19850722 Caitanya Caritamrita Adi Lila 1.44 Introduction Bhagavad-Gita Sanatana Dharma Ipoh Malaysia

19850722_Caitanya_Caritamrita_Adi_Lila_1.44_Introduction_Bhagavad-Gita_Sanatana_Dharma_Ipoh_Malaysia The following is a lecture given by His Holiness Jayapataka Swami on July 22nd, 1985 in Ipoh, Malaysia. The class begins with a reading from the Caitanya Caritramrita, Adi lila, Chapter 1, text 44. Jayapataka Swami: From the Sri Caitanya Caritamrita, Adi lila, chapter 1, text 44. yadyapi amara guru — caitanyera dasa tathapi janiye ami tanhara prakasa guru krsna-rupa hana sastrera pramane guru-rupe krsna krpa karena bhakta-gane Dwindles and then vanishes, that is the law of the material world, whether we use as an example of this body or a piece of fruit or anything, but beyond this temporary world there is another world of which we have information. This world consists of another nature which is sanatana, eternal. Jiva is also described as sanatana, eternal and the Lord is also described as sanatana. In the 11th chapter, we have an intimate relation with the Lord and because we are all qualitatively one the sanatana dhama or sky. The sanatana supreme personality and the Santana living entity, the whole purpose of the Bhagavat Gita is to revive our sanatana occupation or Santana dharma, which is the eternal occupation of the living entity. We are temporarily engaged in different activities but all of these activities can be purified when we give up all these temporary activities and take up the activities which are prescribed by the supreme Lord. That is called our pure life. Therefore sanatana dharma doesn’t refer to any seterian process or religion. It is the eternal function of the eternal living entity in relationship with the eternal supreme Lord. Sanatana dharma refers as stated previously to be eternal occupation of the living entity. Ramanujacharya has explained the word sanatana as “that which has never, has neither has a beginning nor end” So when we speak of sanatana dharma we must take it for grated on the authority of Sri Ramanucharya that it has neither beginning nor end. The English word religion is a little different from sanatan dharma. Religion can be based on the idea of faith, and faith may change. One may have faith in a particular process and he may change this faith and adopt another, but sanatana dharma refers to that activity which cannot be changed. For instance liquidity cannot be taken from water nor can heat be taken from fire. Similarly the eternal function of the eternal living entity cannot be taken from the living entity. Sanatana dharma is eternally integral with the living entity. When we speak of sanatana dharma, therefore we must take it for grated on the authority of Sri Ramanajucharya that it has neither beginning nor end. That which has neither end nor begining must not be sectarian for it cannot be limited by any boundaries. Yet those belonging to some secrerian faith would wrongly consider that sanatana dharma is also sectarian, but if you go deeply into the matter and consider it in the light of the modern science, it is possible for us to see that sanatana dharma is the business of all the people of the world, made of all the living entities of the universe. Non-sanatan religious faith in conclusion may have some beginning in the annals of human history but there is no beginning to the history of sanatana dharma because it is eternally with the living entity. In so far as the living entities are concerned the authoritative sastras speak that living entities has neither birth nor death. In the Gita it is stated that the living entity is never born and he never dies. He is eternal and indestructible and he continues to live after the destruction of his temporary material body. In reference to the concept of sanatana dharma, we must try to understand the concept of religion from the Sanskrit root meaning of the word dharma. Dharma refers to that which is constantly existing with the particular object. We conclude that there is heat and light along with the fire. Without heat and light there is no meaning to the word fire. Similarly we must discover the essential part of the living being, that part which is his constant companion, that constant companion is his eternal quality and that eternal quality is his eternal religion, his sanatana dharma. So this brief reading from the introduction to the Bhagavat Gita as it is by His Divine Grace Abhay Caran Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, gives us an insight into the unfathomed depth of profoundness of this concept of sanatana dharma, but actually although today sanatana dharma is largely professed and practiced in India and by persons who have originated from India, that… that is the scenario of this particular planet, but from the Vedas we understand that sanatana dharma cannot be limited to this planet or this time. In fact if you go to another planet you would find that this sanatana dharma is also being practiced, and if you look from a broader perspective, since sanatana dharma means that inseparable, constant companion of the living entity, then everyone in this world must be already practicing sanatana dharma to some extent if it is in fact a constant companion. So what is the essence of this sanatana dharma, that aspect of us which is never separated? That very simple but very sublime example was given that if you take a fire, and from the fire light is coming, heat is coming, so then you can say that the dharma of the fire is to give light and heat, just as the dharma of water is to be liquid or the dharma of some solid object is to be resistant, is to be hard, to be firm, everything has a particular dharma. If someone gives you some sugar and it doesn’t taste sweet, instead it tastes hot, and someone gave you a chilli and it didn’t taste hot, it tasted sweet, what is the use of that. Sugar is to be sweet and the chilli should be hot, that is their respective dharma, but similarly what is our respective dharma which is the continuous sanatana dharma. For that the great acharyas and sages, they have analysed about this matter, and in fact this year is the 500th anniversary of the advent of our Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who appeared…..

Transcribed by: Sadananda Krishnaprem Das Dibrugarh, 28/05/2016


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