it had never occured to them to trace the origin of the label Sanatana Dharma.

 

Anyway, I am sure there must be someone out there who knows the answer. If someone does, please enlighten.

 

Thanks

 

[Guest guest]

The way I heard it sanatana-dharma refers to the eternal naure of the soul itself. Eternal religion. Isn't just using that to designate a theology (or group of)that appears to be indiginous to present day India really similar to the use of the word Hinduism?

[Narayanidd]

My dear vaisnava,

Please accpet my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

 

I hope this helps in answering your question about the "origin" of Sanatana-dharma.

 

Srila Prabhupada wwrites in the Bhagavada-Gita:

 

 

"Sanatana-dharma does not refer to any sectarian process of religion. It is the eternal function of the living entities in relationship with the eternal Supreme Lord. Sanatana-dharma refers, as stated previously, to the eternal occupation of the living entity. Sripada Ramanujacarya has explained the word sanatana as 'that which has neither begining nor end,' so when we speak of sanatana-dharma, we must take it for granted on the authority of Sripada Ramanujacarya that it has neither begining nor end.

 

The english word religion is a little different from sanatana-dharma. Religion conveys the idea of faith, and faithmay change. One may have faith in a particualr process, and he may change his faith and adopt another, but sanatana-dharma refers to activity which cannot be changed. For instance, liqidity cannot be taken from water, nor can heat be taken from fire. Similarly, the eternal function of the eternal living entity cannot be taken from the living entity. Sanatana-dharma is eternally integral with the living entity. When we speak of sanatana-dharma, therefore, we must take it for granted on the authority of Ramanujacarya that it has neither begining nor end. That which has neither begining nor end must not be sectarian, for it cannot be limited by any boundries. Those belonging to some sectarian faith will wrongly consider that sanatana-dharma is also sectarian, but if we go deeply into the matter and consider it in the light of modern science, it is possible for us to see that sanatana-dharma is the business of all the people of the world- nay, of all the living entities of the universe.

 

 

Non-sanatana religious faith may have some begining in the annals of human history, but there is no begining to the history of sanatana-dharma, because it remains eternally with the living entities. Insofar as the living entities are concerned, the authoritative sastra state that the living entity has neither birth nor death. In the Gita it is stated that the living entity is never born and never dies. He is eternal and indestructible, and he continues to live after the destruction of his temorary material body. In referance to the concept of sanatana-dharma, we must try to understand the concept of religion from the sanskrit root meaning of the word. Dharma refers to that which is constantly existing with a particular object. We conclude that there is heat and light along with fire; without heat and light, there is no meaning to the word fire. Similarly, we must discover the essential part which is constant companion. That constant companion is eternal quality, and that eternal quality is his eternal religion.

 

 

When Sanatana gosvami asked Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu about the svarupa of every living being, the Lord replied that the svarupa, or constituional postion, of the living being is the rendering of service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If we analyze this statement of Lord Caitanya's we can easily see that every living being is constantly engaged in rendering service to another living being...one friend serves another friend, the mother serves her son, the wife serves the husband, the husband serves the wife and so on. The politician presents his manifesto for the public to convince them of his capacity for service. The shopkeeper serves the customer, and the artisan serves the capitalist. The capitalist sserves the family, and the family serves the state in the terms of the eternal capacity of the eternal living being. In this way we can see that no living being is exempt from rendering service to other living beings and therefore we can safely concluded that service is the constant companion of the living being and that the rendering of service is the eternal religion of the living being.

 

Yet man can profess to belong to a particular faith with referance to particular time and circumstance and thus claims to be a Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist of an adherent of any other sect. Such designations are not sanatana-dharma. A Hindu may change faith to become a Muslim, or a Muslim may change his faith to become a hindu, or a Christian may change his faith and so on. But in all circumstances the change of religious faith does not affect the eternal occupation of rendering service to others. The Hindu, Muslim or Christion in all circumstances is servant to someone. Thus, to profess a particular type of faith is not to profess one's sanatana-dharma. The rendering of service is sanatana-dharma.

 

 

Factually we are related to the Supreme Lord in service. This Supreme Lord is the supreme enjoyer, and we living entities are His servitors. We are created for His enjoyment, and if we participate in that eternal enjoyment with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we become happy. We cannot become happy otherwise... It is not possible for the living entity to be happy without rendering transcendental loving service unto the Supreme Lord." This is sanatana-dharma.

 

Hari Bol! I hope this helps.

 

Your servant,

Narayani d.d.

[anveshan]

Anveshan is a band of seekers and the opinion expressed here are the opinion of this band, and written on behaf of the Anveshanam Research Institute by Dr. Narayanan Hari Vishnu Nambudiri, from New Delhi, India.

 

Myself(N.Hari Vishnu)was born in Kalady, Kerala State, Ernakulam Dist of the state of Kerala, in India. And there are some people who trace my lineage to the great one, Sankara. That was not the reason why I was influenced by the Advaita philosophy. It was his Nada Brahmam - when I recite his strotams and/or slokas, even to this day, I get peace, a super-natural Peace, I say. My first Guru is a deep Shaivite(because his stutees to Shiva still remains unrivalled; and his stutees to Narayana(or Krishna) is still unrivalled.

 

Afterwards, for five years or so, I followed Jesus Joseph Christ, in anveshanam. Then I converted myself(no forcible conversions)into the Enlightened One's philosophy and I thought I have become a Buddhist. These flight or plight was in search of Sanatana Dharma.A Sanatana Dharma, which is not a theology, but a philosophy, which recognizes the dignity of individuals. By individual means the individual human, goat the swine, or any other superior or inferior beings in the entire Cosmos ; yeah, I was in search of philosophy(the root of philosophy lies in logic) And science

is nothing but logic.

 

I have found both science and logic in Sanatana Dharma. But the reverred JN Das will not agree to my defnition of what is Sanatana and what is Dharma. After all, I am a guest to his site and so far he has not banned me from this site.

 

So, if you wanted to express my views on Sanatana Dharma, it might be little bit controversial and may be intolerant

to the hosting site. If he clears, I will tell you what is Sanatana Dharma according to Narayanan Hari Vishnu

[livingentity]

the answers to all of our questions - everything we need to know - it is all there - in Srila Prabhupada's books.

 

Srila Prabhupada was so kind to us that He left us these wonderful gifts.

 

Jai Srila Prabhupada!!

[karthik_v]

That was actually a very good post from Shvu, though none answered it. The best answer, in my opinion, is that there was never any religion called sanatana dharma. Why? Because, the notion of religion never existed in India. Religion itself is a very Semitic concept. It constrains oneself to a book, a prophet and a jealous God that sent the first two for saving the hapless one that ends up following them. Indian notions were very different. It was a pursuit of inner self. Sure the books were important, but the experience of the individual jnani and his pramana was as much valid.

 

Dharma formed the epicentre of this pursuit. But, this dharma didn't require adherence to any book. Not even the vedas. Nor acceptance of any guru as the final authority. Everything was open to evaluation. That is why both the Hindus - who revered the vedas, and the Buddhists - who discounted its authority, both used the word dharma as their ideal.

 

The rest of Shvu's post is unrelated to this question.

[Guest guest]

who tossed the word/name and when it was tossed.

 

as long as we know, people know, what it is,

that is sufficient.

 

i believe no one says it was tossed for some ulterior motive.

 

jai sri prabhupada!

 

 

[anveshan]

That which is eternal and increate is, to my mind Sanatana.

Sanatana Dharma is not a religion, but a set of philosophies which tries to seek and realize the Ultimate Reality, or simply, the Truth.

 

I am a Sanatana Dharmi and the Ultimate Reality I try to seek and realize is:

 

THE NARAYANA OF MINE

 

“Hrudaya kamala maddhye` nirvishesham nireeham

Harihara vidhivedyam yogibhidhyarna gamyam

Janana marana bheeti bhrashisachit swaroopam

Sakala bhuvana beejam brahmachaitanyameede`”

 

There, right in my inner heart, my Lord sits in

He, who is the Seed of all, the Cause and its Effect

The Primordial One, Immutable and Immaculate

Unborn, Increate, Eternal and Fathomless He is.

 

My Lord is the Lord of thine and mine

And of the swine, the snake and the swans

He rules the Aswattha tree and the tiny grass

Nay, he sparkles in everything that is abstract or concrete.

 

To my Lord nothing is dear nor a thing he dislikes

He created no Brahmin nor Sudra nor Kafir

Holy or unholy is not to Him

He sees his beings with an equal eye.

 

My Lord does not and need not incarnate Himself

Nor He sends in prophets and pastors

He did not create a veda nor dictate a koran

The Omniscient One controls at Will.

 

He cannot be appeased or enraged

Never gets He elated or perturbed

Unruffled, unconcerned and serene

The primordial One, Sat-Chit-ananda He is.

 

Oh, Lord of fire and death, wind, moon and waters

Creator, Grandsire and Great Grandsire of the world

Hail, hail to Thee, a thousand salutations

We bow before Thee, prostrate at Thy feet (11:39)

 

This Sanatana Dharma is most tolerant and most democratic and covers the entire cosmos.

 

[Guest guest]

 

Karthik is correct. Let me single out the question from my earlier post.

 

Who coined the label "Sanatana Dharma" and when?

 

I agree with Karthik that there never was a religion named Sanatana Dharma. What is known as hinduism today was known as Vedanta, the religion of the Brahmanas, etc by rival religions such as Buddhism. None of them ever used the label "Sanatana Dharma". Neither do Hindu scripures use that name.

 

So, when did this name come into vogue? I personally believe it was only in the last 2-3 centuries and was coined by some Indian patriots during the British rule. This is why I am curious to know more about it.

 

Cheers