The winter was really harsh and a collective group of Indo Aryans migrated from upper reaches of Himalayas to warmer Gangetic plains of northern India. The chieftain of the group had a big umbrella in his hand. This umbrella provided immunity from harsh weather including rains. A large bird who happened to pass by shouted in human language, “What is that engraved on top of your umbrella”… it spells “DHARMA”. Unaware of what it meant the group felt protected by the umbrella called Dharma, thinking that the inscription on top maybe a birth sign.
Life continued as usual. This group selected a place on the top of a hillock to settle down. And then came, the huge deluge. Everywhere it was water with no respite in sight. To save themselves from peril of nature, human beings and all lower forms of life took shelter under umbrella of Dharma. The flock kept growing and so did the size of umbrella called Dharma. It was a magical umbrella that embraced all. It must have a linking to God, thought many. Else, how could it embrace all forms of life?
As time passed by this huge umbrella grew into a tree, the tree of Dharma (righteousness), something that exists from times memorial. The flood, the deluge was not yet over. In absence of clean water available for drinking, four learned men turned up from nowhere. They had magical fountains which they hid quite far beyond reach of commoners, masses. They told point-blank to masses, if anyone wanted to taste water from their fountains they had to follow rituals, only then water flowed out from magical fountains.
As commoners masses were not interested in lengthy rituals, they refrained from going with these learned people. Only a select few left with them. Commoners, masses remained rooted with the tree of Dharma. The four learned people were Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. Being voluminous in size and direct invocations from God Almighty, they were beyond reach of commoners, masses. Only scholarly people indulged in them.
After some time came Lord Krishna, a direct representative of God on mother earth. He had come down seeing the plight of commoners’ masses. Before his coming he had already got installed a massive pump house at the base of the mountain, the hillock and got it connected to tree of Dharma. And from his pump flowed teachings of Bhagavad Gita that spread all over to mankind. Everyone taking shelter under tree of Dharma felt relieved. All were really excited seeing God manifest in human form, an avatar.
The entire congregation under the tree of umbrella heaved a sigh of relief as; they would no more be required to indulge with four learned people and their complex rituals. Everything would now be available under the umbrella of Bhagavad Gita, the sermon given to mankind by Lord Krishna in the battle of Mahabharata. The tree of Dharma continued its climb. With passage of time it branched and people who favored a particular set of thinking went with that branch, Mahavira was born and Jainism came into fore.
The tree of dharma remaining the same, the teachings of Bhagavad Gita flowed to all in form of clear water and Jainism religion also called a way of life took roots. About 77 years later this tree of Dharma developed another branch and Gautama Buddha came into existence. A set of people who allied with his thinking went his way. They were called Buddhists, followers of Buddhism religion. Beneath teachings of Mahavira and Gautama Buddha laid teachings of Bhagavad Gita and the inherent shelter of umbrella called Dharma. Every single Jain or Buddhist could not separate one from Hindus. All were one.
The tree of dharma kept growing. After few years developed another branch called Jesus Christ with his own set of teachings and following. A few centuries later came Prophet Mohammed with his teachings of Islamic Dharma. Underneath the teachings of Jainism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islamic Dharma… laid precepts of Bhagavad Gita and the cosmic umbrella of Dharma. This entire congregation under umbrella of Dharma finally was called Sanatana Dharma something that exists from times immemorial.
As Persians announced H for I, all people living east of river Indus were termed Hindu by them and the religion Hinduism. Hinduism religion primarily stands for a way of life, the sap of life, a Dharma that exists from times immemorial. The word for eternal in Hinduism was Sanatan and hence Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism religion) came into being, the foremost of all religions existing on mother earth. There was nothing more pure, more sacred on mother earth than teachings of Bhagavad Gita, the primary essence of Hinduism, the sermon given to mankind by Lord Krishna.
No human body, no living being could survive in absence of a heart wherein lived our soul atman, the spirit within. Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma) was the soul of entire mankind, the citadel of everything spiritual. Nothing in this world could compare the spirit called Hinduism for it was the inherent sap of tree of life.
Hinduism does not conform to a set of teachings alone. It is a huge congregation of people with different faiths, beliefs and creeds… having different thought patterns and living homogeneously under cosmic umbrella called Sanatana Dharma.
By: Vijay Kumar “Atma Jnani”… The Man who Realized God in 1993 – (Ref 150908)
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