Thread by @Aabhas24

1/n Who are we?

So audacious,appearing immortals, chanting the same Vaidik Ruchas composed millenniums back on the banks of #Saraswati, #Sindhu & many #Sindhus till today.

The Hindus(inhabitants of land beyond Sindhu), followers of Dharma, ie Sanatana,long way we have come.

2/n I always say that it impossible to give a date to Sanatana Dharma.

We need to decode both the words to understand meaning wisely.

Sanatana refers to "imperishable" & "eternal." (refer Śivapurāṇa 2.2.16, 2.2.42)

3/n What does word Sanātanī signify?

Often it signifies the duties which takeaway thoughts from the #Vedas, #Upanishads, #Puranas #Itihasas Bhagavad Gita etc.

Now, question arises that why they are Sanātan, & why no other thoughts?

4/n It is so because, the Civilization of Bharata, existed when there was not much around.

It was nature and only nature around.

The complexities of nature was not simple given the diverse topography & geography around. The extreme whether was not something we were alien too.

5/n People observed the diversity, and diverse treatise, & literature began to be created.

They observed Sky, the sequences of stars, constellations, the movement of winds etc etc.

They observed the Ṛta.

6/n So what is Ṛta?

Vaidik ṛtá has an Avestan equivalent aṣ̌a

Both relate to "Hr̥tás" meaning "truth".

The derivative noun ṛta is defined as "fixed or settled order, rule, divine law or truth". It is the "cosmic order".

7/n One of the best example of the observation of Ṛta is to observe sky.

They observed that ṛtá is all about cycles. The moon moves in a cycle, so does earth, hence the seasons. The tides come in a cycle, the breathe is a cycle, hence even the menstruation.

8/n The cosmic order was unchanging. It was constant. It was Sanatana. So the ṛtá is Santana or Eternal.

RigVeda extensively talks about ṛtá. It appears 390 times and is certainly the core of it.

9/n The ṛtá has following features:

A) Gati, the continuous movement or change.
B) Samghatna, a system based on interdependent parts.
C) Niyati, an inherent order of interdependence and movement.

10/n The Vedas do tell us that even the Gods don't control the ṛtá.

Perhaps that is where even the metaphor "vidhi ka vidhan" comes into play. I do feel Bhagwat Gita dwells in a great explanation around the subject.

11/n What is Dharma then?

Dharma signifies behaviors (read Karma) that are considered to be in accord with ṛtá.

Whatever that goes against the ṛtá, disillusioned by "Maya" is Adharma.

12/n The diversity of land, ie Bharat, is bound to have diverse practices to be categorized by Dharma.

Within this diversity, we still are united as Civilization.

Unity of Civilization comes from value & here the value was for respecting ṛtá.

13/n That was the reason why we had so many Shastras.

Smritis varied from each other on various principles which certainly was because of Desh, Kaal, Paristhiti

14/n In Architecture we have a term called "Appropriate Technology" which certainly means that while you use water bodies in warm and dry climate, you don't use it in warm humid climate.

In former, you use it for evaporative cooling while in latter it will cause nuisance.

15/n Here the Shastras were created based on observation of nature and understanding of ṛtá not on any assumed commandments of any prophet or messengers.

The diversity of speaks that it indeed is eternal & no order can compete with it.

16/n Hence "Dharma" can never be equated with "Religion".

One Religion can't celebrate diversity, but Dharma always celebrate diversity because of ṛtá.

Let me take you a bit deeper into "Religion."

17/n Religion comes from Old French and Anglo Norman (13th century) and means respect for sense of right, moral obligation, sanctity, what is sacred, reverence for the gods.

I use western source here because word itself is western.
oed.com/viewdictionary…

18/n It derives from the Latin word religiō.

According to Roman Philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero, religio comes from relegere: re (again) + lego (read) where lego is in the sense of "go over", "choose", or "consider carefully".

19/n Tom Harpur & Joseph Campbell give a bit different argument.

They say that religio is derived from religare:re(again) + ligare(bind or connect). This was emphasized by by St. Augustine, following Lactantius in Divinae institutiones (refer IV, 28) newadvent.org/fathers/07014.…

20/n For 19/n read:
a)The Pagan Christ google.co.in/books/edition/…

b)The Power of Myth google.co.in/books/edition/…

In medieval era it becomes bonded communities like those of monastic orders: "we hear of the 'religion' of the Golden Fleece, of a knight 'of the religion of Avys'"

21/n Read book "The Waning of Middle Ages too."

Here is link to read en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Wanin…

This book will tell you that Religio came into English as "life bound by monastic vows" or monastic orders.

22/n The St.Augustine mentioned in 19/n is the same person who played crucial role in erasing the notion of Cyclic Time from the Christian world. This thread gives insight about cursing of Cyclic Time

https://twitter.com/Aabhas24/status/1419274570305982468?s=20&t=_D9CP8w8ZIGJTQt9Mf--TQ

23/n In the 16th century with Protestant movement the concept of religion came to be distinguished as the domain of the church against the domain of civil authorities.

Dharma is something which just can't be drenched away from Regular Life for this is completely based on ṛtá.

24/n Dharma sanātana has been very well defined in Manusmriti & Bhagwat Puran.

Coming back to the core of this thread, millenniums ago our ancestors just observed ṛtá & put them down as verses at time metaphorically.

25/n The Brahmins importantly were the people who observed Cycles of Cosmos, derived philosophies around the same.

The Surya Siddhanta & Jyotisha Vedanga were the results of those observations.

26/n The Puja Paddhati is certainly the manifestation of the various observance and practice around Ṛta.

Even today when the Puja begins you invoke, the Nakshtras, Rashi, the Tithi etc etc.

The complex mathematics of mapping Sky & Cosmos has been Sanskara.

27/n The non-Indic thoughts believe in a Linear Mundane Time, which finally shall take you either to infinite Hell or Heaven depending on how well you have followed the commandments of the Book.

The greats of the Modern Physics too have failed to disprove the cycles of cosmos.

28/n One may bring an argument that even Dharmiks are dogmatic folks for they strive so hard to keep the tradition going on & on.

Then the answer comes from the fact that existence of millions of Diverse Treaties in Sanatana Dharma leaves me too confidant it is not dogma.

29/n Every Sampradaya is different from the other with common notion of respecting the Ṛta.

Had all been tied with one set of doctrine, it certainly would have been dogma but that is not the case.

30/n The sect of Hindus have been always audacious, for one of our greatest philosophers, Aadi Shankara taught us "Aham Brahmasmi."

He made it so plain yet more you remove the complex layers, you'll learn that we all are part of Parmatma, ie Para Brahm.