Vedic Religion Is Not Hinduism: Understanding Sanātana-Dharma According to Śrīla Prabhupāda Teachings

Prashant Mukund Das
Feb 11
1 min read

What Is Sanātana-Dharma? The Universal Vedic Religion for All Living Beings

Act as Website designer and SEO Expert and suggest a Headline for following text Śrīla Prabhupāda: As far as Vedic religion is concerned, it is not for the Hindus; it is for all living entities. That is the first thing to be understood. Vedic religion is called sanātana-dharma, “the eternal occupation of the living entity.” The living entity is sanātana [eternal], God is sanātana, and there is sanātana-dharma. Sanātana-dharma is meant for all living entities, not just the so-called Hindus.

Hinduism, this “ism,” that “ism”—these are all misconception. Historically, sanātana-dharma was followed regularly in India, and Indians were called “Hindus” by the Muslims. The Muslims saw that the Indians lived on the other side of the River Sind, and the Muslims pronounced Sind as Hind. Therefore they called India “Hindustan” and the people who lived there “Hindus.” But the word Hindu has no reference in the Vedic literature, nor does so-called Hindu dharma. Now that sanātana-dharma, or Vedic dharma, is being distorted, not being obeyed, not being carried out properly, it has come to be known as Hinduism. But that is a freak understanding; that is not a real understanding. We have to study sanātana-dharma as it is described in the Bhagavad-gītā and other Vedic literatures.