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Spiritualism in Sanatan Dharma

3/2/2024

Sanatan Dharma is the outcome of collective wisdom and research done over thousands of years by ancient rishis (scientists). The beauty of Sanatan Dharma is nectar of scientific process viz. observations, calculations, testing and resultant values.

Sanatan Dharma is based on the premise of well-being of entire humanity, peace and progress. This is the ideal situation, anyone can envisage. It counts not only human beings, but also animals, plants and entire universe.

It, not only postulate the principles for living ones and but also after death. The dynamics of body, mind, self and universal self has been lucidly explained to achieve the liberation from cycle of re-birth and agonies of births.

A few verses are been selected to explain the core of spirituality in Sanatan Dharma as under: -

Spirituality:

नद्यः स्वयमेव नाम्भः खादन्ति न स्वादु फलानि वृक्षाः। पयोधराः सस्यमदन्ति नैव परोपकाराय सतां विभूतयः॥

Meaning: The rivers do not drink their own water; the trees do not eat their own tasty fruits; the clouds do not eat the crop themselves, Wealth of the virtuous ones (should be) for helping others.

ऐश्वरस्य विभूषणं सुजनता शौर्यस्य वाक्संयमः ज्ञानस्योपशमः श्रुतस्य विनयो वित्तस्य पात्रे व्ययः। अक्रोधः तपसः क्षमा प्रभवितुः धर्मस्य निर्व्याजता सर्वेषामपि सर्वकारणमिदं शीलं परं भूषणम्॥

Meaning: Nobility is the ornament of greatness; restraint over speech, of courage; Calmness, of knowledge; obedience, of learning; wise spending of wealth; Control of one’s anger, of penance; patience, of efficiency, straight-forwardness, of dharma; Good character is the base for all the above qualities and is the greatest ornament of all.

अभिवादनशीलस्य नित्यं वृद्धोपसेविन:। चत्वारि तस्य वर्धन्ते आयुर्विद्या यशोबलं।।

Meaning: Age, knowledge, fame and strength of a man increase who greets elders and a person who constantly serves the elderly.

हस्तस्य भूषणम दानम, सत्यं कंठस्य भूषणं। श्रोतस्य भूषणं शास्त्रम,भूषनै:किं प्रयोजनम।।

Meaning: Ornament of hand is charity, ornament of neck is truth, ornament of ear is listening what is need of other ornaments.

सत्यमेवेश्वरो लोके सत्यं पद्माश्रिता सदा। सत्यमूलानि सर्वाणि सत्यान्नास्ति परं पदम्।।

Meaning: Truth is God. The goddess of wealth always takes refuge in truth. Truth is the root of everything. It is supreme and there is nothing above it.

धान्यानामुत्तमं दाक्ष्यं धनानामुत्तमं श्रुतम् । लाभानां श्रेय आरोग्यं सुखानां तुष्टिरुत्तमा ॥

Meaning: Skill is superior to material things; knowledge is superior to wealth; Health is superior to profits and contentment is the best form of happiness.

क्रोधः प्रीतिं प्रणाशयति मानो विनयनाशनः । माया मित्त्राणि नाशयति लोभः सर्वविनाशनः

Meaning: Anger destroys love, pride destroys modesty, hypocrisy destroys friendship, while greed destroys everything.

उपाध्यायान् दशाचार्य आचार्याणां शतं पिता। सहस्रं तु पितॄन् माता गौरवेणातिरिच्यते॥

Meaning: A preceptor is more than ten ordinary teachers, our father is superior to a hundred such preceptors, but our mother surpasses the glory of a thousand fathers.

नास्ति विद्यासमं चक्षु: नास्ति सत्यसमं तप:। नास्ति रागसमं दुःखं नास्ति त्यागसमं सुखम्।।

Meaning: Meaning: There is no eye like knowledge, no penance like truth, no sorrow like attachment and there is no happiness like a sacrifice.

गौरवं प्राप्यते दानात् न तु वित्तस्य सञ्चयात्। स्थितिरुच्चैः पयोदानां पयोधीनामधः स्थितिः॥

Meaning: Respectability comes from giving and not collecting. Clouds (attain) a higher position and the oceans, a lower one.

सत्येनोत्पद्यते धर्मो दयादानैर्विवर्धते । क्षमया स्थाप्यते धर्मः क्रोधलोभैर्विनश्यति ॥

Meaning: Dharma arises from Truth. Through compassion and offerings, it grows. Through forbearance, it endures (remains in existence). Through anger and greed, it disappears.

शान्तितुल्यं तपो नास्ति न सन्तोषात् परं सुखम्। न तृष्णायाः परो व्याधिः न च धर्मो दयापरः।।

Meaning: There is no penance like peace, no happiness like contentment, no disease like lust and there is no Dharma like kindness.

अन्नाद्भवन्ति भूतानि पर्जन्यादन्नसम्भवः । यज्ञाद्भवति पर्जन्यो यज्ञः कर्मसमुद्भवः ॥

Meaning: Whole beings are born from food, food originates from rain, rain comes from sacrifice and yajna is to be produced by prescribed actions.

ज्ञानं यस्य समीपे स्यात् मदस्तस्मिन्न विद्यते। यस्य पार्श्वे भवेत् गर्व:ज्ञानं तस्य कुतो भवेत्।।

Meaning: Who has knowledge then He cannot have ego. one who has ego then He doesn't have the knowledge.

रथः शरीरं पुरुषस्य राजत्रात्मा नियन्तेन्द्रियाण्यस्य चाश्चाः। तैरप्रमत्तः कुशली सदश्वैर्दान्तैः सुखं याति रथीव धीरः ॥

Meaning: The human-body is the chariot, the soul (intellect) is its charioteer, the senses are its horses. The person who holds them carefully, cleverly and wisely travels happily in the world like a superior Rathwan.

धॄति: क्षमा दमोऽस्तेयं शौचमिन्द्रियनिग्रह:। धीर्विद्या सत्यमक्रोधो दशकं धर्मलक्षणम्॥

Meaning: There are ten characteristics of 'Dharma' - patience, forgiveness, self-control, non- stealing, purity, control of senses, intelligence, knowledge, truth, non-anger.

एषाम् न विद्या न तपो न दानम् ज्ञानम् न शीलम् न गुणो न धर्म: । ते मर्त्यलोके भुविभारभूता मनुष्यरूपेण मृगाश्चरन्ति ॥

Meaning: A person who is not educated, who is not ready to work hard, who does not donate whatever he has, who does not have knowledge, who does not have a good character, good qualities and one who does not obey dharma, such a person on this earth is just a useless person, he is as good as any other animal.

ईशावास्यमिदम् सर्वम् यत् किञ्च जगत्याम् जगत् । तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा मा गृध: कस्यस्विद् धनम् ॥

Meaning: In this moving world, whatever moves is pervaded by God. Therefore, you find your enjoyment by offering it to him. It belongs to no one, be no greedy to what belongs to others. Whatever animate or inanimate objects we witness in this world are the abode of the Almighty. Enjoy it with a sense of renunciation, do not grab, because it belongs to nobody i.e., the resources of the world belong to God and it is for his pleasure that they ought to be used.

षड् दोषा: पुरूषेणेह हातव्या भूतिमिच्छता | निद्रा तन्द्रा भयं क्रोध: आलस्यं दीर्घसूत्रता ||

Meaning: One who wishes to prosper in this world, should keep back the following six faults sleep (too much sleep or ignorance), lethargy, fear, anger, laziness and miserliness (stinginess or procrastinate i.e., one who is slow in acting, takes too long for decisions etc.).

यथा धेनुसहस्त्रेषु वत्सो विन्दति मातरम् | तथा पूर्वकॄतं कर्म कर्तारमनुगच्छति ||

Meaning: Calf recognizes its mother among the herd of thousands of cows; the same way, karma of previous birth (good and bad deeds) goes with the doer.

एकवर्णं यथा दुग्धं भिन्नवर्णासु धेनुषु | तथैव धर्मवैचित्र्यं तत्त्वमेकम् परं स्मॄतम् || महाभारत

Meaning: The cows of different colours produce milk of one colour, in the same way, the principle taught by different religions is one.

जरा रूपं हरति, धैर्यमाशा, मॄत्यु:प्राणान् , धर्मचर्यामसूया | क्रोध: श्रियं , शीलमनार्यसेवा , ह्रियं काम: , सर्वमेवाभिमान: ||

Meaning: The old age snatches away the beauty, hope takes away the courage, death defeats the life, hatred will destroy one’s noble attitude (dharmic behaviour), anger will lead to poverty, being in the company of bad people and helping them will take away ones 'sheela-bhava', uncontrolled desire will take away the shyness and false pride will take away all the good things!

मैत्री करूणा मुदितोपेक्षाणां | सुख दु:ख पुण्यापुण्य विषयाणां | भावनातश्चिज्ञल्त;प्रासादनम् |

Meaning: Signs of good human being - Getting delighted and feeling friendly by seeing others joys, getting dejected by seeing others sorrows, feeling happiness and satisfied by seeing others good work ('punya karma') and feeling ignorant on the bad deeds of others.

चिज्ञल्त;स्य शुद्धये कर्म न तु वस्तूपलब्धये | वस्तुसिद्धिर्विचारेण न किंचित्कर्मेकोटिभि: ||

Meaning: The whole purpose of worship (Like chanting 'mantras', performing 'puja' etc.) is for purifying the mind and not for attaining the spiritual knowledge. Spiritual knowledge can only be attained by deep thinking and reading and would not be attained even if anyone chants millions of 'mantras'.

अमॄतं चैव मॄत्युश्च द्वयं देहप्रातिष्ठितम् | मोहादापद्यते मॄत्यु: सत्येनापद्यतेऽमॄतम् ||

Meaning: Immortality and death both these reside in the body only. Death comes because of temptation; and immortality by the truth.

शतेषु जायते शूरः सहस्रेषु च पण्डितः! वक्ता दशसहस्रेषु दाता भवति वा न वा !!

Meaning: There is a knight in hundred persons, a scholar in a thousand persons, a good speaker in ten thousand people, and there is only one donor in a million.

Time & its Component:

तिथिर्विष्णुस्तथा वारो नक्षत्रं विष्णुरेव च | योगश्च करणं चैव सर्वं विष्णुमयं जगत् ||

Meaning: Tithi, Var and Nakshatra are part of Lord Vishnu and so are Yoga and Karan, it Meaning whole world is Vishnu.
The shloka explains five components - Tithi, Var, Nakshatra, Yoga & Karan. This is Panchang. Moon travels around earth which is Tithi. Time between sunrise to the next sunrise is called a day, Half of the day is Karan. The difference of a constellation between the Sun and the Moon is yoga. Yoga is ending moment for the angular relationship between the Moon and Sun. One Yoga also equals 13 degrees and 20 minutes and there is 27 Yogas in 360 degrees. There is a total of 27 nakshatras and 27 yogas and 11 karans.

चैत्रे मासि जगद् ब्रह्मा ससर्ज प्रथमेऽहनि। शुक्लपक्षे समग्रे तु तदा सूर्योदये सति।।

Meaning: - with sunrise on first day of Shukla paksha of Hindu month of Chaitra, Brahmaji started the creation of the universe.

Dynamics of Life:

यथा ह्येकेन चक्रेण न रथस्य गतिर्भवेत्! एवं परुषकारेण विना दैवं न सिद्ध्यति !!

Meaning: Just as a chariot cannot run without a wheel, similarly no one’s fate can be proved without effort.

विद्या मित्रं प्रवासेषु, भार्या मित्रं गृहेषु च! व्याधितस्यौषधं मित्रं, धर्मो मित्रं मृतस्य च !!

Meaning: Travelling of Knowledge, house for wife, medicine for patients and dharma for deceased are biggest friends.

Dynamics of body-mind-breath:

योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः ।

Meaning: Yoga is restraining the mind-impulses (Chitta-stuff) from taking various forms (Vrttis).

यावद्बध्दो मरुद देहे यावच्चित्तं निराकुलम्। यावद्द्रॄष्टिभ्रुवोर्मध्ये तावत्कालभयं कुत:

Meaning: So long as the breath is restrained in the body, so long as the mind is undisturbed, and so long as the gaze is fixed between the eyebrows, there is no fear from Death.

आशाया ये दासास्ते दासाः सर्वलोकस्य । आशा येषां दासी तेषां दासायते लोकः ॥

Meaning: People who are servants of desires are also servants of the whole world. For those to whom desire is a servant, the whole world also is a servant.

मन एव मनुष्याणां कारणं बन्धमोक्षयोः।

Meaning: The mind is the cause of man’s salvation as well as bondage.

अभ्दि: गात्राणि शुध्यन्ति मन: सत्येन शुध्यति। ‪विद्यातपोभ्यां भूतात्मा बुध्दिज्ञाम्परानेन शुध्यति॥

Meaning: Body parts are purified by water. Mind is purified by truth. Soul is purified by learning and penance. While intelligence is purified by knowledge.

इंद्रियाणि पराण्याहु: इंद्रियेभ्य: परं मन: | मनसस्तु परा बुद्धि: यो बुद्धे: परतस्तु स: ||

Meaning: The working senses are superior to dull matter; mind is higher than the senses; intelligence is still higher than the mind; and the soul is even higher than the intelligence.

Liberation from rebirth:

अमृतत्वस्य तु नाशास्ति वित्तेन ।

Meaning: Immortality cannot be achieved by wealth.

विवेकख्यातिरविप्लवा हानोपायः।

Meaning: Uninterrupted practice of discrimination (between real and unreal) is the Meaning to liberation and the cessation of ignorance.

धनानि भूमौ पशवश्च गोष्ठे भार्या गृहद्वारि जनः श्मशाने। देहश्चितायां परलोकमार्गे कर्मोनुगो गच्छति जीव एकः॥

Meaning: Wealth remains on the earth, cattle in the cow-shed, wife inside the house, the relatives at the crematorium, and the body on the pyre, but on the way to the other world, it is one’s actions (Karma) that alone follows.
Universal Being:

ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात्पुर्णमुदच्यते पूर्णश्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते॥

Meaning: You are the fullness. There is fullness, here is fullness. From the fullness, the fullness is born. Remove the fullness from the fullness and the fullness alone remains. Implied Meaning - That (Brahman) is infinite, and this (universe) is infinite. The infinite proceeds from the infinite. (Then) taking the infinitude of the infinite (universe), it remains as the infinite (Brahman) alone.

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