Thread by @shrikanth_krish

Interesting question

Growing up I barely ever heard anyone in the family use the term "sanAtana Dharma"

I came across the term in Manu Smrti where it used in a different sense

सत्यं ब्रूयात् प्रियं ब्रूयान्न ब्रूयात् सत्यमप्रियम् ।
प्रियं च नानृतं ब्रूयादेष धर्मः सनातनः॥ १३८ ॥

https://twitter.com/dhirodata/status/1180340360104402947

I think the term is a lot more popular in North India, particularly the North West

Less so in the South

I suspect the Arya Samaj had a big role to play in popularizing this term

Personally I find sanAtana Dharma too sanitized and defensive

Hinduism is OK

Alternatively -

vaIdIka Dharma
Brahmanism

Though the latter two pertain more to the religious practices of the elites