Sanatana Dharma

“Sanätana-dharma does not mean any sectarian process of religion. It is the eternal function of the eternal living entities in relationship with the eternal Supreme Lord. So far sanätana-dharma is concerned, it means the eternal occupation. Shripad Rämänujäcärya has explained the word sanätana as "the thing which has neither any beginning nor any end." And when we speak of sanätana-dharma we must take it for granted on the authority of Shripad Rämänujäcärya that it has no beginning, nor any end. The word religion is a little different from sanätana-dharma. Religion conveys the idea of faith. Faith may change. One may have faith in a particular process, and he may change the faith afterwards and adopt another faith. But sanätana-dharma means which cannot be seperated. Just like water and liquidity. Liquidity cannot be seperated from water. Heat cannot be separated from fire. Similarly, the eternal function of the eternal living entity is known as sanätana-dharma and that cannot be changed. We have to find out what is that eternal function of the eternal living entity. So far living entities are concerned, we find it from the authority of the scriptures that living entities have also no birth or death. In the Bhagavad-gita, it is clearly stated that the living entity is never born, nor does it ever die. He's eternal, indestructible, and continues to live after the destruction of his temporary material body. With reference to the above concept of sanätana-dharma we may try to understand the concept of religion from the Sanskrit root meaning of the word dharma. It means that which is constantly with the particular object. As we have already mentioned, when we speak of fire it is concluded at the same time that there is heat and light along with the fire. Without heat and without light, there is no meaning of the word fire. Similarly, we must find out the essential part of a living being which is always companion with him. That part of constant companion of the living being is his eternal quality, and the eternal part of the living being's quality is his eternal religion.”

Everyone has to serve someone. We must serve either our wives, children, husbands, friends, customers, society, pets. Even if we claim that we are totally independent we end up having to serve our bodies. When the body says it is time “to go”, then we must serve the body in that way. “Service” is inseparable from the eternal nature of the soul. Unfortunately for us, we render service to fallible entities, and so we ultimately find only frustration from this service. If we understand the soul to be eternal, and God, Krishna, is eternal, then if we repose our service in Him then we will be eternally satisfied. All theistic religions are trying to get us to serve God. These religions have a beginning in time and consequently must have an end. But service to God has had no beginning and therefore will have no end. This is true Sanatana (eternal) Dharma (religion).

International Society for Krishna Consciousness - The Hare Krishna Temple
243 Avenue Rd. (at Dupont) - Toronto, Ontario - M5R 2J6
E-Mail: toronto@iskcon.ca - Phone: 416-922-5415 - Fax: 416- 922-1021