श्री गणेश मंदिर - शिक्षा वाणी
“Serene Sunday Reflections”
HINDU’s
SANATHANA DHARMA
HINDU - Religion
The name ‘Hindu’ was used by Persians or such people from
outside India who for referring the people living near the river Sindhu (Indus)
and its eastwards. Later on, the faith of indigenous people of the region came
to be grossly known as Hinduism, and today geographical identity is
lost, and the religious identity is kept for the word.
The word Religion is from French (obligation/bond/reverence) and
Latin (to bind) and used in Middle English for ‘life under monastic vows’.
Today Religion
technically refers to a set of hard and fast rules and regulations established
written in a holy book which the believers must abide by and have a stern faith
in it. In Urdu/Farsi religion is called ‘Mazhab’ but Sanskrit has no word
equal to Religion, as in India we had no religion. Hinduism is not a religion
but is a way of life called Sanathana Dharma followed by the
people in this part of the world, living beside the river Sindhu, from the
Himalayas to the Indian Ocean.
Himalayam Samarabhya Yavadindu Sarovaram
Tham Devanirmitham Desam Hindusthanam Prachakshath
SANATHANA DHARMA
Dharma is; righteousness, duty, morality, holiness, values and
virtues; again not well defined. For any individual, he could have his own
dharma along with family dharma, professional dharma, social
(political/friends/community/cast/etc.) dharma, region
(village/town/state/nation/world) dharma and can always have a conflict at
various levels. A dharmic person balances all these dharma’s while giving
priority from individual to global.
Sanathana Dharma has remained for long and is being followed
without any stipulated schedules and practices, but it is transferred from
generations to generations. The reason being - its life principles were still
modern in outlook though were generated millions of years back. Thus, it is
called Nithya Noothana (Most Modern) and Chira Purathana (Oldest of the
Oldest).
In today’s context
of global city life and mixing of different culture across the globe, what we
as Indians (the people from this geographical region) can carry and spread to
the world across is Sanathana Dharma. It is a code of ethics, a way
of living through which one may mingle with people around to be happy - moksha (enlightenment,
liberation). It is the world's most ancient culture with ever existing socio,
spiritual, and religious tradition of the largest inhabitants. Sanathana Dharma
teaches a way of life to love the whole world as our own family (vasudhaiva
kutumbakam) with a coherent and rational view of reality.
