What is Sanatan ?

"Sanatan" is a Sanskrit word that means Eternal (Never Beginning nor Ending) or "Everlasting".

It is often used to refer to the ancient and timeless spiritual traditions of India, which are also known as "Sanatana Dharma" or the "Eternal Law."

Sanatana Dharma is anadi (without beginning) and also a-paurusheya (without a human founder). It is defined by the quest for cosmic truth, just as the quest for physical truth defines science.

Dharma refers to The Way of Righteousness.

सनातनमेनमहुरुताद्या स्यात पुनण्रव् ( अधर्ववेद Book)

अर्थात – सनातन उसे कहते हैं जो , जो आज भी नवीकृत है ।

‘सनातन’ का अर्थ है – शाश्वत या ‘हमेशा बना रहने वाला’, अर्थात् जिसका न आदि है न अन्त।

Sanatan Dharma, also known as Hinduism, is one of the world's oldest religions, with roots dating back thousands of years. It is a diverse and complex religion with a wide range of beliefs and practices and includes various schools of philosophy, traditions, and sects.

In addition to its religious and philosophical aspects, Sanatan Dharma has also made significant contributions to Indian art, culture, and literature. It is considered to be one of the most influential religions in the world, with followers in India and other parts of the world.

"Ekam Satta Vipraha Bahuda Vadanti" is a Sanskrit phrase from the ancient Hindu scriptures, the Rigveda. It is often translated as "Truth is one, but the wise call it by many names." This phrase highlights the underlying unity of all religions and spiritual traditions, despite their apparent differences in language, rituals, and beliefs. The idea is that different paths can lead to the same ultimate truth, and that diversity is a natural part of the human experience. This principle of unity in diversity is a fundamental aspect of Hinduism, and it has influenced the way in which many Hindus view and interact with people of different faiths.

According to the Sanatan tradition - Ekam Satta Viprah Bahuda Vaddanti - there is only one truth (God), but the learned know him by different names. In other words, there can be many different ways to attain the same God.
That is why in our tradition, every religion is supposed to be respected.
Throughout history, we never forced anyone to convert to Hinduism after attacking any foreign country.
Like other religions, The Hindu / Sanatan religion is not a religion where a book should be accepted as God's order (commandments) to us and if orders are not followed God will be offended by it, there is no such concept.
In our tradition, God is not someone whom you should be ‘afraid’ of, but we are taught to ‘love’ God and see God in every living being.
We do not advocate one spiritual path rigidly. It is a group of many types of different spiritual paths. For example - the path of knowledge (Gyan yog) is the path of truth seekers wherein you are not supposed to believe in any bookish knowledge unless we have it in our own experience.
The path of devotion (Bhakti yog) is the path of faith and devotion, where believers are encouraged to believe in God without doubt, then as faith deepens, knowledge begins to come into our experience gradually.
There are many types of yogic traditions (Panth/Sampradaay) - Shaiva, Shakta, and Vaishnavas whose traditions are completely different from each other. Vaishnavism is more popular, but there are many Shaiva and Shakti worshipers also. For example, caste practice was never given importance in Shaivite tradition. According to the Puranas, Bhole Nath (the first yogic Guru) never even discriminated against demons and shared sacred knowledge with all types of beings.
Vaishnava tradition also did not have any caste based discrimination, but with the passage of time, some mean people misused the traditional setup for their selfishness, as it happens in every religion over time.
In some traditions (like vedanta) we believe in a formless God without any shape, size, color or any attributes or quality etc. Because God is believed to be literally everywhere.
Some paths see God in a particular form and worship God through idol worship.
In some paths, temples are not used for worshiping God, but by the use of various dimensions of energy (Shakti) using Vastu Shastra to fulfill their desires (such as wealth, health, protection from sufferings, spiritual progress, siddhis etc.) . This science was used in ancient temples, but most of the ancient temples were destroyed.
Some paths prefer to be called atheists, where existence of God is not acknowledged, until experienced directly.
The core essence of Sanatan Hindu Dharma is Advait Vedanta.
Sanatana Dharma ( Hinduism ) is a way of life which means, every human whatever be his / her way of life are followers of Dharma. And Dharma can't belong to any age, since it is ageless.

Most religions do not encourage questioning everything and believe in a particular book, but the followers of the Sanatan tradition have this opportunity to spread the path of ‘seeking’, path of ‘questioning everything’, the path of ‘knowledge’ (Gyan Yog) to as many people as possible.

Knowledge here does not mean any bookish knowledge.(by capturing data and concepts in your mind through books or videos)

Knowledge is what gives ‘direct experience’. (Knowing)

This path of Knowledge neither rejects God nor believes it until it is experienced directly.

This tradition is about asking more and more questions on everything until the curiosity of the mind subsides and clarity of true knowledge shines within.

And the biggest question is - Who am I?

No book, no person can answer this.

It is the quest to know my true self, to realise who am I really?

Therefore, in this era of the new generation, it is almost certain that this path will reach every corner of the world, the "path of knowledge -Gyan Yog" of Sanatan Hindu tradition.

Sanatana Dharma is not a single religion, but rather a diverse set of religious and spiritual beliefs and practices that have evolved over thousands of years.

Some of the major religious traditions that are associated with Sanatana Dharma include:

Hinduism:
Buddhism:
Jainism:
Sikhism:

There are also many other smaller religious and spiritual traditions that are associated with Sanatana Dharma, including various sects and sub-traditions within Hinduism, as well as yoga, meditation, and other spiritual practices that are popular around the world today.

21 Principles of Sanatan Dharma

Sanatana Dharma, also known as Hinduism, is a complex and diverse religious and cultural tradition with many different interpretations and schools of thought. However, here are 21 principles that are commonly associated with Sanatana Dharma:

Karma: the principle of cause and effect, where actions have consequences
Dharma: the principle of righteousness and duty
Samsara: the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth
Moksha: the ultimate liberation from samsara
Atman: the individual soul that is part of the universal soul or Brahman
Brahman: the ultimate reality, the source of all existence
Maya: the illusion of separateness and duality
Yoga: the practice of physical, mental, and spiritual discipline to attain union with the divine
Ahimsa: non-violence towards all living beings
Satya: truthfulness and honesty
Asteya: non-stealing
Brahmacharya: celibacy or self-control over one's sexual energy
Aparigraha: non-attachment or non-possessiveness
Tapas: self-discipline and austerity
Swadhyaya: self-study and self-reflection
Ishvara: the personal form of the divine
Bhakti: devotion to the divine
Jnana: knowledge and wisdom
Seva: selfless service to others
Homa: the ritual offering of fire
Puja: the worship of deities through various rituals and ceremonies.

It's worth noting that these principles are not exclusive to Sanatana Dharma and can be found in other religious and philosophical traditions as well.

Foundational understanding of Sanatan Dharma

The Vedas, especially the Upanishads, would eventually form the foundational understanding of Sanatan Dharma and provide direction and purpose in the lives of adherents.

It came to be understood that there was a single entity, Brahman, who not only created existence but was existence itself.

According to Hindu belief, Brahman is the ultimate reality and is beyond human comprehension. Brahman is the source and sustainer of all existence and is manifested in various forms, including the avatars of Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the preserver) and Shiva (the destroyer), as well as other deities.

The goal of human life, according to Hinduism, is to realize one's true nature as the Atman, which is the individual soul that is a part of Brahman. This realization is achieved through various spiritual practices, such as meditation, self-reflection, and devotion to a particular deity. The performance of dharma, which refers to one's duty or righteous action, is also an important aspect of the path to self-realization.

The cycle of rebirth and death, known as samsara, is seen as a result of karma, which refers to the actions and intentions of an individual. The goal of life is to break free from the cycle of samsara and achieve moksha, which is liberation from the cycle of birth and death. This is achieved through the accumulation of good karma, the performance of dharma, and the realization of the true nature of the self.

Overall, Hinduism provides a framework for understanding the nature of reality, the purpose of life, and the ultimate goal of existence. It emphasizes the importance of self-realization, the performance of duty, and the accumulation of good karma as the means to achieve liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

Source : https://www.worldhistory.org/The_Vedas/

Sanatan Dharma