What exactly is Sanatana Dharma?

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Hinduism and Sanaathana Dharma

We all hear about Sanaathana Dharma and many of us wonder what it means. Some of us think it is another name for Hinduism. Actually,  there are certain nuances that distinguish the two. Hinduism is the name given to our ‘religion’ to make it on par with other religions  such as Judaism, Islam, Christianity etc. However, what we follow is more than a religion. That’s why it is more appropriate  to call our practices as ‘Sanaathana Dharma’. The term can roughly mean “ancient and eternal way”. It is a code of ethics that drives disciplined living, leading to enlightenment.






With this fundamental definition, let’s try to understand what comprises Dharma (righteousness). It can include a myriad of ideas (note, it is ideas and not rules) that govern one’s life in this world. Some of these ideas are given below. Irrespective of whichever ‘religion’ someone belongs to, they will still be following Sanathana Dharma if they adhere to the below ideas: 

Truthfulness 

There are several quotes from scriptures that extol the virtues of speaking the truth. Upanishad mentions ‘sathyam vada‘ which means ‘speak only the truth’. A neethi sloka explains Sanaathana Dharma thus:

“sathyam bruyaath priyam bruyaath na bruyaath sathyam apriyam
priyam cha naanrutham bruyaath yesha dharma: sanaathana: “

Meaning: “Speak the truth, speak pleasantly but not the unpleasant truth. Also don’t speak untruth that is pleasant. This is Sanaathana Dharma.

The chronicles of Lord Ram and Harishchandra are instances which indicate truth always triumphs at the end.

Respecting elders

There are several quotes from the Vedas on respecting the elders such as the ones below:

‘Maathru Devo Bhava! Pithru Devo Bhava!
Aacharya Devo Bhava! Athithi Devo Bhava!’

It has been in our legacy that elders including our parents, teachers and even our guests are to be accorded the highest respect. In all our literary works we have seen our sages and authors attributing their success to their teachers and elders who paved the way for them. It is ingrained in our culture to seek blessings from the elderly on account of any function at home.

Personal Hygiene

Bathing in a river
Bathing in a river






Our scriptures, prescribe several hygienic measures such as thorough cleansing of the body after certain acts (like using the bathroom), rituals or events such as eclipses, distancing from elderly people, menstruating women, from those who came from a barber shop etc. There are rules for cremation of dead bodies and restrictions on travelling to distant lands through sea. Slippers are never allowed in houses or near elders. There was also no unnecessary physical contact during social gatherings and salutations with  joined hands (‘namaste/ namaskaram’)  is considered the greatest respect to elders and guests.

Role of Food

Ayurveda, the ancient medicinal science is an inherent part of our culture. Along with our scriptures, Ayurveda gives us guidelines on the type of food that can be consumed for leading a balanced lifestyle. There are detailed descriptions on what food items can be handled together/separately while which ones are to be consumed the same day. It also prescribes the benefits of eating Saathvik food (free of pungent spices, non-vegeratian items, alcohol etc). There is an anecdote in Mahabharata in which the Guru of demons,  Shukracharya realised the evils of alcohol consumption and strongly condemned it as it deprived people of their senses. This is available in the episode of Kacha-Devayani. 

Ahimsa

Non-violence is another aspect practiced widely in our tradition. There is a quote ‘ahimsa paramo dharma:‘ which means ‘non-violence is a great virtue’. We practice ‘jeeva kaarunya’ which means empathy towards all beings. There are several animals such as the cow which are elevated to the level of Gods. In fact Jeeva Kaarunya is even applicable to plant life. Even to pluck a Tulsi leaf, a sloka needs to be chanted in order to ask for forgiveness for hurting the plant.

Gaja Puja & Go Puja (for praying to elephant and cow)

https://www.amritapuri.org/on/gaja-puja

www.sringeri.net






Discipline in life

The life of a human is guided by four purusharthas (objectives in life) that help in maintaining spiritual discipline. They are dharma (righteousness), artha (wealth), kaama (desire) and moksha (salvation). If followed properly, this path will lead us to fulfillment and satisfaction thus providing a  balanced and disciplined life.

Going behind money and earthly desires will only lead to downfall as described in Adishankara’s Bhajagovindam below:

“artham anartham bhavaya nithyam” – Always treat wealth as a non-entity

“ethath maamsa vasadhi vikaaram”  – The desires of flesh will fade away with time and is temporary

One God, many forms

At the core of Sanaathana Dharma is the belief that there is only one supreme being which manifests itself in many forms across the universe. So whichever God is prayed to, it ultimately leads to the Supreme. This flexibility of belief has given birth to many religions such as Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism and other internal religions such as Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Shakthi worship etc. There is also no single procedure to worship, as believers are encouraged to adopt any form of worship such as idol worship, light worship, nature worship, meditation, prayers etc.  Thus though different people perceive religion differently, they all experience the oneness of God as the ultimate truth.

Even those who are materialistic and not believers of God are accepted in this fold. For example, as per Ramayana, Sage Jaabaali nurtured atheistic tendencies. However, he was accepted in the court of King Dasharatha alongside sages like Vashishta. Thus,  Sanathana Dharma does not denounce people by virtue of their outlook to established religion alone.

Science in spirituality

Our traditions do not set aside scientific discoveries as ones that are against God or religion. In fact, there are several instances of sages who were well-versed in scientific practices. Paanini postulated the first linguistic work on Sanskrit Grammar based on Boolean logic (ironically Boole was born much later!), Patanjali is considered the father of Yoga, Sushrutha has contributed signficantly to the field of medicince, while Chanakya gave us Artha Shastra, a treatise on economy, military tactics and statecraft.  All of these great men were proponents of Sanaathana Dharma. 

www.ancientpages.com






Peace for all

The underlying tenet that makes Sanaathana Dharma the ultimate solution is Peace. There is not a single scripture or literary work in our practice which does not mention peace. It is not about peace to a community or to a country. Peace transcends across mankind, all beings, the elements and even planets.

Some of the quotes from scriptures are as follows:

“svasthir maanushebya: “  – May good things happen to all humans
“sham no asthu dwipadhey” – May good wishes be upon 2-legged beings (birds)
“sham chathush padhey”  – May good things happen to four legged beings

Om Dyauh Shaanti Antarikssam Shaanti
Prthivii Shaantir-Aapa Shaantir-Ossadhayah Shaanti |
Vanaspatayah Shaantir-Vishvedevaah Shaantir-Brahma Shaanti
Sarvam Shaantih Shaantir-Eva Shaanti

Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih ||

Meaning:  Peace is in Sky; Peace is in Space;Peace is in Earth; Peace is in Water; Peace is in Plants;Peace is in Trees; Peace is in Gods; Peace is in Brahman;Peace is pervading everywhere; Peace alone is in Peace; May you be that Peace
Om, Peace, Peace, Peace!

Without doubt, we have remained the most peace-loving nation in the world!

Evolving over time

In general, with passage of time the old order is replaced by new order. Thus it can be observed that old traditions, customs and even religions have been lost. Some such lost religions are Sumerian, Greek, Nordic, Paganism, Roman etc. The reasons could be many, but the inevitable fact is that at some point in time most of the religions lost their relevance because they failed to adopt to the changes surrounding them.  Our civilization ranks among the oldest, but yet we are surviving if not thriving. With every threat and danger, we become more and more resilient and stronger with the passage of time.

If we look at the above aspects/ideas that make up the crux of Sanaathana Dharma, you may be surprised to find that only one point is about praying to a God.  All others are about being righteous and living a satisfying life. That’s why we are not just ‘Hindus’ but are practitioners of Sanathana Dharma! Let’s unite and nurture our culture. 

OM Shanthi!

Note: There is much more to discuss on this topic such as details on Dharma Shaastraas, Varnashrama rules etc. If you are interested to know more, please write to us through the comments section and we will be more than happy to do so. 






Author Details

Rangarajan has been blogging for over 12 years now on various topics. With Thedal, he becomes one with the universe and he is hoping that his search will help him discover the eternal truth.  Please join him as he traverses through the universe across temples, philosophies and science!

20 thoughts on “What exactly is Sanatana Dharma?”

  1. Amazing Article in simple words which everyone can understand and practice Sanaathana Dharma to attain peace. Great going Team Thedal! Best wishes!

  2. Wonderful summation of Sanathana Dharma, the all encompassing code of conduct for human beings. Good work!! Keep it up sir.

  3. Great work.. i wish you would write on topics mentioned above more deeply.. your style is your understanding on dharma. Keep writing.. my wishes and support to you always. Kindly write elaborately on the topics too.. like ayurvedha and dharma..

    1. Thanks Shoba. These are not hard and fast numbers. There are a lot more that relate to righteousness. I will try to write more on them after I research more.

  4. What is the secret of Sanatana Dharma to not just survive but thrive according to the author ?

    1. Good question, Rudra Mahadev. As per Sanathana Dharma, the concepts of happy and sad, gain and loss etc are notional. In Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says thus:
      “sukha dukhe same kruthva laaba-alaabau jaya-ajayau
      thatho yuddhaya yujyasva naivam paapam avaapsyasi”

      “Treat happiness and sadness, gain and loss, victory and defeat the same. If you do this, you will not get into sinful behaviour”. A person who truely follows Sanatana Dharma will consider life as is, neither as survival or thriving. They enjoy every moment of it. Hope this clarifies. Thanks.

  5. Got this link from a neighbour. Was impressed with the content, clarity and the beautiful presentation. And finally was so pleasantly surprised to have stumbled on your blog, Ranga! Have to go through the rest…will catch up!

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