Sanatan Dharma is the universal code of conduct for all intelligent living beings with a conscience. Therefore, these laws apply not only to human beings but also to gods, asuras, and other intelligent species. The term is interchangeably used for Hinduism. Some Hindus believe that Sanatana Dharma is different from Hinduism, while some say that Hinduism is a nickname of Sanatana Dharma, and they are essentially the same.

Etymology:

The word Sanatana comprises two words, viz. Sana and Tana. Sana means without any beginning, and Tana means without any end. Therefore, the word Sanatana means eternal/everlasting.

Dharma is derived from the Sanskrit root ‘Dhar,’ which means “that which holds together”. Every society has a set of laws or moral codes that they follow, which holds that civilization. Therefore, the meaning of the word Dharma is “law or a moral code”.

Therefore, Sanatan Dharma means “the eternal law”.

What Is Sanatan Dharma?

Sanatan Dharma is a set of eternal universal laws that apply to all living beings with a conscience. These laws cannot be altered, even by the gods. These laws were there at the time of the inception of the universe and would be there when it would cease to exist.

History:

In the initial periods, humans used to travel from one place to another, and hunting was the main way to earn food. But soon humans settled and they discovered some ways like agriculture to fill their stomachs. It was then that they started thinking about the world around them. Many questions came into their mind, like who we are? Who created this world and why? etc.

Hindus believe that answers to these questions were revealed by God to some sages during their states of deep meditation. Those sages documented the knowledge they got in deep meditation. The tradition continued for many years, and many sages contributed to the documentation of these laws. All of these laws are documented in the Vedas. Therefore, the Vedas are the basis of Sanatan Dharma.

Therefore, Sanatan Dharma is not a religion but a way of life. As time passed by, different sects emerged from the womb of Sanatan Dharma, like Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Jainism, Shaktism, Buddhism, and many others. Some of them survived and some of them disappeared in Kalachakra.

People living out of the Indian subcontinent started calling the followers of Sanatan Dharma Hindus (because they lived in the vicinity of the Sindhu river) and their culture Hinduism.

You May Also Like To Read: Origin of the words Hindu and Hinduism.

Basic Principles Of Sanatan Dharma:

1. Belief in soul and rebirth:

It is one of the fundamental principles of Sanatan Dharma. A soul dwells in every living being. The body is mortal, but the soul is immortal. When we die our soul enters a new body, and the cycle continues until we attain salvation.

In general, the religions that believe in the cycle of birth and rebirth can be termed as part of Sanathan Dharma. Therefore, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism are also considered a part of Sanatan Dharma.

2. Varnashrama (not the caste system):

When a person is reborn, depending upon his/her past life karma, he/she is born with dominant characteristics of one of the Varnas, viz. Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, or Shudra. So, if a person is a Kshatriya, it does not mean that he/she does not have qualities of Brahmin, Vaishya, and Shudra. He would have qualities of all the four varnas but would have the dominant characteristics of a warrior. The same principle applies to all the four Varnas and to whichever Varna you belong to, it is your dharma to do the duties of that Varna because it is your natural tendency and you would be the best in that kind of job. This would help the society you are living in tremendously.

Your Varna does not depend on which family you are born in. A Kshatriya can be born in a Brahmin family, and a Brahmin can be born in a Shudra family. It depends upon your past-life karma. There are thousands of examples in the history of this.

E.g., Vishwamitra was born in a Kshatriya family but became a sage, and Lord Parshurama and Bajirao I were born in Brahmin families but became warriors. Many saints in India were born in so-called low caste families. There are many castes in Hinduism that are considered inferior, like Mahar, Bhilla, etc. but have produced great warriors.

3. Brahman is the Supreme God:

Vedas refer to God as “Brahman.” Brahman (often confused with Lord Brahma) is the unchanging, infinite, immanent, and transcendent reality, which is the divine ground of all matter, energy, time, space, being, and everything beyond in this universe. It is the Supreme Cosmic Spirit or Absolute Reality and is said to be eternal, genderless, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and ultimately indescribable in human language.

4. The cyclic nature of creation:

Per Hindu cosmology, the universe came into existence from Hiranyagarbha. After a Kalpa (one day of Lord Brahma), pralaya happens, and the universe is dissolved. After some time, the universe is born again and gets dissolved again. This cycle continues unendingly.

5. The Law of Karma:

You must have heard the proverb “As you sow, so shall you reap”. You are responsible for your actions and whatever you do (good or bad) returns to you. If you do not get what you deserve in this birth, then you would be born again and suffer/enjoy the fruits of your karma.

How Old Is Sanatan Dharma?

As stated earlier, it is eternal and has been there for an infinite amount of time. Within the current timeframe, we can say that it is as old as Lord Brahma. The age of the current Brahma is believed to be 50 years, which equals about 155 trillion human years.

Are Hinduism and Sanatan Dharma The Same?

This is a controversial question, and there are differences among scholars about it. Sanatan Dharma is based on the Vedas and Upanishads, i.e., Shruti scriptures, while the current form of Hinduism is mainly based on the Smriti scriptures, such as the Puranas, Smritis, and Itihasa, etc. But the Smriti work is also based on the Vedas themselves. Also, the Vedas and Upanishad are considered a part of Hindu scriptures. Therefore, it is hard to discern between Hinduism and Sanatan Dharma. At large, what we can say is the current form of Hinduism is a distorted form of Sanatan Dharma or is a nickname given to Sanatan Dharma by foreigners.

Suggestions for Further Reading: Advanced Text Book about Sanatana Dharma