Sanatan Dharma (Sanskrit: सनातन धर्म) translates to “eternal law” or “eternal way.”
It is the original, indigenous name for what is commonly known as Hinduism. Rather than a dogmatic religion, it represents a set of timeless, universal, and spiritual principles meant to be lived and experienced.
Breaking Down the Term
- Sanatan (सनातन): Means eternal, timeless, and having neither a beginning nor an end.
- Dharma (धर्म): Translates roughly to cosmic order, righteousness, duty, or the natural laws that sustain life.
Core Principles
Sanatan Dharma is rooted in ancient scriptures called the Vedas. Because it is a way of life rather than a strict institution with a single founder, it operates on a few universal foundations:
- The Ultimate Reality: It acknowledges one Supreme Reality or Divine consciousness (Brahman), which can manifest in countless forms.
- Universal Truths: It recognizes that specific spiritual principles apply to everyone, such as Ahimsa (non-violence), truthfulness, cleanliness, and self-restraint.
- Karma and Reincarnation: The belief that every action has a consequence (karma), and that the soul goes through a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth until it achieves Moksha (ultimate liberation).
Why the Name Matters
Historically, the term “Hinduism” was an exonym—a label given by outsiders (originally Persians and Greeks) to refer to the people living across the Sindhu (Indus) River. For its followers, Sanatan Dharma is the preferred term because it focuses on universal spiritual laws that belong to all of humanity, independent of historical origin or rigid sectarian boundaries
My life began with the Protestant-Christian views of ultimate reality which I found to be limited and inconclusive. At age twenty I began reading the Dao Te Ching which completely enriched my ability to deal with the paradoxes and contradictions in life and to develop a greater appreciation for the natural world. In March of 1973 after going overland from Istanbul, I finally reached India to personally experience what I perceived as a place of unique spirituality. I spent three months in Delhi, Vrindavan, and Agra with a multitude of experiences. In the fall of 1974 I joined an ashram which was fully immersed in the practice and propagation of one of the six schools of Vedic thought. In the last two years I’ve read and listened to hundreds of philosophical writings and YouTube videos to gain more views on questions of such magnitude that still remain unanswered. You are invited to accompany me in this continual search for meaning and purpose in this confusing world.