Sanatana Dharma means Ancient or Eternal Law. Ancient because our roots are lost in antiquity. The word Dharma has no direct translation in English language. It comes from the Root word “Dhri” which means to “uphold”, “maintain”, “principles“, “Law” “Duty”, Code of conduct” etc. Sanatana Dharma came from a place where the Aryans lived. Arya means “Noble” and the name was given to a great race, much finer in character and appearance than the race that came before it. The region where they settled was called “Aryavarta”, because the Aryans lived in it. It is the region between the two great mountains Himavān (Himalayas) on the East and the Vindhyas on the West.
Holy Books are an essential part of all religions. They provide solace to its followers and save their religion from going into oblivion. There has to be a reference book a follower of any religion needs fall back on, in order to clarify any doubts he may have in the course of his life. That faith that has nothing for its guidance, gets lost and finally disintegrates and loses its individuality. But a faith that draws inspiration from a sacred book is able to hold on its own. Holy Bible is the scripture of Christians, Holy Quran for the Islamic religion & the scripture of the Buddhist which has the sacred sayings of the Buddha is known as Dhammapada.
But the case of the follower of Sanatana Dharma (Hindu) is different, as he does not know which book he may look to as his scripture as there are innumerable scriptures in Hinduism. He has never had the occasion, time or perhaps inclination to read the Vedas, nor does he know what it contains. Also, Vedas are difficult to understand as many of the words are coded and one word has several meanings. The popular notion is that Vedas are the direct or indirect sources of all sacred books pertaining to Sanatana Dharma. But the essence of Vedas is the Upanishads (Upa= near & Nishad = Sitting down or sitting down near a teacher), which has been handed down to us through generations.
Scriptural Trinity - Prasthana Trayi:
Vedas (<click here to know more) look outward in awe & reverence to the cosmos, whereas the Upanishads look inward into the powers of the human consciousness. There were hundreds of Upanishads and the sages who composed them never appended their name to any of their works. They did not bother! However, TEN of these Upanishads are considered the “Principal Upanishads”. A brief summary of the contents of Upanishads goes by the name of “Brahma Sutras” or “Vedanta Sutras” and these Sutras are difficult to follow without a commentary. Brahma Sutras is attributed to the commentary by Badarayana, a Guru who has set forth the teachings of Vedanta in a systematic & logical order. The latest commentary on Brahma Sutra is written by Adi Shankara and most are influenced by it. But the third book – The Bhagavad Gita is different. One who has studied and understood the Bhagavad Gita – is said to have understood the central teachings of the Upanishads.
Conclusion:
Thus, these THREE books, namely the 1) Upanishads, the 2) Brahma Sutras & 3) The Bhagavad Gita are called the Scriptural Trinity – Prasthana Trayi. The explanation of the Supreme Reality or Brahman and the means of realizing it are beautifully stated in these three books. They can be said to be the final authority on all scriptural matters pertaining to Santana Dharma!
Our Ancient Dharma is based on “Sruti” (What is heard or revealed to our sages) and “Smriti” (What is remembered or recollected & composed into texts). The other two important texts are the Puranas (Mythology) & Itihasa (History).
Comments on Katha Upanishad Verse 2.2.9: The Fire takes the shape of the object it burns. Similarly, the Supreme Self also known as the Supreme Brahman or Consciousness (<click here to know more) that is present in all beings becomes as varied as the being it enters and at the same time it also exists outside all of them. The Supreme Self or Brahman though taking many forms, exists in the manifested world in its pure unmanifested state! This verse tells us about both the immanent (inherent) and transcendent (meaning beyond the range of human physical experience) nature of the Supreme Self.
Puranas:
Puranas consist of histories, stories, myths & allegories composed for those people who are less informed of their religion and who could not study the Vedas under the guidance of a qualified Guru. (Well, that is most of us today, who were never underwent a structured religious initiation!). Puranas contain innumerable stories of Gods & Goddesses. These stories are concocted, blown out of proportion and sound farcical or ridiculous. So they cannot be taken in a literal sense and there is need to understand their allegorical significance. However, they are very popular today with both the illiterate & literate masses.
But why did they become popular? The truths given in the Scriptural Trinity – Prasthana Trayi were beyond the grasp of the ordinary man. Hence these have been presented in an obscure form, through Puranic stories, rituals & symbols. As long as we understand the allegorical ( hidden meaning) reference to the supreme truth, in the seemingly farcical stories, it is fine. Unfortunately, many of us have taken the narrations literally, resulting in superstitions and falsehood.
Itihasa:
All of us now know about the TWO great poems:
- Ramayana: The history of Sri Rama, son of Dasharatha, his brothers, his wife Sita – an interesting & wonderful story of the Surya Vamsha or the Solar Dynasty.
- Mahabharata: The history of the Kurus, a royal family of North India from the Chandra Vamsha or Lunar Dynasty, which split into two – Kurus & Pandavas, between whom a great war broke out.
Both of the above Epics give us a great outlook of ancient India, its people, customs & way of life. It is essential to have a brief understanding of the Vedas as well which I will touch upon in my next blog…
Meanwhile, please watch this short You Tube video on Sanatana Dharma (<click here)