Eternal vs. Impermanent ~ Understanding “Sanatan”
🕉️ The Eternal Pulse Beneath All Change
In a world defined by constant movement, fleeting moments, and impermanent attachments, the word Sanatan stands like an eternal lighthouse, anchored, unwavering, luminous.
But what does Sanatan truly mean?
Rooted in the spiritual and philosophical heart of Sanatan Dharma, this term carries more than timelessness; it carries the seed of Truth that never dies, the consciousness that underlies creation and destruction alike.
“Sanatan is not a religion you follow; it is the eternal truth you awaken to.” ~ Adarsh Singh
🌌 The Meaning of Sanatan
In Sanskrit, “Sanatan” means:
Eternal
Without beginning or end
Beyond time, space, and causality
Thus, Sanatan Dharma is not merely a set of rituals or cultural customs. It is the timeless order, the eternal law, the unchanging truth that governs both cosmic existence and inner consciousness.
It teaches us to discern the Eternal (Sanatan) from the Impermanent (Anitya), and in doing so, to align with what truly is.
🔥 Impermanence: The World of Change
Everything that we perceive with the senses is impermanent:
Bodies grow and decay.
Emotions rise and fall.
Relationships form and dissolve.
Civilizations bloom and vanish.
This world of form is called Jagat, meaning “that which moves.” It is governed by time (kāla), change (parivartan), and duality (dvandva).
The Bhagavad Gītā reminds us:
“Antavanta ime dehāḥ, nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ”
“All bodies are perishable; the Self dwelling in them is eternal.”
“Impermanence is not a curse, it is a compass pointing toward the Eternal.” ~ Adarsh Singh
🕯️ Eternal: The Sanatan Core
If all that we see is temporary, is anything eternal?
Yes. According to Sanatan Dharma, the following are Sanatan:
1. Brahman ~ The formless, absolute reality
2. Ātman ~ The individual soul, identical in essence with Brahman
3. Dharma ~ The cosmic order that sustains truth and balance
4. Truth (Satya) ~ Unchanging reality
5. Consciousness (Chit) ~ The witness behind thought
6. Liberation (Moksha) ~ The end of bondage, eternal freedom
🧘 Discerning the Eternal in the Impermanent
The journey of a spiritual seeker is to look beyond the changing to the unchanging.
To realize:
Behind the breath is the breathless stillness.
Beneath thought is the silent witness.
Beyond desire is the Self that needs nothing.
The Upanishads teach:
“Neti, Neti” – “Not this, not this.”
Discarding all that is not eternal, the seeker comes face to face with the Self.
“You are not what comes and goes. You are what remains when all else fades.” ~ Adarsh Singh
🌿 Practical Implications of This Realization
Understanding “Sanatan” is not just philosophy, it changes how we live:
You stop clinging to the temporary.
You develop detachment (vairāgya) without becoming indifferent.
You appreciate life without becoming a slave to it.
You learn to see death not as an end, but a passage.
When you anchor your life in the eternal, storms no longer shake you.
🔄 The Sanatan Self: Always Here, Always Now
The eternal isn’t far away, it’s you.
Not the “you” that is a name, identity, role, or story, but the awareness that witnesses it all.
This Self:
Was never born.
Will never die.
Cannot be harmed or altered.
“The Self is Sanatan, not because it lasts forever, but because it never began.” ~ Adarsh Singh
🪔 Living Sanatan
To live Sanatan is to remember who you are, not just in moments of meditation, but in daily life. It is to:
Serve without attachment.
Love without fear.
Act without ego.
Let every action become a worship of the Eternal, every breath a return to the timeless truth that you are.
“Be still long enough, and you will remember: you are not a fleeting moment, you are the eternal witness of time.” ~ Adarsh Singh
Tue Jul 22, 2025
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