Sanatan Dharma Religion - Essay Example

Essay. The term Sanatan Dharma describes the religion of the original inhabitants of India. It is also termed Hinduism. The Vedas are believed to be eternal and all branches of religions and philosophy, to be considered authentic have to be based on their authority. They comprise two distinct parts, one is the Brahmanas, or the knowledge, which deals with the direct realization of God, and the Karma Kanda, which deals with rituals and their performance. The Vedas are four in number Rig-Veda, Yajur-Veda, Sama-Veda, and Atharva-Veda.

No Hindu religious text can be based on anything other than the Vedas; hence, the Puranas or Epics are also based on the authority of the Vedas. In the epics, the Divine Incarnations of God are described. These Divine Incarnations also, followed the precepts of the Vedas implicitly, thereby setting an example to the common man. As such, the Vedas are unchangeable and eternal; nothing can be added to, reduced, or changed in them. The Puranas serve to illustrate the injunctions laid down in the Vedas.

The very same Brahma Vidyas of the Vedas, or direct methods to realize the Ultimate Reality, are to be found in the Puranas. However, the emphasis in Puranas, as they deal with Divine Incarnations, is on Faith or Bhakti. The Brahmanas with their emphasis on Brahma Vidyas, are what comprise the Path of Knowledge to realize God. It must be emphasized that Sanatan Dharma has many paths or methods to realize God. It is a highly developed religion and has a very strong base in practical religion. Initially, the emphasis was on the Path of Knowledge but over a period of time it was realized that such logical reasoning to arrive at the ultimate truth was not possible for everyone.

The path of Bhakti or Faith was found to be uncomplicated and very easy. The Divine Incarnations, in what is known as the Epics, recommended this path. In the traditions of the Vedas, the Ultimate Reality was of the nature of pure Bliss, Consciousness, and Knowledge; beyond all modifications and transformations. The Gods were beings subject to Relativity and Causality. The Trinity consisting of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva are primordial deities beyond birth and death. On the other hand, Lord Krishna and the other Divine Incarnations are subject to birth and death.

In the Vedas, the devas, 33 in number, govern heaven, air, and earth. The Divine Incarnations like Lord Krishna on the other hand had a very focused mission. It would usually be the destruction of evil and the upholding of good and after the mission was over, they would merge back into the Great Cause. Lord Krishna's mission was to destroy the race of the Kurus and bring the epoch Dwapar to an end. The Upanishads are 108 in number and the main ones are the Chandyog, Mahanarayan, Isha, Mundaka, etc.

The Upanishads deal with Brahma jnana or knowledge of Brahman. Their methods are known as Brahma Vidyas and these deal with direct means of realization. These methods are highly logical and rigorous. A very keen and highly developed intellect is a requisite for the follower of this path. The Bhakti method or path on the other hand entails total surrender to God in one of his many Incarnations. The two paths are totally different though in the end, both lead to the same Ultimate Reality. The rituals portion of the Vedas and the laws of Manu find a continuation in the Puranas and there is not much significant deviation to be found.

The central figures of the Epics the Divine Incarnations; convey the ethical and cultural values of Sanatan Dharma as enshrined in the Vedas. Adherence to truth, obedience to one's Guru or Preceptor and one's parents, and other such ethical values were ingrained in the populace during the Vedic Period. The same ethical values were carried forward to the Puranic age also as is evident from the example of Raja Harishchandra who forsook his kingdom, wealth, and finally his family rather than deviate from the truth.

In the Vedic Age, the people were mainly agrarian and the Varna Ashram System, wherein a person was first a student then a householder then a forest dweller, and finally an ascetic was the order of the day. The caste system was in force, but a person's caste was not rigidly fixed at birth and it was possible to change the caste based on one's profession. In the Puranic Age, professions other than agriculture were also prevalent. The Varna Ashram system was prevalent. The caste system, however, became more rigid and the family into which one was born was the main determinant of one's caste.

Lord Krishna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra sang the Bhagavad Gita or Song Divine. In this Holy Song, the Lord exhorts all to do their duty in a selfless manner. It is revealed by the Lord in this Holy Poem that He is the cause, support, and destroyer of all that exists. The Lord exhorts all to surrender everything to Him; this is the path of Bhakti or Faith. In this age of Kali or unrighteousness, the only succor and saviour is unyielding faith in God in whatever form one worships Him, whether it is as Lord Krishna, Jesus Christ, Allah or Buddha, etc.