Sanātana Dharma

Sanātana Dharma (Devanagari: , meaning "eternal ''dharma''", or "eternal order") is an endonym for certain sects of Hinduism, and used as an alternative term to the exonyms of Hinduism, including ''Hindu Dharma''. The term is found in Sanskrit and other Indian languages. It is generally used to signify a more traditional outlook of Hinduism.

The term denotes the "eternal" or absolute set of duties or religiously ordained practices incumbent upon all Hindus, regardless of class, caste, or sect.

Many Hindus in the Indian subcontinent call themselves Sanatanis, that is, those who follow the 'eternal dharma', to evoke a certain homogeneity in Hinduism, Its use to signify Hinduism as a religion was popularised since the 19th century by champions of Hindu orthodoxy such as Pandit Shraddha Ram in reaction to missionaries and Hindu reformers such as Arya Samaj and Brahmo Samaj. Aside from its use in socio-religious contexts, it also sustains a political necessity for many Hindus.

Etymology

In Sanskrit, translates approximately to "eternal law" or, less literally, "eternal way."so ). See also René Guénon, ''Introduction to the Study of the Hindu Doctrines'' (1921 ed.), Sophia Perennis, ISBN 0-900588-74-8, part III, chapter 5 "The Law of Manu", p. 146. On the meaning of the word "Dharma", see also René Guénon, ''Studies in Hinduism'', Sophia Perennis, ISBN 0-900588-69-3, chapter 5, p. 45 In Pali, the equivalent term is ().

''Dharma'' is often translated as "duty" but has a deeper meaning. The word comes from the Sanskrit root "" () which means "to sustain" or "that which is integral to something" (e.g., ''dharma'' of sugar is to be sweet, fire to be hot). A person's ''dharma'' consists of duties that sustain them according to their innate characteristics which are both spiritual and material, generating two corresponding types:

# ''Sanatana-dharma'' – duties performed according to one's spiritual (constitutional) identity as '' atman'' (Self) and are thus the same for everyone. General duties include virtues such as honesty, refraining from injuring living beings, purity, goodwill, mercy, patience, forbearance, self-restraint, generosity, and asceticism.
# '' Varnashrama-dharma'' ( Svadharma) – duties performed according to one's material (conditional) nature and are specific to the individual at that particular time. One's "own duty" according to his or her class or varna and stage of life should win when in conflict with ''Sanatana-dharma'' (e.g., A warrior injuring others as explained in ''Bhagavad Gita'').

According to the notion of ''sanatana-dharma'', the eternal and intrinsic inclination of the living entity (''atman'') is to perform '' seva'' (service). ''Sanatana-dharma'', being transcendental, refers to universal and axiomatic laws that are beyond our temporary belief systems.

History

The phrase ''dharma sanātana'' occurs in classical Sanskrit literature, for example, in the ''Manusmrti'' (4-138) ( 1st3rd century CE) and in the ''Bhagavata Purana''''Authority, Anxiety, and Canon'' By Laurie L. Patton, P. 103. ( 8th10th century CE).

In the late 19th century, the term was revived during the Hindu revivalism movement as a name for Hinduism as a religion in order to avoid having to use the exonym "Hindu" which is of non-native Persian origin.The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. Ed. John Bowker. Oxford University Press, 2000

Today, Sanatana Dharma is associated only with Hinduism. In current-day usage, the term ''sanatana dharma'' is diminished and used to emphasize a "traditional” or ''sanatani'' ("eternalist") outlook in contrast to the socio-political Hinduism embraced by movements such as the Arya Samaj. In sharp contrast to the efforts by Lahore Sanatana Dharma Sabha to preserve the Hindu tradition against the onslaught of reform, now it is being stressed that Sanatana Dharma cannot be rigid, it has to be inclusive without excluding the best and totality of knowledge to guide the karmic process, especially as Sanatana has no beginning and no end.

Competition with other denominations

Sanatanis and reformists (such as the Arya Samaj, the Radha Soamis and the Ramakrishna Mission) have competed for adherents for more than a century, sometimes creating deep schisms in Hindu society, as in the case of South African Hindus who were split between the Arya Samaj and Sanatanis. While the reformist groups were better organized initially, by the 1860s, a process of internal counter-reform was underway in Sanatani groups as well, and societies to propagate orthodox beliefs along modern lines emerged, such as Sanatana Dharma Rakshini Sabha in 1873.

See also

* Hindu idealism
*Neo-Vedanta
* Hindu revivalism
* Sanatani

References

External links

What is Sanatan Dharma?

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanatana Dharma
Hindu philosophical concepts
Sanskrit words and phrases
Indigenous Aryanism
Hinduism