The Essence of Sanatana Dharma Part 1

THE ESSENCE OF SANATANA DHARMA
India is a land of spirituality. About 5000 years ago when the Planet was ruled by the Emperor Maharaj Parikshit, mankind followed only one religion known as Sanatana Dharma. The following is recorded as history in the Bhagavatam. When Kaliyuga personified surrendered to Maharaj Parikshit, he was allowed to stay only in four places where sinful activities like drinking, smoking and intoxicants (paanam), gambling (dyutam), prostitution or illicit sex (striyoh) and meat eating (suunah) prevailed Bhagavatam 1-17-33. Cows were regarded as a mother to whom no insult in any form was ever tolerated.. Bhagavatam 1-17-9. Sanatana Dharma was firmly rooted in the life of the people in the form of austrites (tapah), charity (daan), mercy (dayaa), physical and mental cleanliness (shoucham) and truthfulness (satyam) Bhagvatam.1-17-24. However, these religious principles were only a guide for society to live happily and peacefully. A human life can be described as a bundle of cumulative events (actions) from birth to the death, so if the actions are auspicious and devoid of sins then the reactions are happiness in life in the form of fame, wealth and prosperity etc. However, this does not lead to liberation from material life, but rather perpetuates prosperous material life, which is not the goal of the human form of life according to the Sanatana Dharma