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**illilmicy** · 09-23-2011, 02:07 AM

Now about the name Sanathana Dharma.

According to Wikipedia it is the name by which the Hindus call their religion. This is how it is projected now. Of course we have a number of books/articles on that.

But the question is How far is it true? It is not true.

Sanathana Dharma is a term which was unknown before 1960. Swami Vivakananda, Sri Ramakrishna or Ramana Maharishi did not talk about Sanathana Dharma. Ask your grand father whether he is familiar with the name. Again just walk onto to the street and ask an ordinary Hindu to what religion he belongs to. Hardly any one will say Sanathana Dharma.

The questions which arise are:

1. What was the necessity of a new name? Why?

2. How did we get the name?

3. Reasons why it has not been accepted by all Hindus.

I had sought the assistance of sanskrit group to find out the earliest usage of "Sanathana Dharma" in scriptures/literature etc. and append herebelow the extract of reply furnished by a research scholar, which is self explicit

QUOTE:

All references of सनातन derived from the अव्यय - सना meaning ancient:

[not assigned]
Garbhopaniṣat1/559
Parāśaradharmasaṃhitā1/214
Garuḍapurāṇa4/75641
Nāradasmṛti1/13274

Epic
Mahābhārata 202/7512260
Manusmṛti 12/375420
Rāmāyaṇa 23/2607910
Viṣṇusmṛti1/19182

Classical
Bhāgavatapurāṇa 6/42634
Kūrmapurāṇa78/817540
Liṅgapurāṇa28/1273840
Matsyapurāṇa18/1224120
Pañcārthabhāṣya4/21641
Suśrutasaṃhitā2/146319

Medieval
Ānandakanda1/84015
Kālikāpurāṇa2/4091
Mātṛkābhedatantra2/7839
Parāśarasmṛtiṭīkā1/7556
Rasārṇava1/32027
Rasendracintāmaṇi1/13320
Skandapurāṇa1/16366
Spandakārikānirṇaya1/10186
Tantrasāra1/14221

Late
Gokarṇapurāṇasāraḥ1/14643
Haṭhayogapradīpikā1/5649
Sātvatatantra4/10107
Skandapurāṇa (2)25/113973

Rāmāyaṇa

Rām, Bā, 24, 16.1
rājyabhāraniyuktānām eṣa dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ /

The Mahabharata in Sanskrit: Book 12: Chapter 128
परस्पराभिसंरक्षा राज्ञा राष्ट्रेण चापदि
नित्यम एवेह कर्तव्या एष धर्मः सनातनः ॥31||

BhāgavPur, 3, 16, 18.1
tvattaḥ sanātano dharmo rakṣyate tanubhis tava /

In all the above references, as Mm. suggested it is used as qualifying a duty since time long. I have produced this only for the earliest reference to the usage of the word सनातन in respect of धर्म and nothing more than that it serves. In the statistical references, it qualifies many things brahma, shakti, etc. And सनातन is one of the four sons of ब्रह्मा, the creator born at the beginning of the creation according to पुराण-s.

UNQUOTE

09-23-2011, 02:07 AM	#31
illilmicy Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 478 Senior Member	Now about the name Sanathana Dharma. According to Wikipedia it is the name by which the Hindus call their religion. This is how it is projected now. Of course we have a number of books/articles on that. But the question is How far is it true? It is not true. Sanathana Dharma is a term which was unknown before 1960. Swami Vivakananda, Sri Ramakrishna or Ramana Maharishi did not talk about Sanathana Dharma. Ask your grand father whether he is familiar with the name. Again just walk onto to the street and ask an ordinary Hindu to what religion he belongs to. Hardly any one will say Sanathana Dharma. The questions which arise are: 1. What was the necessity of a new name? Why? 2. How did we get the name? 3. Reasons why it has not been accepted by all Hindus. I had sought the assistance of sanskrit group to find out the earliest usage of "Sanathana Dharma" in scriptures/literature etc. and append herebelow the extract of reply furnished by a research scholar, which is self explicit QUOTE: All references of सनातन derived from the अव्यय - सना meaning ancient: [not assigned] Garbhopaniṣat1/559 Parāśaradharmasaṃhitā1/214 Garuḍapurāṇa4/75641 Nāradasmṛti1/13274 Epic Mahābhārata 202/7512260 Manusmṛti 12/375420 Rāmāyaṇa 23/2607910 Viṣṇusmṛti1/19182 Classical Bhāgavatapurāṇa 6/42634 Kūrmapurāṇa78/817540 Liṅgapurāṇa28/1273840 Matsyapurāṇa18/1224120 Pañcārthabhāṣya4/21641 Suśrutasaṃhitā2/146319 Medieval Ānandakanda1/84015 Kālikāpurāṇa2/4091 Mātṛkābhedatantra2/7839 Parāśarasmṛtiṭīkā1/7556 Rasārṇava1/32027 Rasendracintāmaṇi1/13320 Skandapurāṇa1/16366 Spandakārikānirṇaya1/10186 Tantrasāra1/14221 Late Gokarṇapurāṇasāraḥ1/14643 Haṭhayogapradīpikā1/5649 Sātvatatantra4/10107 Skandapurāṇa (2)25/113973 Rāmāyaṇa Rām, Bā, 24, 16.1 rājyabhāraniyuktānām eṣa dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ / The Mahabharata in Sanskrit: Book 12: Chapter 128 परस्पराभिसंरक्षा राज्ञा राष्ट्रेण चापदि नित्यम एवेह कर्तव्या एष धर्मः सनातनः ॥31\|\| BhāgavPur, 3, 16, 18.1 tvattaḥ sanātano dharmo rakṣyate tanubhis tava / In all the above references, as Mm. suggested it is used as qualifying a duty since time long. I have produced this only for the earliest reference to the usage of the word सनातन in respect of धर्म and nothing more than that it serves. In the statistical references, it qualifies many things brahma, shakti, etc. And सनातन is one of the four sons of ब्रह्मा, the creator born at the beginning of the creation according to पुराण-s. UNQUOTE
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