The holy land of Bharat follows Sanatana Dharma. The word Sanatana Dharma is a Sanskrit word meaning, “Eternal law”. It is the indestructible ultimate truth and, hence has always remained contemporary and relevant at all times. Sanatana Dharma is intertwined with one’s life. It is deeply imbibed into every human that walks this holy land.

For an outsider to fathom this complex system and its way of life is a herculean task. It is not a religion, it is not a belief, does not follow one holy book and does not have one religious head dictating the followers the rules of life. In short Sanathana Dharma is not something that can be fit into a box and be labelled.

FREE TO QUESTION

For a Bharatiya, Sanatana Dharma is a way of life. Sanatanam not only encourages one to ask questions or enquire deeply but, also gives room to seek the answers for the same questions. In fact, the greatest archer and warrior prince, Arjuna himself had many questions. The Bhagavad Gita is the dialogue between Lord Krishna answering the questions raised by Arjuna.

IMPORTANCE OF A GURU

As the popular saying goes, Matha, Pitha, Guru, Deivam. We revered and placed the Gurus and Sages one step before God. This is because the Gurus, saints and sages have always aided people in their spiritual quest. They never offered a one-step solution to the questions but instead encouraged them to walk the spiritual path seeking answers. They acted more like beacons that guided lost ships in a turbulent ocean to its shore.

NO FEAR AND NO GUILT

Sanatana Dharma does not instil fear or guilt in a person. Instead, it shows the righteous path through its various scriptures and texts such as the Vedas, Puranas and Itihasas. The messages for a simple follower or a spiritual seeker were passed on not only in the forms of poetry and stories but also through various traditions/ customs and practices in everyday living.

REVERENTIAL NATURE

One of the remarkable principles of Sanatana Dharma is showing reverence to all living beings. The attitude of reverence and worship from grass to trees or an insect to an animal is remarkable. The people of Bharat revere the land as their mother. Since it is the source of nourishment, livelihood and life, they call the land - Bharat Mata.

From time immemorial, rivers have always played a vital role. They are regarded as the mother of civilisation as great civilisations (Indus, Mesopotamia, Egyptian) arose from the river banks. The rivers of Bharat have been lifelines since the pre-Vedic times. They have always enjoyed the status of a mother and are worshipped as deities. Special Aarti and poojas are conducted regularly, honouring the sacred rivers. There are many texts mentioning these rivers as well.

Just like rivers, the mountains are also sacred to the people of Bharat. Mount Kailash, Chamundi Hills, Vellingiri, Palani, Thirupparankunram, Tiruvanamalai, and Kedarnath are some revered places.

ARDHANAREESWARA

In Sanathana Dharma, people revere an infant just as they respect an elder. It is only in this culture that both males and females are equally respected. This equality is beautifully depicted by Lord Shiva when he took the unique form of Ardhanareeswara. Here, Lord Shiva is depicted as half man and half woman. The right half of the deity is that of Lord Shiva with his matted hair, third eye and a serpent around his neck, while the left side of the deity is that of Goddess Parvathi. She is adorned with jewels and holds a lotus in her hand. Lord Shiva represents the masculine qualities and energy while Goddess Parvathi represents the feminine qualities and energy.

According to yogic philosophy, in the Pranamayakosha ( the astral / energy body), there are 72,000 nadis ( Nadis are energy pathways that can’t be seen. They do not mean nerves. The Nadis are pathways/channels through which the energy flows inside one’s body.) All these Nadis originate from 2 Nadis - Ida and Pingala. These Nadis run along the spine. Ida represents the feminine energy and it runs on the left side of the spine, Pingala represents the masculine energy and runs on the right side of the spine. Sushkma is in the middle of both the Ida and Pingala, like an empty space. When Ida and Pingala are in balance, the Sushkma opens up, leading the energy to flow towards the crown ( leading the human to experience the divine consciousness). A human being ( irrespective of gender) can reach the divine only when their masculine and feminine energies are balanced. This is interwoven subtly and beautifully in the culture through the symbolic representation of Ardhanareeswara. Also, In many temples, one can see idols of two snakes intertwined in synchrony and a blooming flower atop. These idols are yet another visual representation of Ida and Pingala, ultimately reaching the divine consciousness.

FREEDOM TO CHOOSE

In Sanatana Dharma, there is always freedom of choice. One can choose any God or Goddess to be their Ishta deivam. Some people do not believe in God, that is fine too in Sanathana Dharma. There is not only freedom to choose any God / Goddess, but also choose the spiritual path as well.

There have been saints like Shivavakiyar Siddhar, whose poems reflect the importance of looking within oneself and not outside (simply on idol worship) in order to reach the divine :

Meaning: by running and seeking things outside, one forgets to see the divine light that is shining within. The human searches outside in vain and the days go by till he reaches an old age and finally dies. There have been many crore human beings perish like this.

In another poem of his, the Siddhar says:

நட்ட கல்லை தெய்வம் என்று நாலு புட்பம் சாத்தியே

சுற்றி வந்து மொணமொணன்று சொல்லுமந்திரம்ஏதடா?

நட்ட கல்லும் பேசுமோ? நாதன் உள்ளிருக்கையில்

சுட்ட சட்டி சட்டுவம் கறிச்சுவை அறியுமோ?

Meaning: People, thinking that a stone is God, offer flowers and circumvent by uttering mantras without realising the stone will never talk to them. How will the stone speak while the divine is inside each one of them? How can a vessel in which something is cooked, be able to taste a dish?

There have also been other poets and spiritual masters who have accomplished the herculean task of reaching the divine with Bhakhti ( towards their favourite God in a temple). If one thinks of the Bhakthi movement, great beacons like Appar, Sundarar, Thiru Gnana Sambandar come to mind. There have been great devout saints like Thiru Kannapa Nayanar ( though born as a hunter, his devotion towards Lord Shiva led him to sacrifice his eyes for the divine), Poetess Andal ( one of the Alvars, Who loved Lord Vishnu and took him to be her husband) and other great Nayanmars and Alvars. Their life and poetry reflect how Bhakthi towards their favourite God helps them realise the divine.

Thiru Navvukuarasar ( Appar) sang the following Padigam when he was tied to a stone and thrown into the sea. Instead of drowning, the saint, along with the stone, floated.

Meaning: He is the essence of the Vedas, he is the divine light. When I focus my mind on his golden feet and fold my arms in prayer, the divine God Shiva will protect me even if I’m tied to a big rock and thrown into the sea.

Thus, in Sanatana Dharma, the ultimate goal is to realise/ become one with the divine. One can choose the path that speaks to them. Here, realising the divine is a very personal affair. Hence, the spiritual journey remains private as well.

MODERN TIMES

Slowly, due to the colonisation and successive Islamic invasions, the culture and the practices of this great nation started taking a back seat. People were forced to not practice the Dharmic values of this great land. Slowly, as time went by, people started following the language, practices and belief system of the Western world. This led to the core philosophies of the Sanathana Dharma being slowly eroded.

But, all is not lost and it is never too late to return home!

With an alarming increase in aliments worldwide (due to following the so-called Western culture ) - both mind-wise and body-wise, people are now pausing and realising the greatness and the phenomenal wisdom of Sanathana Dharma. It is not only the people of Bharath but, the whole world is looking towards Bharath and its ancient practices for their well-being. Slowly, the spiritual seekers are focusing once more towards this glorious land called Bharath.

Vaishnavi Gurusankar is a passionate educator, a wife and a mother. She has over a decade of experience as an educator and has been closely working with teachers and children of all ages. She is also an active parenting blogger and founder of Magical Unicorn, an exclusive parenting blog founded on Indian ethos, values and stories at its core. She has also authored the book "Bharatyam : Science behind Hindu Practices & Way of Life"