Sanatan Dharma,Vedci Dharma- are not religion but connection with Originator

1. The last Sukta of Rigveda (10.161) summarizes the whole essence of what humans should do to imbibe the Vedas. The entire Vedas have to be understood in context of this Sukta which emphasizes on the most differentiating trait of human beings – unity – in purpose, method and approach. Here is a summary list of the dictates of Vedic religion in this Sukta:
Rigveda 10.161.2
– walk together in the path of truth without bias, injustice and intolerance
– talk to each other to enhance knowledge, wisdom and affection without malice and hatred
– keep working together to enhance knowledge and bliss
– follow the path of truth and selflessness as exemplified by noble people
Rigveda 10.161.3
– Your analysis of right and wrong should be unbiased and not specific to particular set of people
– You should organize together to help everyone enhance their health, knowledge and prosperity
– Your minds should be devoid of hatred and should see progress and happiness of all as one’s own progress and happiness and you should only act for enhancement of happiness of all based on truth
– Work together to eradicate falsehood and discover truth
– Never ever deviate from path of truth and unity
Rigveda 10.161.4
– Your efforts should be full of enthusiasm and for bliss of everyone
– Your emotions should be for one and all and love everyone the way you love yourself
– Your desire, resolve, analysis, faith, abstinence, patience, keenness, focus, comfort etc all should be towards truth and bliss for all, and away from falsehood.
– Keep working in synergy to increase each others’ knowledge and bliss.
2. Yajurved 19.77
- All humans at all times should have passion only for adoption of truth and rejection of falsehood. This should be a continuous process and one should keep detaching faith from what one discovers to be false and keep attaching faith to what one discovers to be true based on analysis, logic, facts and evidence.
3. Yajurved 36.18
– Humans should never hate any other living being and interact with each other with love and affection
– Humans should consider all living beings as their friends and work for prosperity of everyone
4. Yajurved 1.5
- All human beings should resolve to accept only truth and reject the falsehood. Even the prayer to Supreme should request only eradication of falsehood and embrace of truth alone.
5. Yajurved 19.30
– When one resolves to adhere to truth, she becomes eligible for bliss and truth. When she becomes eligible, she starts getting rewards in form of knowledge and satisfaction. Such rewards strengthen the resolve and enhance the faith towards pursuit of truth. As the faith enhances, so does the bliss and knowledge one gets. And eventually this leads to ultimate bliss or Salvation.
6. Atharvaved 12.5.1,2
– Shrama – extreme efforts and Tapa – desire to withstand challenges and troubles happily for sake of one’s goal – are the two basic characteristics of humans that they should never leave.
– Through Shrama and Tapa, humans can unravel the greatest mysteries of the world and understand the knowledge of Brahma or Supreme
– Shrama and Tapa should be utilized to adopt truth and reject falsehood
– Shrama and Tapa should be utilized to enhance one’s wealth and prosperity of the nation
– Shrama and Tapa should be utilized to gain fame based on truth alone
7. Atharvaved 12.5.3


– One should use one’s own things and not steal from others
– One should ensure that everyone trusts each other completely. Trust cannot come without passion for truth and hence truth should be adhered to in all situations
– One should make greatest efforts to protect true knowledge, scholars and innocent people
– One should indulge in extracting best benefits through Yajna – by selfless acts of general benefits for all, promoting true knowledge and applying this knowledge in all fields
– One should never be lazy and continue putting efforts for the Yajna
8. Atharvaved 12.5.7-10
(These mantras provide a complete snapshot of Vedic religion)Oja – Bravery in following truth
Teja – Fearlessness
Saha – To follow truth regardless of happiness, sorrow, loss, gain
Bala – To continue increasing physical and mental strength through study, Brahmacharya, discipline, exercise etc
Vaak – To speak sweetly for propagation of truth
Indriya – To direct all the 5 sense organs, 5 action organs and mind towards truth and righteousness and away from sins
Shree – To put all efforts and plan for creation of a powerful country based on truth, justice and honesty and bringing down those rulers who are corrupt, impotent, devoid of self-respect and selfish
Dharma – To continuously accept truth and reject falsehood and bring benefit for all human beings and living beings through this process
Brahma – To promote scholars and noble people who would propagate knowledge
Kshatra – To promote brave people who would protect nation and people, and severely punish those who harm innocent people or attempt to denigrate the society
Visha – To promote commerce and trade and work towards propagation of global economy devoid of discrimination
Twishi – To promote and publicize noble virtues and truth alone
Yasha – To work for global fame based only on truth and noble virtues
Varcha – To establish a sound education system for all men and women
Dravinam – To explore for more and more wealth based on above traits, safeguard the existing wealth, enhance the safeguarded wealth and investing wealth to promote knowledge and noble virtues
Ayu – To put all efforts to increase one’s lifespan
Roopam – To wear good clean clothes take showcase dignity and respect
Naam – To work towards setting examples so that others are also inspired towards path of truth
Keerti – To propagate true knowledge so that we also get fame
Prana Apana – To control breathing patterns to eliminate diseases and enhance longevity
Chakshu Shrotra – To use sense organs to continuously explore truth and reject falsehood
Paya Rasa – To have drinks that enhance health and vitality – like milk, water, medicines etc
Anna Annadya – To have good food that is beneficial for health as per methods of medical sciences
Ritam – To worship only the ultimate Ishwar who is Supreme and none else
Satyam – To have no absolutely differences in what one knows, speaks and acts upon
Ishtam – To desire only total bliss through worship of one and only one Ishwar through noble acts as described above
Poortam – To plan and act for fulfillment of Ishtam as defined above
Praja – To educate masses and new generation in all true fields of knowledge and actions
Pashava – To care for animals as well
The mantra uses ‘Cha’ meaning ‘and’ several times to emphasize that apart from those mentioned above, any other trait that promotes truth and wisdom and eradicates falsehood and grief from among masses should be readily adopted.
Other texts based on Vedas elaborate this subject of religion or Dharma in greater detail and so do many other mantras of Vedas. Some of the other excellent elaborations on Dharma are found in Taittriya Aranyak 7.9,11; 10.8; 10.62,63; Mundakopanishad 3.1.5,6 and Purva Meemansa 1.1.2 which states that whatever is advised by Ishwar in Vedas (as explained above) is Dharma.
(You can read them in detail in Rigvedadibhashyabhumika or Introduction to Vedas by Swami Dayanand in Chapter named Vedoktadharmavishaya. Its a compulsory reading for those desiring to understand the Vedas.)
The definition of Dharma or religion as per Vaisheshik Darshan 1.1.2 is “ Whatever leads to happiness and ultimate bliss or Moksha for entire world – alone is Dharma”.
From www.agniveer.com
 

ऋता, सत्य एवं धर्म ,what is DHARMA. It is not religion.

ऋता, सत्य एवं धर्म :
  ऋता, सत्य, धर्म : अर्थ एवं तात्पर्य -
धर्म का परिभाषा क्या हैं ये लेकर विद्वज्जनों में भी मतभेद नजर आता हैं । धर्म शब्द " ध्रु " धातु से उत्पन्न होता हैं जिसका अर्थ हैं सम्भालना, धारण करना या पोषण करना । ऋषियों ने " धर्म " को " ऋता " एवं " सत्य " के साथ ही निकट अर्थ में उल्लेख किया हैं ।
श्री विद्यारण्य जी ने " ऋता " का संज्ञा निरूपण करते समय कहा हैं " अन्तर्दृष्टि " एवं " ईश्वर-दर्शन " । तैत्तिरीय उपनिषद् में भी " सत्य " एवं " धर्म " शब्द के साथ ही ऋता शब्द आता हैं । इसमें शिष्यों को सत्य कहने और धर्माचारण करने के लिए कहा जा रहा हैं । (" सत्यं वद, धर्मं चर ")
आचार्य श्री शंकर भागवतपाद जी के अनुसार " सत्य " का अर्थ हैं सत्य-कथन एवं " धर्म " का अर्थ हैं सत्य-कार्य अर्थात सत्य को कार्य में परिणत करना ।
" सत्यमिति यथाशास्त्रार्थत स एव अनुष्ठीयमानः धर्मनाम भवति "
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अब इस विषय पर श्री के. वालसुब्रमनिय अय्यर जी का व्याख्या भी देखते हैं :
" ये तीन शब्दों (सत्य, ऋता एवं धर्म) की तात्पर्य विचार करने से ये स्पष्ट होता हैं की धर्म का मूल भित्ति ही एक व्यक्ति के जीवन का आदर्श हैं । " ऋता " शब्द से " अन्तर्दृष्टि " एवं सत्य का अनुभव, " सत्य " शब्द से मन में जिस प्रकार से उस सत्य का अनुभव हो रहा हैं उसको शब्दों में व्यक्त करना, और " धर्म " से जीवन में आचरण करते समय उस सत्य का पालन करना समझा जाता हैं । " धर्म " तो जीवनधारण करने का वो पद्धति हैं जिससे सत्य को कार्य में परिणत किया जाता हैं एक अन्तर्दृष्टिसम्पन्न मनुष्य के द्वारा, जिस सत्य का बोध उन्हें हुआ हैं एवं जैसे वो सत्य को प्रकाश करता हैं । संक्षेप में कहा जाए तो - " ऋता " = सत्य चिन्तन, " सत्य " = सत्य वचन, " धर्म " = सत्य को कार्य में परिणत करना । "
ज्ञानीयों के लिए " धर्म " एवं " सत्य " का एक ही अर्थ हैं एवं इसका उद्येश्य ये हैं --- उस सत्य की दिशा में आगे बढ़ना जो केवल स्वयं ही सत्य-स्वरुप हैं । उन लोगों के लिए सत्य को मन में, शब्दों में एवं कार्य में परिणत करने के अतिरिक्त और कोई उद्येश्य नहीं हैं ।
(साभार : Hindu Dharma, voice of Swami Shri Chandrashekharendra Saraswati Mahaswami Ji, Kanchi Paramacharya)

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इसी लिए वेद वाणी हैं :
ऋतस्य पन्थां न तरन्ति दुष्कृतः।।
~ ऋग्वेद ९/७३/६
अर्थात् सत्य के मार्ग को दुष्कर्मी पार नहीं कर पाते।
जबकि~
सुगा ऋतस्य पन्थाः।।
~ ऋग्वेद ८/३१/१३
अर्थात् सत्य का मार्ग सुख से गमन करने योग्य है,सरल है।
क्योंकि~
सत्यस्य नावः सुकृतमपीपरन्।।
~ ऋग्वेद ९/७३/१
अर्थात् सत्य की नौका धर्मात्माओं को पार लगाया करती है।
ऋतावृधौ ऋतस्पशौ बृहन्तं क्रतुं ऋतेन आशाथे।।
~ सामवेद
अर्थात् सत्य को बढ़ाने वाले, सत्य को स्पर्श करने वाले, सत्य से ही महान् कार्य करते हैं
" किम् सत्यं ? " इस प्रश्न का उत्तर में आदिगुरू शंकराचार्य जी ने कहा " भुतहितं " । सत्य या सत्यनिष्ठा वो हैं जो समग्र भूतों की (सकल प्राणीयों की) मंगलसाधन के लिए कहा जाता हैं ।
" को धर्मः " ? इसका उत्तर आचार्य ने दिया " अभिमतो यः शिष्टानां निज-कुलीनानाम् "
इसका अर्थ ये हैं : " ज्ञानियों एवं निज परिवार के शिष्टाचारसम्पन्न गुरुजनों द्वारा जो निर्धारित होता हैं वो धर्म हैं । "
चार पुरुषार्थों में धर्म प्रथम, अर्थ द्वितीय, काम तृतीय एवं मोक्ष चतुर्थ हैं। इसका कारण ये हैं की मोक्ष मार्ग का योग्य अधिकारी अत्यन्त दुर्लभ हैं ।
व्यासदेव जी भारत-सावित्री में कहते हैं :
ऊर्ध्वबाहुम्विरौम्येश न च कश्चित् शृणोति मे |
धर्मादर्थश्च कामश्च स धर्म किं न सेव्यते ||
~ महाभारत, स्वर्गारोहणपर्व, अध्याय (खिला) ५, श्लोक ४९
" उर्ध्ववाहू होकर उच्च स्वर में मैं ये घोषणा करता हूँ किन्तु कोई सुनता नहीं --- धर्म से ही अर्थ एवं काम लाभ होता हैं, तो धर्म का अनुसरण क्यूँ नहीं किया जाये ? "
श्री आद्य शंकराचार्य जी देखते हैं ज्ञानी एवं पंडित व्यक्ति, यहाँ तक की अत्यन्त सूक्ष्मदृष्टीसम्पन्न आत्मदर्शी भी कदाचित् तमसाच्छन्न होकर ये समझ नहीं पाता, यद्यपि बिबिध शास्त्रों में स्पष्ट रूप से ये वर्णित हैं ।
सत्य का प्रत्यक्ष अनुभूति केवल उनको ही होता हैं जिसका मन में श्रद्धा हैं :
शास्त्रस्य गुरुवाक्यस्य सत्यबुद्ध्यवधारणम् ।
सा श्रद्धा कथिता सद्भिर्यया वस्तूपलभ्यते ॥
~ विवेकचूड़ामणि, २५
" गुरुवाक्य एवं वेदान्तवाक्य को यथार्त सत्य मानकर दृढ़ता के साथ अन्तर में धारण करना ही ज्ञानियों ने श्रद्धा कहा हैं । इस श्रद्धा आत्मस्वरुप उपलब्धि करने का सहाय हैं । "
शास्त्रानुसार विचार करके एवं गुरु द्वारा प्रदर्शित मार्ग पर चलकर अविद्या की वन्धन से मुक्ति मिलती हैं एवं आत्मज्ञान लाभ होता हैं और ये शास्त्रों द्वारा भी समर्थित हैं ।
अथवा शास्त्रोक्त विधि से मन को नियन्त्रणपूर्वक एकमुखी करके निरन्तर सत्य का ध्यान करते समय जो अनुभूति होता हैं वो भी उस सद्वस्तु को लाभ करने का एक उपाय हैं ।
धन्य हैं वो क्षण जब नित्य-शुद्ध-बुद्ध-मुक्त आनन्दमय आत्मा का अनुभूति होता हैं । इसी लिए धर्म अर्थात " वेदोक्त सनातन धर्म " अनुसरण करना मनुष्यजन्म को सार्थक बनाने के लिए सर्वकाल में प्रसिद्द हैं ।
धर्म ही हमारा एकमात्र रक्षक हैं ।
|| ॐ शान्ति शान्ति शान्ति ||

DHARMA IS NOT A RELIGION.धर्म

"धर्म" शब्द सर्वप्रथम हिंदु संस्कृति में प्रयोग किया गया है, जिसका अर्थ केवल कोई उपासना पद्धति न होकर उच्च मानवीय गुणों से है । अतः धर्म केवल एक है, और वह है- "सनातन हिंदु धर्म".. जहाँ धर्म के कई लक्षण बताए गये हैं--मनुस्मृति
मनु ने धर्म के दस लक्षण गिनाए हैं:
धृति: क्षमा दमोऽस्तेयं
शौचमिन्द्रियनिग्रह:।
धीर्विद्या सत्यमक्रोधो दशकं
धर्मलक्षणम्।। (मनुस्मृति ६.९२)
(धैर्य, क्षमा, संयम, चोरी न करना, शौच
(स्वच्छता), इन्द्रियों को वश मे रखना, बुद्धि,
विद्या, सत्य और क्रोध न करना ; ये दस धर्म
के लक्षण हैं।)
याज्ञवक्य
याज्ञवल्क्य ने धर्म के नौ (9) लक्षण गिनाए
हैं:
अहिंसा सत्यमस्तेयं शौचमिन्द्रियनिग्रह:।
दानं दमो दया शान्ति: सर्वेषां धर्मसाधनम्।।
(अहिंसा, सत्य, चोरी न करना (अस्तेय), शौच
(स्वच्छता), इन्द्रिय-निग्रह
(इन्द्रियों को वश में रखना), दान, संयम (दम),
दया एवं शान्ति)
श्रीमद्भागवत
श्रीमद्भागवत के सप्तम स्कन्ध में सनातन
धर्म के तीस लक्षण बतलाये हैं और वे बड़े
ही महत्त्व के हैं :
सत्यं दया तप: शौचं तितिक्षेक्षा शमो दम:।
अहिंसा ब्रह्मचर्यं च त्याग: स्वाध्याय
आर्जवम्।।
संतोष: समदृक् सेवा ग्राम्येहोपरम: शनै:।
नृणां विपर्ययेहेक्षा मौनमात्मविमर्शनम्।।
अन्नाद्यादे संविभागो भूतेभ्यश्च
यथार्हत:।
तेषात्मदेवताबुद्धि: सुतरां नृषु पाण्डव।।
श्रवणं कीर्तनं चास्य स्मरणं महतां गते:।
सेवेज्यावनतिर्दास्यं
सख्यमात्मसमर्पणम्।।
नृणामयं परो धर्म: सर्वेषां समुदाहृत:।
त्रिशल्लक्षणवान् राजन् सर्वात्मा येन
तुष्यति।।
महात्मा विदुर
महाभारत के महान यशस्वी पात्र विदुर ने धर्म
के आठ अंग बताए हैं -
इज्या (यज्ञ-याग, पूजा आदि), अध्ययन,
दान, तप, सत्य, दया, क्षमा और अलोभ ।
उनका कहना है कि इनमें से प्रथम चार
इज्या आदि अंगों का आचरण मात्र दिखावे के
लिए भी हो सकता है, किन्तु अन्तिम चार सत्य
आदि अंगों का आचरण करने वाला महान बन
जाता है।
तुलसीदास द्वारा वर्णित धर्मरथ
सुनहु सखा, कह कृपानिधाना, जेहिं जय होई
सो स्यन्दन आना।
सौरज धीरज तेहि रथ चाका, सत्य सील दृढ़
ध्वजा पताका।
बल बिबेक दम पर-हित घोरे,
छमा कृपा समता रजु जोरे।
ईस भजनु सारथी सुजाना, बिरति चर्म
संतोष कृपाना।
दान परसु बुधि सक्ति प्रचण्डा, बर
बिग्यान कठिन कोदंडा।
अमल अचल मन त्रोन सामना, सम जम
नियम सिलीमुख नाना।
कवच अभेद बिप्र-गुरुपूजा, एहि सम बिजय
उपाय न दूजा।
सखा धर्ममय अस रथ जाकें, जीतन कहँ न
कतहूँ रिपु ताकें।
महा अजय संसार रिपु, जीति सकइ सो बीर।
जाकें अस रथ होई दृढ़, सुनहु सखा मति-
धीर।। (लंकाकांड)
पद्मपुराण
ब्रह्मचर्येण सत्येन तपसा च प्रवर्तते।
दानेन नियमेनापि क्षमा शौचेन वल्लभ।।
अहिंसया सुशांत्या च अस्तेयेनापि वर्तते।
एतैर्दशभिरगैस्तु धर्ममेव सुसूचयेत।।
(अर्थात ब्रह्मचर्य, सत्य, तप, दान, संयम,
क्षमा, शौच, अहिंसा, शांति और अस्तेय इन
दस अंगों से युक्त होने पर ही धर्म
की वृद्धि होती है।)
धर्मसर्वस्वम्
जिस नैतिक नियम को आजकल 'गोल्डेन रूल'
या 'एथिक आफ रेसिप्रोसिटी' कहते हैं उसे
भारत में प्राचीन काल से मान्यता है। सनातन
धर्म में इसे 'धर्मसर्वस्वम्" (=धर्म का सब
कुछ) कहा गया है:
श्रूयतां धर्मसर्वस्वं
श्रुत्वा चाप्यवधार्यताम्।
आत्मनः प्रतिकूलानि परेषां न समाचरेत्।।
(पद्मपुराण, शृष्टि 19/357-358)
(अर्थ: धर्म का सर्वस्व क्या है, सुनो ! और
सुनकर इसका अनुगमन करो। जो आचरण
स्वयं के प्रतिकूल हो, वैसा आचरण दूसरों के
साथ नहीं करना चाहिये।)

WHAT IS DHARMA?

• What is Dharma •

धारणात् धर्मः - that which holds together or supports is dharma.
The word ‘dharma’ (धर्म) in Sanskrit is derived from the root धृ meaning ‘to hold’, ‘to bear’, ‘to carry’ or ‘to support’.In this sense dharma encompasses all ethical, moral, social and other values or principles, code of conduct and behavior which contribute to the well-being, sustenance and harmonious functioning of individuals, societies and nations and which prevent their disintegration. In a wider sense it is dharma which sustains and supports the whole world. This word has gathered around itself such richness of meaning and wealth of associations that it is impossible to translate it into a single word in any other language, Indian or foreign.
In many Indian languages the word ‘dharma’ is used to denote ‘religion’. However, in Sanskrit, there is no word which is the exact equivalent of ‘religion’. The word ‘religion’ connotes a set of dogmas and beliefs, a code of conduct, a Founder, a Sacred Book and a Church or similar institution. Such a concept of Institutionalized religion is alien to Hindu thought. In fact, Hinduism (more properly ‘Sanatana Dharma‘ ) accommodates within its fold people with widely differing beliefs and dogmas. It is therefore no wonder that Sanskrit does not have a word which is the exact equivalent of ‘religion’ in the sense mentioned above.
‘Dharma’ is also used in Indian languages to denote ‘duty’, ‘righteousness’, ‘virtue’, ‘justice’, ‘morality’, ‘charity’, ‘innate tendency’ etc. All these represent only a particular aspect of ‘dharma’. There is no single word which can be substituted for the Sanskrit word ‘Dharma’. This is also the case with English and other western languages where the difficulty in translating the term is enhanced because of the cultural divide. In fact the word ‘dharma’ has already been assimilated into the lexicon of the English language.
‘Dharma’ is a unique human attribute
An oft-quoted verse in Sanskrit says:
आहारनिद्राभयमैथुनानि सामान्यमेतत्पशुभिर्नराणाम् ।
धर्मो हि तेषामधिको विशेषो धर्मेण हीनाः पशुभिस्समानाः ॥
’Eating, sleeping, fearing and mating – human beings have these in common with animals. What distinguishes them from animals is dharma. Those devoid of dharma are no better than animals’
Only human beings are endowed with the capacity to distinguish between what is dharma and what is adharma, the opposite of dharma. Human beings are endowed with an inner conscience which cautions us when we contemplate deviating from the righteous path. This, of course, assumes that we have not smothered this inner voice by habitually breaking the counsel of that voice. Without adherence to dharma humans will sink to the level of animals.
Importance of Dharma :
Decline of dharma and ascendancy of adharma ( the opposite of dharma) will result in such chaotic conditions and destabilization on the Earth that the Lord Himself comes down in human form to re-establish the reign of Dharma. Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita:
यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत ।
अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम् ॥
परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् ।
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय संभवामि युगे युगे ॥
’whenever there is decline of dharma and ascendancy of adharma, I take birth Myself on this Earth to establish the rule of Dharma. In every Yuga I incarnate myself to protect the virtuous and destroy the wicked.’
Shankara’s definition of Dharma
The first Shankaracharya defines dharma in the following words:
अभ्युदयनिःश्रेयसकारणो चोदनालक्षणो धर्मः
That which the Sruti (the Vedas) prompts us to do and which will result in our material and spiritual advancement is dharma. An illustration of this definition can be given from the Taittiriya Upanishad wherein the Teacher (Acharya) addresses his pupils on the completion of their Vedic studies:
सत्यं वद । धर्मं चर। स्वाध्यायान्मा प्रमदः। ……………. मातृदेवो भव। पितृदेवो भव। आचार्यदेवो भव । अतिथिदेवो भव । …………….
Mother Sruti, through the medium of the teacher’s address to his pupils, prompts us to speak the truth, walk on the path of dharma,do swadhyaya without fail (study the scriptures regularly) and look upon one’s mother, father, teacher and also the guest as divine. Being the exhortations of Mother Sruti for our own material and spiritual benefit , the above codes of conduct comes within Shankara’s definition of dharma.
Manu on the Essence of Dharma
How do we distinguish between dharma and adharma ? Manu has this to say in answer to this question:
वेदः स्मृतिः सदाचारः स्वस्य च प्रियमात्मनः।
एतच्चतुर्विधं प्राहुः साक्षाद्धर्मस्य लक्षणम् ॥
That which the Vedas and dharma sastras prompt us to do is dharma. The example set by noble and exalted souls by their conduct (सदाचारः) and what one’s own conscience says is also dharma. Manu also says:
धृतिः क्षमा शमोऽस्तेयं शौचमिन्द्रियनिग्रहः।
धीर्विद्या सत्यमक्रोधो दशकं धर्मलक्षणम् ॥
‘Steadfastness or determination (धृतिः), patience (क्षमा), control of the mind (शमः), non-stealing (अस्तेयं), purity of mind, body and speech (शौचं), control of the senses (इन्द्रियनिग्रहः), an inquiring intellect (धीः), knowledge which leads to liberation (विद्या), truth in thought, word and deed (सत्यं) and controlling anger (अक्रोधः) – these ten are the marks of dharma’
What Manu says about the inner conscience being the arbiter of dharma, finds expression in the following lines from shankuntlam of Kalidasa, the great poet:
सतां हि सन्देहपदेषु वस्तुषु प्रमाणमन्तःकरणप्रवृत्त्यः .
When a person of exalted character is in doubt whether a particular course of action is right or not, he has only to listen to his inner conscience. What this inner voice approves is right, what it does not is wrong.
In case of doubt
In the Taittiriya Upanishad, in the context of the Acharya’s address to the students, the question arises about the course of action to be followed when one is in doubt whether an action or conduct is in conformity with dharma or not. The Teacher says:
अथ यदि ते कर्मविचिकित्सा वा वृत्तविचिकित्सा वा स्यात्। ये तत्र ब्रह्मणाः सम्मर्शिनः। युक्ताः आयुक्ताः । अलूक्षा धर्मकामाः स्युः । यथा ते तत्र वर्तेरन् । तथा तत्र वर्तेथाः ।
‘When you are in doubt whether an action or conduct is right or wrong, you should follow the example set by men of noble thoughts and deeds who are kind-hearted, who are ever willing to give sound advice and who always desire dharma alone.’
Duty to protect and uphold dharma
It is the duty of everyone to protect dharma. Manu says “धर्मो रक्षति रक्षितः’ meaning dharma protects those who protect it. The same idea is expressed in Valmiki Ramayana wherein Kausalya tells Rama before he leaves for the forest:
यं पालयसि धर्मं त्वं धृत्या च नियमेन च।
स वै राघवशार्दूल धर्मस्त्वामभिरक्षतु॥
’O Raghava! Dharma which you uphold with steadfastness and discipline protect you from all sides’.
Sanatana dharma and yuga dharma
The religion of the Hindus is known as Sanatana dharma the core values of which are embodied in the following lines from Manu Smriti:
धृतिः क्षमा शमोऽस्तेयं शौचमिन्द्रियनिग्रहः।
धीर्विद्या सत्यमक्रोधो दशकं धर्मलक्षणम् ॥
The values enumerated in the above lines of Manu are valid for all times (Yugas). They form the core of Sanatana dharma. On the other hand yugadharma is valid for a particular age or Yuga. These evolve based on the particular social, political and other circumstances prevailing in a particular age. Yugadharma may change when the yuga changes but Sanatana dharma remains the same for all yugas
The dilemma of dharma and adharma
Man is often confronted with situations wherein he is unable to decide which course of action is dharma and which is not. We have the classic example of Arjuna who comes to the battlefield to wage a righteous war with the Kauravas. But he finds his own kith and kin and his own revered teachers in the opposite camp. Arjuna is unable to decide which is his dharma, killing his own kinsmen and teachers in a war or retreating from the scene of action. The Lord had to expound the whole of the Gita to resolve his inner conflict. The Lord says to Arjuna:
सुखदुःखे समे कृत्वा लाभालाभौ जयाजयौ ।
ततो युद्धाय युज्यस्व नैवं पापमवाप्स्यसि ॥
’O Arjuna! Engage yourself in this fight with a mind which accepts with equanimity pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat. Thus you will not be tainted by your actions’.
The conflict between dharma and adharma goes on all the time, both in the external world and in the internal world of man. The kurukshetra war typifies this battle in which the final victory is always of dharma. The Lord Himself was on the side of dharma represented by the Pandavas.
Importance of swadharma
One’s dharma differs from that of another person depending on one’s calling, place in the family, place in society, station in life and other circumstances. The Gits says:
स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः।
It is better to die doing one’s own dharma than following परधर्म i.e another man’s dharma. Following परधर्म may have frightening consequences. What is swadharma to a butcher cannot be swadharma to a brahmin and vice versa.
Srimad Bhagavata tells the story of dharma vyadha, a butcher by calling, who practiced his swadharma as a Karma Yogi would. He did his allotted work in life with a detached mind and served his old parents with all his heart, seeing in them God incarnate. By the practice of swadharma in this manner he became a highly evolved soul spiritually. He was considered competent to impart spiritual instruction to even a brahmin by birth. Such is the power of practicing swadharma in the right spirit, offering the fruits of one’s actions in loving devotion to the Lord.
The highest dharma according to Bhishma
In the Mahabharata, Yudhishthira asks Bhishma Pitamaha “को धर्मः सर्वधर्माणां भवतः परमो मत:” “Which is the highest of all dharmas?” Bhishma replies:
एष मे सर्वधर्माणां धर्मोऽधिकतमो मतः।
यद्भक्त्या पुण्डरीकाक्षं स्तवैरर्चेन्नरस्सदा ॥
’ The highest dharma is to worship the lotus-eyed Lord vishnu with devotion by singing hymns in his praise’. This is perhaps the easiest dharma which can be practiced in this Kali Yuga.
Surrender to the Divine Will, the ultimate dharma
The final pronouncement on dharma comes from Lord Krishna Himself in the 18th chapter of the Gita:
सर्वधर्मान् परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज।
अहं त्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः ॥
‘O Arjuna ! leave aside all dharma and take refuge in me alone in total surrender. I shall free you from all sins, do not grieve’.
By totally surrendering oneself to the Divine, one becomes truly an instrument of the Divine. Such a person is incapable of committing any sin. All his actions become dharma. The Divine will works through him and he becomes one with the Divine. Such a human being goes beyond dharma and adharma and all his conflicts are resolved.

SANATAN, VEDIC DHARMA

HOW IS SANATAN DHARMA (HINDUISM ) DIFFERENT FROM OTHER RELIGIONS ?

Open source religion :: If Wikipedia is an encyclopedia then Hinduism is a religion .Here religious democracy is practiced religiously. It absorbs everything, there are reg...ular moderations, revolutions, induction of local beliefs and deities .

No one God but one God :: It's not a polytheistic religion where Ares will get angry if you pray Hercules. Hanuman will be as happy as Ganesha whether you worship him or not. But every Hindu tries to stick to a God that suits him, so in the end its one God.

No one prophet but hundreds :: We have seven Rishis, after them hundreds of other Revolutionary saints and philosophers. Each one of them belong to a school of thought and everyone has a following.

No single philosophy or version of reality :: Dvaita, advaita, samkhya, yoga, nyaya, vaisheshika, vishista-advaita, bauddha, jain and sikh. Choose whichever pleases you .

No single book to follow :: follow bhagavad gita or ashtavakra gita, follow veda or just vedanta. Follow samkhya karika or brihadaranyaka upanishad. Anything and everything is open to you. Read, explore and enjoy.

Science is Religion and Religion is science :: Not every school of thought is creationist in Hinduism. Samkhya propounds creation of being from non-being. Those scientists who invented surgery, ayurveda, number system, explored astronomical objects were devout Hindus not necessarily believing in a personal God.

Yes to Evolution :: every soul has to pass through 8,400,000 lifetimes in various species to get human form. Layman or poetic way to express evolution.
 

 Vedas :: They are not word of any personal God, but are apaurushya, they are not concieved by one prophet but clans of prophets. They are universal sounds "shabda" and no single man can claim authority over them. Since they are the eternal truth and eternal truth is very difficult to get. Very truly vedas are as mysterious as the truth itself.

Treat God like Human :: Idols are human-like or anthropomorphic or just animals. Each day Idols are offered the food and dressed with new dresses. Festivals are for us and for the idols as well.

No proselytization :: One of the few religions in which proselytization/conversion is not a part of spiritual diet. No forced conversions. Because forcing itself defeats the concept of open source Sanatan Dharma.

Absorb and learn from others :: Islam came, christianity came and so did jews and parsis and mingled with Sanatana Dharma. Religious sharing at its best. Sufism could only flourish in India because here Idolatry can be practiced But sufism told native Indians about love and they started doing Bhakti.

Hinduism is the religion that could rightly capture the infinitude of universe and the value each human holds in this vast scheme.