Hinduism is also known as ‘sanatana dharma‘ to Hindus. In Sanskrit, the original language of India, ‘sanatana‘ means ‘eternal’ and ‘dharma‘, by a crude translation, means ‘religion’. This Eternal Religion refers to the original constitutional relationship the immortal soul enjoys with the Supreme God, who has no beginning, no end and has no material form.
India gave to the world the original, oldest and most profound philosophy of life. The brilliant ancestors of present-day Indians explored and realised the Supreme Truth that is beyond our mundane material existence and revealed several philosophies and theories to define the Truth.
Sanatana Dharma does not have a starting point in history, does not have a founder, and has no Church. The sages who shaped the Hindu religion merely reiterated the teachings of the Vedas, the Hindu scriptures (most of which were preserved in an oral tradition until 5000 years ago, when they were codified and written). The Vedas are believed to have no origin in the material realm but are considered a revelation by God Himself, and are thus called ‘apurusheya’. In ancient India, the Vedas formed the educational system and broadly comprised all the different spheres of life, such as spiritual, scientific, medical, social, cultural and administrative aspects of society.
