--> Skip to main content


Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamiji Thoughts On God And Sanatana Dharma

Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamiji is the 36th Jagadguru of the Sringeri Sri Sharada Peetam. His thoughts about God and Sanatana Dharma as found in an interview published in the magazine titled ‘Fostering A Timeless Philosophy.’

God is the supremely intelligent ultimate cause form which the entire universe has emerged, in which the universe exists, and into which the universe ultimately dissolves. We proclaim that God is omnipresent. Everything we see or feel is only a form of God, gross or subtle. This is the real concept of God.

Sanatana means ‘eternal.’ Dharma is a word that defies exact translation into English or perhaps into any other language. It can be said to mean “the values of life that sustain.” Therefore, Sanatana Dharma means the religion based on the eternal values of life. It is popularly known as Hinduism today. This religion does not depend on the historicity of one person. It is based on eternal truth, principles and values of life that hold good for all people at all places – past, present and future.

In terms of general understanding, Dharma stands for all good ideals, purposes, influences, institutions and the way of life and conduct that shape the character and evolution of man, both as an individual and a member of society. It is the law of right living, the observance of which secures the double aspect of happiness in life and liberation from all bondage. It is ethics and religion combined. The Mahabharata, which is a versatile encyclopedia of learning, culture and tradition, emphatically states that “nobody has ever violated the principles of Dharma without ultimately courting disaster.”

Adharma might apparently carry a man to the heights of power and prosperity for a time, but it is all temporary. The heights will surely be a prelude to a certain irremediable fall.