Sanatana Dharma

Despite being frequently translated as “duty,” “religion,” or “religious duty,” dharma has a deeper connotation that defies easy English translation. The source of the term itself, “dhri,” in Sanskrit, meaning “to sustain.” “That which is vital to anything” is another definition that is similar. For instance, the dharma of fire is hot, whereas the dharma of sugar is sweetness. As a result, a person’s dharma comprises of obligations that support him in line with his fundamental traits. These qualities are both material and spiritual and they give rise to two related kinds of dharma:

(a) Sanatana-dharma – obligations that are universal and take into account each person’s spiritual (constitutional) status as atman.

(b) Varnashrama-dharma: obligations carried out in accordance with one’s material (conditional) nature and those that are unique to the person at that exact period (see Varnashrama Dharma). The idea of sanatana-dharma states that performing seva is the living entity’s (atman) eternal and essential inclination (service).

Being transcendental, Sanathanadharma refers to axiomatic laws that are independent of our ephemeral worldviews. The majority of followers prefer the name Sanatana-dharma over the more contemporary term “Hinduism,” which they believe to have sectarian overtones. (Once in a while, the category of sadharana-dharma or universal moral principles, is added.)