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Text replacement - "भारतीय" to "धार्मिक"
It, essentially, means to follow one’s eternal duty, which is to quest to understand every individual's core identity, his/her relationship and role in the bigger sense of Universe and then to learn to live according to those eternal and adhyatmik characteristics, especially attained by one’s own self realizations. This is also the purpose and mission of the Vedic philosophy and culture, and our ultimate duty in human life.
It, essentially, means to follow one’s eternal duty, which is to quest to understand every individual's core identity, his/her relationship and role in the bigger sense of Universe and then to learn to live according to those eternal and adhyatmik characteristics, especially attained by one’s own self realizations. This is also the purpose and mission of the Vedic philosophy and culture, and our ultimate duty in human life.
Western scholars with their penchant for neat categorization have attempted to classify Hinduism as “polytheistic” — meaning worshiping a number of different gods; or “henotheistic” — having many different gods but regarding one as superior to the others; “pantheistic” — believing that the universe is Divine and ‘that God and Nature are the same. All of these categories apply is some way or other to one or other particular sect or philosophical school, but none of them adequately describe Sanatana Dharma as it is. Sanatana Dharma has no founder, no dogma, no central teaching authority, no creed, no stock theology or generally accepted philosophy, no uniform customs or traditions, and above all insists that all religions are relatively true<ref name=":4" />.
== Historical Linkages of Sanatana Dharma ==
This section has been taken from the writing of Pandit Ram Sivan<ref name=":4">An concise introduction to the Eternal Path to Liberation Pandit Ram Sivan, (Srirama Ramanuja Achari), Simha Publications, Sydney</ref>.
"There are two world religions which have formed the cultural and ethical basis of the world as we know it. Both have an unbroken history going back thousands of years. Judaism with a 5000 year old tradition is the mother of the western civilization through its offshoot Christianity. Hinduism is the older of the two with a literature going back to the beginning of recorded history. The ancient civilizations such as the Roman, the Greek, the Egyptian, the Sumerian, and the Babylonian have all passed away. Even the Jewish culture has undergone many radical changes since its inception 5000 years ago - yet the Hindu civilization continues as a vibrant and living vector, and has remained virtually unchanged for over 6000 years.
Hinduism is a term that was coined by foreign invaders of India to designate the traditional socio-religious systems of the people of ‘Hind’ or India. This term does not appear in any of the sacred literature of India. Hindus refer to their religion as Sanatana Dharma which loosely translated means “The Eternal Path’. Sanatana means eternal perpetual or sustained. Dharma means any method by which one sees reality for what it is, and that by which one is drawn closer to the Absolute Truth and Ultimate Reality — it is the Philosophia Perenis.
Hinduism is a living religion that has an unique in-built ability to adapt itself to changing circumstances. The flow of Hinduism can be divided roughly into major periods of change and development. The ancient Indian focus was always upon the spiritual development of humankind which is perennial and supra-mundane — dating is therefore an extremely problematic issue in matters relating to Hinduism and its development as seen through its literature.
Hindu teachers recognize the fact of their own historical development and do not lay claim to exclusivity or uniqueness in any way. There is no pretense that the religion descended from heaven and was the personal and unchangeable revelation of any one individual or that there was a “chosen” group of the “elect”. What Hinduism does claim is that it has, along with many other religions, universal and perennial Truths which are timeless and eternally valid.
==Authority of Sanatana Dharma==
==Authority of Sanatana Dharma==
A term of wide import, Sanatana Dharma is inclusive of many siddhantas and tattvas (philosophies) all unified in their goal of achieving the highest state of mankind which is [[Nihshreyasa (निःश्रेयसम्)]]. As knowledge is the rightful source of authority, as knowledge of the great Rshis was the product of their Reason in resonance with the Divine Reason, the Shrutis, given to the world are authoritative. The system of morality inculcated in Sanatana Dharma, is therefore authoritative as it
A term of wide import, Sanatana Dharma is inclusive of many siddhantas and tattvas (philosophies) all unified in their goal of achieving the highest state of mankind which is [[Nihshreyasa (निःश्रेयसम्)]]. As knowledge is the rightful source of authority, as knowledge of the great Rshis was the product of their Reason in resonance with the Divine Reason, the Shrutis, given to the world are authoritative. The system of morality inculcated in Sanatana Dharma, is therefore authoritative as it
The previous section is a brief summary of the siddhantas (theories) or mental processes on which Sanatana Dharma is based on. The present section deals with the course of action to be taken, the system of Karma (activities) that leads one on the path of Dharma, establishes him on the Prvritti marga of Jnana taking him to his goal of [[Nihshreyasa (निःश्रेयसम्)|Nihshreyasa]] and Moksha.
The previous section is a brief summary of the siddhantas (theories) or mental processes on which Sanatana Dharma is based on. The present section deals with the course of action to be taken, the system of Karma (activities) that leads one on the path of Dharma, establishes him on the Prvritti marga of Jnana taking him to his goal of [[Nihshreyasa (निःश्रेयसम्)|Nihshreyasa]] and Moksha.
===वेदप्रमाणत्वम् ॥ The Authority of Vedas===
===वेदप्रमाणत्वम् ॥ The Authority of Vedas===
Texts like Bhagavadgita which have been given or spoken by Sri Krishna, considered as a Supreme Being, and others composed by seers in their deepest super conscious state in which they were able to give revelations of Universal Truths while in meditation, on the Supreme Being, form the adhyatmik core of Sanatana Dharma. This [[Bharatiya Samskrtika Parampara (भारतीयसांस्कृतिकपरम्परा)|Bharatiya Samskrtika Parampara]] or Vedic literature, along with other texts like Agamas and the practices congruent with them, form the basis of the Sanatana dharma. The Astika darshanas include the [[Shad Darshanas (षड्दर्शनानि)|Shad Darshanas]] which accept the authority of Vedas form the different theological bases of explaining about Atma, Brahman, Avidya, and Moksha which are exclusive features of Sanatana Dharma.
Texts like Bhagavadgita which have been given or spoken by Sri Krishna, considered as a Supreme Being, and others composed by seers in their deepest super conscious state in which they were able to give revelations of Universal Truths while in meditation, on the Supreme Being, form the adhyatmik core of Sanatana Dharma. This [[Bharatiya Samskrtika Parampara (धार्मिकसांस्कृतिकपरम्परा)|Bharatiya Samskrtika Parampara]] or Vedic literature, along with other texts like Agamas and the practices congruent with them, form the basis of the Sanatana dharma. The Astika darshanas include the [[Shad Darshanas (षड्दर्शनानि)|Shad Darshanas]] which accept the authority of Vedas form the different theological bases of explaining about Atma, Brahman, Avidya, and Moksha which are exclusive features of Sanatana Dharma.
===यज्ञाः ॥ Yajnas===
===यज्ञाः ॥ Yajnas===
Shrutis declare it, Smrtis inculcate it and the Shad Vedangas circle around the concept while Dharmashastras show by practice that the worlds are built and maintained by [[Yajna (यज्ञः)|Yajnas]]. Sanatana Dharma has incorporated and maintains that the yajnas pervade the whole life of man. That Srishti (Creation) began with Yajna is given by the following mantras of Brhdarnayakopanishad<blockquote>उषा वा अश्वस्य मेध्यस्य शिरः । uṣā vā aśvasya medhyasya śiraḥ । (Brhd. Upan. 1.1.1)</blockquote>Meaning : The dawn verily is the head of the yajna horse. Here the dawn is explained as the beginning of the day of Brahma, the day of creation.
Shrutis declare it, Smrtis inculcate it and the Shad Vedangas circle around the concept while Dharmashastras show by practice that the worlds are built and maintained by [[Yajna (यज्ञः)|Yajnas]]. Sanatana Dharma has incorporated and maintains that the yajnas pervade the whole life of man. That Srishti (Creation) began with Yajna is given by the following mantras of Brhdarnayakopanishad<blockquote>उषा वा अश्वस्य मेध्यस्य शिरः । uṣā vā aśvasya medhyasya śiraḥ । (Brhd. Upan. 1.1.1)</blockquote>Meaning : The dawn verily is the head of the yajna horse. Here the dawn is explained as the beginning of the day of Brahma, the day of creation.
*Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, prominent Vedantist and former President of India mentioned the following about Hindu (Sanatana) Dharma<ref name=":3">Radhakrishnan, S. (1926). ''Hindu view of life''. George Allen And Unwin Ltd, London.</ref>: "The Hindu attitude to religion is interesting. While fixed intellectual beliefs mark off one religion from another, Hinduism sets itself no such limits. Intellect is subordinate to intuition, dogma to experience, outer expression to inward realization. Religion is not the acceptance of academic abstractions or the celebration of ceremonies, but a kind of life or experience". Dr Radhakrishnan, further said: "Hinduism is wholly free from the strange obsession of some faiths that the acceptance of a particular religious metaphysics is necessary for salvation, and non-acceptance thereof is a heinous sin meriting eternal punishment in hell"<ref name=":3" />.
*Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, prominent Vedantist and former President of India mentioned the following about Hindu (Sanatana) Dharma<ref name=":3">Radhakrishnan, S. (1926). ''Hindu view of life''. George Allen And Unwin Ltd, London.</ref>: "The Hindu attitude to religion is interesting. While fixed intellectual beliefs mark off one religion from another, Hinduism sets itself no such limits. Intellect is subordinate to intuition, dogma to experience, outer expression to inward realization. Religion is not the acceptance of academic abstractions or the celebration of ceremonies, but a kind of life or experience". Dr Radhakrishnan, further said: "Hinduism is wholly free from the strange obsession of some faiths that the acceptance of a particular religious metaphysics is necessary for salvation, and non-acceptance thereof is a heinous sin meriting eternal punishment in hell"<ref name=":3" />.
*Frawley (''1995'')<ref>Frawley D (1995) Arise Arjuna: Hinduism and the modern world. Voice of India, New Delhi</ref> translate this term as “eternal tradition” and pointed out and summarized its characteristics like it is not limited to any scripture, messiah, church, community, or particular historical end, embraces a timeless self-renewing reality and divinity in all forms of nature and existence.
*Frawley (''1995'')<ref>Frawley D (1995) Arise Arjuna: Hinduism and the modern world. Voice of India, New Delhi</ref> translate this term as “eternal tradition” and pointed out and summarized its characteristics like it is not limited to any scripture, messiah, church, community, or particular historical end, embraces a timeless self-renewing reality and divinity in all forms of nature and existence.
*Sriram Ramanuja Achari quotes<ref name=":4" /> The Mahabharata (Vana Parva 297;35) and says that it defines Sanatana Dharma as follows:— “The Eternal Duty (Sanatana Dharma) towards all creatures is the absence of malevolence (prejudice) towards them in thought, deed or word, and to practice compassion and generosity towards them’. Thus, according to this definition any who practices the above three things is a “Hindu”regardless of their theological or philosophical convictions.
==References==
==References==