Lakulish Yoga and Health Retreat

Life Mission, USA - Sanatan Dharm in a Nutshell by Swami Rajarshi Muni

Sanatan Dharm (Eternal Religion) is the primeval and timeless religion. Though its philosophy developed from the Vedic thoughts, the Seers or Sages of the Vedic Mantras themselves declare: ‘We are not the creators of the Vedas. The Vedic Mantras are not composed by us. They are revealed to us during meditation as the utterances of the Supreme Power of God. We have presented what we heard and perceived for the benefit of mankind.' Thus Vedas are considered to be Apaurusheya, i.e. not the composition of any human author. There are many Sages who are the Seers of the Vedic Mantras. Hence the philosophy of Sanatan Dharm cannot be said to have been developed by any single person. It is a collective contribution of many Seer–Sages. Thus there is no single founder of Sanatan Dharm, as is the case with all other religions of the world.

Since the last few centuries, people coming from other countries have been calling Sanatan Dharm as ‘Hindu Dharm'. Those who came to India from the west had to cross the great river Sindhu. So they called the people residing in the land across the river as Hindu and their religion to be Hindu Dharm. As a matter of fact, the term ‘Hindu Dharm' is not mentioned in any of the Indian scriptures. The name ‘Sanatan Dharm' is appropriate because the Supreme Power that revealed the Vedic Mantras to the Seer-Sages is Sanatan or Eternal. Thus Sanatan Dharm is a gift received by mankind from the Eternal Supreme Power through the medium of the Seer-Sages.

The distinctive features of Sanatan Dharm are as follows:

1. There is only one reality which is the basic, the first and the last, the transcendent essence known as ‘Brahman'. It is beginning-less, all–pervading, infinite, changeless and eternal. That one and only Brahman is also known as Parmatman (Supreme Self). It has neither a form nor any attribute. But It further manifests as different forms with attributes.
2. Atman (Inner Self) is in essence the same as Brahman. As such it is unthinkable, un-manifest, unchanging, immovable and the same for ever, i.e., eternal. The Bhagvad Gita, which also is the ‘supreme utterance' of Lord Krishna, an Incarnation of the Supreme Being, describes the Atman saying: "Weapons cannot cleave it, fire cannot burn it, water cannot wet it and wind cannot dry it."
3. But when the Atman becomes shrouded in the veils of matter and body It becomes an ignorant embodied soul (Jeev), forgetting its own real nature and identifying itself as the body (deh). As such it passes through the stages of life, i.e. childhood, youth, old age, death and thereafter again attaining another body.
4. Only one Parmatman assumes three forms (Trimurti) namely Brahma (the Creator), Vishnu (the Sustainer), and Maheshvar or Shiv (the Destroyer), each having different attributes suited for carrying their respective tasks. Though they appear to be three different Godheads, they are the manifestations of one and the same Parmatman, who further exfoliates into thirty three crore Devatas (Deities).
5. Cosmos of the upper lokas (planes or worlds) and lower Patals (nether worlds) together with the plane of earth in the middle, constitute the whole many–storied universe. All the different worlds are populated by different kind of living beings. This entire cosmic creation is time-bound and hence vanishes after an enormously long duration into the unqualified and uninflected essence of Brahman. Once again it appears and disappears in a time– bound manner. Lord Brahma supervises process of unfolding of the Universe. Lord Vishnu supervises its long duration of existence and Lord Shiva supervises its dissolution into the Brahman.
6. Calculation of Time (Kaal) according to the duration of cosmic creation. From the beginning of creation to the great dissolution is the period of Brahma, Lord the creator. That period is calculated in terms of Yugas, Mahayugas, Manvantaras, and Kalpas. The time of Brahma's appearance and the time of great dissolution can be easily calculated according to this system. When Brahma's single day is over and he goes to sleep there is an Avantar–Pralay (intermediate deluge), causing the three lokas (Earth , Bhuvar and Svar) to dissolve.
7. Four Purusarthas (endeavors) are prescribed for human beings. They are, Arth, Kaam, Dharm and Moksh. The first two endeavors are common to all living creatures. The last two are special endeavors for human beings. Dharm is the protecting shield human beings have against sin and resulting sufferings. It brings happiness, real not momentary joys. Moksh brings supreme bliss, everlasting peace and liberation. Pursuit of Dharm makes one fit to follow Moksh endeavor in some life-time.
8. The theory of Karma, that for every action there is an equal and appropriate reaction. It is like the cause and effect theory. Every action produces an effect corresponding to it. If one commits a sin, he shall have to pay the penalty for it. If he does a virtuous deed, he shall reap the benefit thereof. Hence, do good deeds and avoid evil deeds or sins. If one does not get rewards or punishments for all good and evil deeds during one life-time, he will have to be born again. Thus one is provided with the opportunity to square up all pending Karmas of the previous lives. Every rebirth provides fresh opportunity to do pious deeds to wash away sin. Thus the theory of Karma is closely related to the theory of rebirth.
9. The doctrine of the incarnation of the Lord (Avtar) is a unique feature of Sanatan Dharm. The Lord descends to the earth to establish the truths of Dharm afresh when Dharm faces the danger of being lost. Apart from the task of reestablishing Dharm, the Lord does the work of protecting the virtuous and destroying the wicked persons. During the incarnation, the Lord looks like a mortal person in outward guise but unlike human beings He is not subject to the law of Karma. He is beyond everything.
10. There are four stations of life (Ashram Dharm) prescribed for every individual dealing with the conduct and duties during each station of life. These stations are Brahmacharyashram, Grihastashram, Vanprasthashram and Sannyasashram. The first station is for study as a pupil. The second station is for the life of a householder and covers the period of youth. The third station is for the recluse life for practicing detachment from worldly things. The forth station is for renouncing the world by becoming a Sannyasi and turning the mind towards the Lord.
11. The purpose of Sanatan Dharm is to take a person, step by step, from the worldly desires and pleasures (Kaam) to the ultimate bliss (Moksh). In the Bhagvad Gita, Arjun asks Lord Krishna: "What drives a person to commit sins of his unwillingness?" Lord Krishna replies: " It is desire (Kaam) indeed." Desires are never fully gratified. Unfulfilled desires goad one to commit further sins. How to vanquish desire and remain free from sin, is taught by Lord Krishna in the Gita. He teaches Niskam Karma yoga (Yoga of desire-less action), which purifies the inner being. Lord Krishna further says: "All such actions should be in accordance with the tenets of the Dharm Shastras (religious scriptures)." So the starting point of Dharm is Karma-yoga.