sanatana dharma

 

Sanatana Dharma

Sanatana Dharma is the actual name of Hindu Dharma. We will discuss the meaning of the word Sanatana and Hindu.

1-Sanatana

Sanatana means which has no starting and no ending, which is permanent and always true. The word no starting is called Anadi in Sanskrit and the word no ending is called Ananta in Sanskrit. The word Dharma literally means Duty and Characteristics.

 For Example

Studying is the Dharma for a student.

Treatment is the Dharma for a Doctor.

The Dharma of fire is to provide heat.

The Dharma of water is to provide coolness.

The Dharma for a Mother to take care of her Children and Family.

The Dharma for a Father to provide safety and security to his children and family.

If we discuss electrical engineering then the Dharma of a Resistor is to provide resistance. The Dharma of Capacitor is to provide capacitance.

So the word Dharma has very wide meaning.

The definition of the word Dharma in Sanskrit is as below.

Dharyate iti Dharma

  It means the qualities and characteristics which should be possessed by the Human Being. So there is difference between the word Dharma and Religion. The word Dharma is mistranslated as religion in English .There is no translation of every Sanskrit word in English.

 

Then what are the qualities and characteristics should Human being possess. The following Sanskrit sloka explains which qualities and characteristics human being should possess.

 

Dhritih Kshama Damah Asteyam Shaucham Indriyanigraha

Dhee Bidya Satyam Akrodha Dashakam Dharma Lakshanam

 

Dhriti means Patience.

Kshama means Forgiveness.

Dama means to control the mind.

Asteya means do not steal.

Saucha means to clean out side of body and inside of mind that is purity in mind and thought.

Indryanigraha means to control the Senses

Dhee means Intellect.

Bidya means wisdom, knowledge, learning, and the qualities to differentiate between true and false.

Satya means Truth.

Akrodha means Do not angry (to control the anger).

Dashakam means Ten (10).

Lakshanam means Indication.

These are the 10 indication of Dharma. If you have these above then you are in the way of Dharma.

 

 

If you see the meaning of Religion in Dictionary it is as below.

  The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods. The above definition of Dharma is not like that. So Religion is not equal to Dharma.

  There is no single belief system and worship procedure in Sanatana Dharma. The worship procedure is different in place to place. There are different type of belief and worship procedure in Sanatana Dharma. The Sanatana Dharma is not an organized religion; it is the different of way of living of human being in the society, in the nature, to protect the nature and to give respect to the nature and the universe.

   For example we give respect to the river Ganga as mother; because when we give respect Ganga as mother we cannot pollute it .So it is attached in our devotion in the mind so that nobody can try to pollute it. The Sun gives light. The sun light synthesizes vitamin D in our body. Water cycle is continued because of the sun light .It happens in both the hemisphere because of the rotation and revolution of earth. We live on the earth .The tree is present on the earth from which we get fruit, vegetable etc. That is why we respect the Sun and the Earth. We cannot live without air and water. So we give respect to the Air and Water. We say Air as Bayu Debata, Water as Jala Debata and Earth as Bhu Debi or Dharitri Maa.  

    Sanatana Dharma has some text book. Veda is the Dharmik Text book of Sanatana Dharma called Dharma Grantha in Sanskrit. Please read the following which is not appropriate in the Definition of religion.

 The Sanatana Dharma text book belief in two type of Philosophy.

1-Anishwarbad-It means do not belief in the existence of God. Sankhya Darshan is a text book of Sanatana Dharma which explains we cannot prove there is God which is written by Maharshi Kapila.

2-Ishwarbad-It means belief in the existence of God. Yog Darshan is a text book of Sanatana Dharma which believes in the existence of god and how to get Moksha which is written Maharshi Patanjali.

To know more worship (Puja) and Festival (Parba) please read my other posts.

2-Hindu

Hindu represents the area between Kashmir in the North and Kanyakumari in the South.1500 years ago the area of Bharat (India) is between from Iran (that is Parasya at that time) to Indonesia. You can see the significance of Hindu Dharma in Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia and Malaysia. You can find old temple (Mandir) in that area. But now the practice of Hindu Dharma is concentrated mainly in India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bali islands of Indonesia. But you can find the Puja system in the Mandir in Malaysia, Thailand, Srilanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan also. According to Parsi religion text book Arya were divided into Hindu and Parsi. The people present in Parasya that is the modern Iran are called Parsi and their language is also called Parsi. The word Iran means Place of Arya. Iran is also called Aryana at that time and some part of Afghanistan is also called Aryana. The people present in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Srilanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia are Hindu. But when the Emperor Ashoka accepted Buddhism, he propagated Buddhism in the South East Asia. Buddhism is also a branch of Sanatana Dharma. The constitution of India considers Bauddha, Jaina, Sikh and Parsi as Hindu.