Difference between Dharma and religion (As per Hindu Texts) | Does dharma mean religion? | Is Hindu Dharma not a religion (or a religion)??
Namaste friends, how are you doing today? Welcome to #BhagavanBhakthi website / blog.
Bhagavan Lord Sri Krishna (Vishnu) (Rama) blessings to you and your family!
In this website / blog, you will always learn about #Hinduism #Sanskrit language.
Also subscribe to my YouTube channel from this link #BhagavanBhakthi to view videos about #Hinduism #Sanskrit language.
Just before going to “Difference between Dharma and religion (As per Hindu Texts) | Does dharma mean religion? | Is Hindu Dharma not a religion (or a religion)?“, let us know a brief, basic and very important information.
Dharma meaning : Dharma or Sanatana Dharma means following the duties as prescribed in the Sanatana Dharma Granthas (Hindu texts). These texts are given directly by God himself.
Religion : To follow instructions given by one or more human or humans. They have never seen any God in their lifetime and do not know about God and His qualities.
In ancient India (Bharata) (Bharat) (भारत), we were all known as ‘Sanatana Dharmis’ and we were following only one Dharma called ‘Sanatana Dharma’.
First we need to understand that religion is different and Dharma (Sanatana Dharma) is different.
There were multiple religions and there will be multiple regions all across the world in any point of the given time on this earth.
It may be in Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dwapara Yuga or in Kali Yuga, there will be different regions and religions all over the world.
Religions have their 1 holy book or very limited books, they have their one or more prophet(s).
Arjuna followed Dharma and Lord Sri Krishna was always with him and his other brothers through out their lifeterm.
Dharma is something more like a sense of duty or something which is called as “how to lead a life as per the instructions prescribed in divine books”.
If you don’t do it the way Dharma tells you, then you are called an “Adharmi”, i.e. a guy who does not perform his duties properly.
Example : A Dharma (duty) of a king is to rule till he gets old or till he is fit. If he fails to do it properly or leaves his throne early, then he’s an Adharmi, and what happens when a king could not rule properly, the kingdom suffers.
Does Dharma mean religion : Not at all. Dharma is something which is given by Bhagavan (Ishwar) (God), whereas religion is dictated by mere humans.
So coming back to Dharma vs Religion:
Sanatana Dharma does not really have one holy book. It has a bunch of granthas / great books.
These books or granthas are Vedas, Puranas, Upanishads, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Upa-Puranas, Vedangas, etc.
And these granthas / great books not just preach us on how to devote in Bhagavan / God, but also they talk about how to do our own duty.
What is a duty of a King, or a woman, a man, a soldier, a scholar, a doctor, an engineer, a teacher, a farmer, etc. etc. etc.
In earlier days, there were religions which were created by humans / rakshasas like Hiranyakashipu (Hiranyakashyap), Ravana, Kamsa, Shishupala, Jarasandha, Duryodhana etc. etc. etc.
They had their own rules and regulations. They were never following the Dharma path. They were never following the Sanatana Dharma path.
They had assumed they were the Bhagavans (Gods) and had instructed all over to follow them as the Bhagavans (Gods).
Left: Draupadi Devi always believed in Lord Sri Krishna and thus Lord Sri Krishna saved her during the ‘vastraharan’ (disrobing of clothes) situation. Right: Bhima killed the Adharmi Duryodhana.
Also these many humans / rakshasas had strictly given instructions to install their own idols all across their countries and also had instructed to do pooja of their idols (example is Hiranyakashipu).
Just because they had got the boons of Devatas / Demigods like Lord Sri Brahma Deva / Lord Sri Rudra Deva (Shiva) etc., they had started to think they were immortals and no one could ever kill them or even defeat them.
But there is a saying in Samskruta / Sanskrit: “Dharmo rakshati, rakshitaha”
This means, who ever follows the Sanatana Dharma, they will be saved by Dharma itself.
This again means, svayam (directly) Lord Sri Vishnu in his different incarnations or avatars will come to save us from the evil spirits (see the above image), e.g., from rakshasas (demons) etc.
But first we need to understand: What religion is? and also, What Dharma means?
Five Pandavas along with Draupadi Devi always followed Dharma as instructed by Lord Sri Krishna. They never had to taste the hardships even during their forest exile with the blessing of Lord Sri Krishna.
Religion is created by humans. Whereas Dharma is created by svayam (directly) Lord Sri Vishnu / Lord Sri Krishna / Lord Sri Rama.
Even in present day religions which are present all over the world, everybody have said that their religions are created by mere humans and not by Bhagavan (God).
Not even a single person outside Sanatana Dharma have seen Bhagavan (God). Other religions always tell that God doesn’t have any form. He doesn’t has anything to be explained.
Now please let me know, how can anybody can accept this. If Bhagavan (God) doesn’t has form, then how can he be ever known. How can we know about him? Please think logically.
Only in Bharatiya Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism), we have seen Bhagavan (Ishwar) (God) and that too in his different avatars like Lord Sri Krishna, Lord Sri Rama etc.
Only in our Sanatana Dharma, Lord Sri Krishna (God) and his other avatars have accepted that there is only one Bhagavan (God). And he is svayam (directly) Lord Sri Krishna / Lord Sri Rama himself is the Bhagavan (God).
[All others are Devatas / Demigods, who follow the instructions as per Lord Sri Vishnu (Krishna) and they are not Bhagavans (Gods).]
Lord Sri Rama always showed us the path of Dharma. What Dharma we should follow and what Adharma we shouldn’t be following was shown by Lord Sri Rama in Ramayana.
Dharma has different meanings. Few of the meanings are as below:
1. Rules and regulations as per the instructions given by Lord Sri Vishnu (Krishna) in the Vedas and other Sanatana Dharma granthas (Hindu Texts).
2. Path to do our Karmas in the right ways [the path as shown by Lord Sri Vishnu (Krishna)].
3. What is correct? and What is wrong? as per the instructions given by Lord Sri Vishnu (Krishna), etc.
Hiranyakashipu (Hiranyakashyap), Ravana, Kamsa, Shishupala, Jarasandha, Duryodhana etc. etc. etc. created their own religions, followed their own religions or so called Adharma, means, the rules and regulations as per their own interest and wish.
They had their own keen interests like power, women, money, greed etc. But finally they got the taste of their own irreligion / religion.
Whereas others like five Pandavas, Dhruva, Prahlada, King Raghu, King Ambarisha, Vibhishana, Sugriya, etc. etc. etc. followed the Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) as per the instructions given by svayam (directly) Lord Sri Vishnu.
We all know how respectful they are even today. We all know, what all fruits they got.
Gajaraja (King of Elephants) showed us that only Dharma path (devotion) is the right way to get the final Moksha (liberation) during the ‘Gajendra Moksha’ story.
Bhagavan (God) (Ishwar) has given us the freedom to follow the irreligious religions or to follow the Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism).
Everything is in our hands initially, but the final decision maker is Lord Sri Vishnu. If we follow, the irreligious religions, we will get the taste of it.
If we follow the Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) we will get the fruits as per our Karmas. Thus it is completely on to us to follow an irreligious religion or to follow Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism).
Is Hindu Dharma not a religion : Not at all. Hindu or Hinduism or Sanatana Dharma is a Dharma, that is, list of duties should be performed as per Hindu Texts. If you perform your duties, you will all the material and spiritual things.
The choice is yours.
Continue reading about Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma) : Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma) information, facts, etc.
More information will be added to his post (article) on regular basis. Please visit again to know the updated information after some time.
To watch videos on #Hinduism #Sanskrit language, SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube channel from this below link:
#BhagavanBhakthi YouTube channel
To know more about “Lord Sri Vishnu stories, information, facts, significances, etc.“, please click the below link:
Lord Sri Vishnu stories, information, facts, significances, etc.
Dear friends, if you need any clarifications about this post, kindly let me know, I will definitely try to answer all of them.
Also your one LIKE, one COMMENT, One Share, one SUBSCRIPTION is highly important.
This will help to know the quality of this content and also it will be helpful to know if any improvements is required for the content.
If you feel this content is useful to you and has helped you to improve your knowledge, kindly share this with your well-wishers.
Because “SHARING MEANS CARING”.
For receive FREE EMAIL SUBSCRIPTION about #BhagavanBhakthi, you can send an email to [email protected] from your email ID.
NAMASTE!
SRI GURUBHYO NAMAHA
OM NAMO NARAYANAYA
Sri Krishnaarpanamastu
Share in Social Media