Meaning of Sanatana Dharma

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The word sanātana means “eternal”, sadā bhavaḥ— that which always exists. It is without beginning (anādi) and without end (ananta). Dharma is that which sustains or upholds beings and prevents them from degrading or falling. In his book on Sanātana Dharma, Swami Bharathi Krishna Teertha, the 143rd Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Govardhan Mutt, Puri, offers four illuminating meanings that capture the depth and universality of this term:

1. सनातनस्य धर्मः सनातन धर्मः
Sanātana Dharma is the dharma founded by the Eternal Being.

2. सनातनः च असौ धर्मः च सनातन धर्मः
It is dharma that is itself eternal, not dependent on time or circumstance.

3. सनातनं करोति सनातनयति च असौ धर्मः च सनातन धर्मः
It is the dharma that makes its followers eternal, lifting them beyond the transient into the realm of the everlasting.

4. सनातनस्वरूपं प्रापयति च असौ धर्मः च सनातन धर्मः
It is the dharma that leads one to realize their true nature as eternal, conscious, and blissful (sat-cit-ānanda).