Sanatana Dharma

[H.B.Dave]

Patricia Meredith Greer wrote:

> A scholar friend in Pondicherry sent me this query. Can
> anyone help?
>
> <I'm looking for early occurances of the phrase sanatana
> dharma, nowadays used as the equivalent of Hinduism. Since
> sanatan means eternal it is supposed that the phrase itself
> is eternal (!) though it does not occur in the Vedas, the
> Upanishads, nor the Gita (except in kula-dharma-sanatana -
> immemorial family customs). Monier Williams cites esha
> dharma sanatana (this is the eternal law) without
> reference, Apte, who is based on MW, repeats this and adds
> a reference from the classical dramatist Bhavabhuti. Esha
> dharma sanatana also occurs in the Savitri tale in the MBh
> in the sense of eternal custom. I have been told that it
> occurs elsewhere in the MBh but lack concordance by which I
> might check this. I seem to recall it was a sort of catch
> phrase in the lawbooks, but can't find it in Manu and again
> lack a concordance. Do you or anyone know anything more on
> this?  I find it surprising nobody has thought to look
> into the origins of this much misused term.

I request a clarification  on why do you call it a "misused" term.
I think it will be better to leave to Hindus (whatever that term is
supposed to mean) whatever way they think fit to call their Dharma.
I do not think that  commenting on that naming  falls under perview of
INDOLOGY list.

> It of course
> entered modern discourse in the mid nineteenth century,
> which it was put forward as a deshi equivalent of
> traditional Hinduism by people opposed to the Brahmo and
> Arya Samajes. It seems to have been Sri Aurobindo and
> perhaps also Vivekananda that turned the phrase to its
> modern, largely vedantic, sense.>
>
> Thanks for any help you can give!
>
> Patricia
> ________________________________
> Patricia M. Greer
> Department of Religious Studies
> University of Virginia

-- Himanshu
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