Sanatan Dharma / Hinduism

Dharma is very profound meaning. It means one’s own duties in individual sense, and globally it means the universal law by which we all are bound together. It is that we all should follow for us all, although it may be different for each of us. It is that which all the things in the universe follow – their course. We can say, Sun rises in the morning and sets in the evening because it is its Dharma. A teacher cares for his students and makes sure she is preparing them for their better future and giving society good citizens, it is her Dharma.
The word Sanatan means ‘Eternal’. Sanatan Dharma thus means all that one should do from eternity to eternity! Religion is a very short word to describe this.
Sri Sri Ravishankar says,

religion is like the peel of banana and spirituality is the banana. This
spirituality is Dharma.

The words Hindu and Hinduism came from the usage of the term Sindhu. "Outsiders" who encountered Sanatanists living near the Sindhu river in the western portion of Bharat (the original and still used Sanskrit name for India) referred to them as "Sindhus" and their unique form of worship as "Sindhuism." Though there was a Sindhu river, Sindhu is actually a generic term for river, and many believe this term was used in a metaphorical sense implying the river or spirituality that flows through all thing–in other words, Sanatan Dharma. With this understanding, the terms Sanatan Dharma and Hinduism become interchangeable with an identical meaning.

It is very important to understand that, though is was first in Bharat/India that Sanatan Dharma/Hinduism was encountered, Hinduism is not confined to just a geographical location and certainly not simply to an ethnic group. Just as there are Christians, for example, who are not from the Middle East, not Hebrew and do not speak Aramaic, there are Hindus of all races and nationalities. And, just as anyone can become a Christian, anyone can become a Hindu.
Sanatan Dharma/Hinduism is considered to be the oldest religion that is still adhered to by millions around the world. No one knows how old is Sanatan Dharma, and there is of course no one founder. Sanatan Dharma has also "given birth" to several other major religions; i.e., Buddhism, the Jain and Sikh religions. Sanatan Dharma/Hinduism is, of course, the religion of all aspects of (classical) yoga–though yogic spiritual disciplines are also taught by the Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs.

It is an unfortunate fact that even today many still do not understand the Yoga/Hindu connection–so, let's look at the facts:

• Just as it is common knowledge that when one uses terms such as Baptism, Bible, Mass, Confirmation, Jesus, the Cross, Christmas and Pope, for example, one is referring to the religion of Christianity. Similarly terms such as : Yoga, Namaste, Asanas, Hatha Yoga, Astanga Yoga, Shiva, Kundalini, Chakras, Vedas, Puja, Samskaras, Patanjali, the Aum and Sat Guru, for example, refer to the religion of Hinduism a.k.a. Sanatan Dharma.
• The word "YOGA" (and other associated words) is Sanskrit. Sanskrit is the prayer language of Hinduism and is to Hinduism what Latin is to Christianity, or Hebrew to Judaism or Arabic to the religion of Islam.
• The word "YOGA" translates into "Spiritual Union" which is the identical meaning of the word "RELIGION."
• Guru Patanjali (often considered "The Father of Classical Yoga") was, of course, a devout Sanatanist/Hindu. This great sage comes from the Saivite Hindu lineage and naturally spent much of his life in and around the Chidambaram Siva temple in Tamil Nadu, South India.
• All devout Hindus (to one degree or another) live a spiritual/religious lifestyle following the various forms of Yoga; i.e., Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Nada Yoga, Mantra Yoga, Japa Yoga and Kundalini Yoga, for example. Obviously, these spiritual disciplines are not found in the Jewish, Christian, or Muslim religions, for example.
• All the yogic disciplines are detailed in the many scriptures of the Hindu religion; i.e., the Vedas/Upanashads, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita, Agamas and Tirumantirum, to name a few. In contrast, the Bible, Torah and Koran make no mention of Yoga.
• The authentic teachers of the many aspects of Yoga are the priests and prophets of Hinduism; i.e., Pandits, Pujaris, Sadhus, Yogis, Swamis and Sat Gurus. In contrast, Rabbis, Fathers and Imams are not teachers of Yoga.
• Any book on Hinduism will also be about the various spiritual disciplines of Yoga. For example, in Swami Sivananda's All About Hinduism "The Raja Yoga system of Hinduism is also splendid and unique..." "Hinduism provides spiritual food and Yoga Sadhana for all sorts of people..."

The point of presenting these facts is not to claim the superiority or exclusivity of Hinduism and its yogic spiritual disciplines but rather to simply point out what should be a common sense realization. "If it walks like a duck..." Certainly one would not speak of the Bible, Jesus and Easter, for example and then make the naive assertion that this has absolutely nothing to do with religion and certainly not Christianity. Similarly, anyone with a bit of knowledge would not use words like Yoga, Namaste and OM, for example, and then make the naive assertion that this has nothing to do with religion or Hinduism. This absurdity can perhaps be clarified by the following:
In the world of careers, everyone realizes that there many unique ways of "earning a living." Each one respects one's chosen specific way of "doing business." Certainly no one would cry "intolerant fundamentalism" to one one who stated they were a plumber, for example. And, who would cry "exclusivity" over the common sense realization that the plumber does not perform his occupation on a patient in the hospital? This job, of course, is for the one with the specific title of "Surgeon" or "Doctor." Ironically, however, too often in the realm of religion there is a tendency to think that simply because one states that they follow one or another of the world's religions that this amounts to creating an exclusive religion. There are obviously many profound religious paths (and perhaps more to come). This recognition and respect for the various religions should be natural as each individual and groups of individuals find an affinity with one of these spiritual traditions. Of course, a problem arises when any one of these religions claims exclusivity. This tendency is "obviously" an immature view. Equally naive however is the modern tendency to divorce the spiritual disciplines of Yoga from Sanatana Dharma/Hinduism-the religion of all forms of Yoga.

Hinduism has no founder. It is not founded by any single person. It is not based on a set of dogmas set by few persons. Hinduism is a collection of works by great rishis and saints. The strong foundation on which it is based is called 'Sruti'. Sruti means that which has been heard, the walls are called 'Smriti' - Smriti means that which has been remembered.