Structure and Definition
What is Sanatana Dharma? Sanatana Dharma means
God’s eternal spiritual order. Everybody knows that its nature and definition
are known from the revelations of Rishis and Sages who are the authors of the
Vedas and Upanishads, philosophies such as Vedanta, Sankhya, Yoga, and Nyaya.
There are auxiliary texts like Bhagavad Gita, Jnana Vasishta, Guru Gita, and
Narada Bhakti Sutra that are secular in nature and supportive of the basic
tenets of Sanatana Dharma. These constitute the wisdom bank of Sanatana Dharma.
Puranas, Epics, Smritis, etc. are the elaboration of these ideas focusing on
ethics, history, rituals, and so on through the eyes and interpretation of
various sects. These are the source material or different ways through which
the question of God, Creation, the meaning and purpose of life have been
approached.
But what one does not know is that their interpretation and application change from Yuga to Yuga through the authority of Dharma, namely a Kalanthara Guru, in order to fulfill the directive purpose of spiritual evolution as envisaged by Brahma Nischayam or Brahma Sankalpam. This Will of Brahman gets implemented through the sages or Kalanthara Gurus in the Manu Parampara under Manvanatara Time Order. This is the basic structure and definition of Sanatana Dharma.
Creation Theory in Sanatana Dharma
The idea of creation in Sanatana Dharma differs
from the Puranic myths, which mention that god Brahma is the Creator. Navajyoti
Sri Karunakara Guru reveals that every solar system, in which all living beings
have their abode, is created through the medium of an Archetypal Manu who is
said to be the first self-projection of God and through whose ideation or
sankalpam manifests the visible universe consisting of planetary units and
stellar systems. Because of this, the Indian rishis calculated the age of the
cosmos in terms of Manvantara after the name of Manu. Manu is the God manifest
- the primordial Purusha, the Hiranya Garbha, or the Mahat or Ishwara mentioned
in the Vedas and Upanishads - that creates our local universe consisting of
twelve zodiacs, twenty-seven stars, and nine planets. This Manu, therefore, is
not to be related to the author of Manusmriti, one of the dharmic treatises
(Smriti) in Hinduism.
Spiritual Authority - The Kalanthara Guru
The great rishis have said that God is pure
Consciousness and Light indefinable. However, God transforms Himself into a
Cosmic Person (i.e. Manu) wishing to create the human universe. Various
divinities, humans, and other sentient and insentient beings in the solar
system get evolved through a long process of cyclical evolution by the
limitless potential of knowledge and action potential (jnana shakti and kriya
shakti) and ideation (sankalpam) of this Cosmic Person. Four Trikala Jnani
Gurus or Kalanthara Gurus, plus one Santhi Guru, like Sri Krishna who appeared
in between Dwapara and Kali Yuga, appear in every yuga to guide the spiritual
evolution of Jeevas.
Sanatana Dharma - the Natural Spiritual Order
The pathetic religious discords today arise owing
to the ignorance about this natural spiritual order. Every sect claims that
theirs is the only way to God or the true path, which produces discord and
conflicts in society. Numerous gurus, seers, and prophets of different caliber
come for a different duration such as 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, or 5000
years according to the socio-spiritual evolution of society. Sri Ram, Sri
Krishna, Sri Buddha, Mahavir, Zarathustra, Moses, Jesus Christ, Prophet
Mohammad, Guru Nanak, and others were great preceptors who appeared for such
spiritual renovation during historical intervals.
This process of spiritual renovation goes on until
the end of a cosmic age that has a length of billions of years. The spiritual
evolution of humanity is not limited to 2000 or 5000 years. Therefore, no
prophet or guru can claim to be the final messenger of God or the only way to
God. It is this spiritual culture or character of Indian spirituality known as
Sanatana Dharma which makes it eternally relevant, vibrant, and tolerant of
other religions.
