Eternal Universal Truth of the Soul: Sanatan Dharm As It Is

By Rahul Gupta

Eternal Universal Truth of the Soul: Sanatan Dharm As It Is shares the beliefs and teachings of Hinduism (also known as Sanatan Dharm) to enlighten all of humanity in both the present and future times toward the path to liberation (moksha).
Readers will gain further insights about God (Bhagwan), Dharm, the soul (atma), the material world and the spiritual world as well as the creation of the universe, multiverse, love, faith, devotion, compassion, forgiveness, patience, positive attitude, charity, yoga, chakra, Kundalini Shakti, Samadhi, aura, the third eye, meditation, vegetarianism, karma, destiny, death, reincarnation, and moksha.

Most importantly, the readers will gain the knowledge and strength they need to never give up, always smile, and find the right solutions for overcoming any difficulties they may encounter in their journeys through life. Through this knowledge, they will find good health, stay blissful, and find peace and contentment in their own lives while being well guided on how to be a winner.

This book has been divided into three chapters:
Chapter 1: Teachings of Sanatan Dharm (Hinduism)
Chapter 2: We Have Seen Bhagwan Krishna
Chapter 3: Teachings of Brahmrishi Guruvanand (aka Siddh Guru)


Note: All proceeds from the sale of this Book will be donated to charity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jul 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9798350913781

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

This book about Sanatan Dharm (Hinduism) has been written as there is a vital need to explain and spread its beliefs and teachings fully. There is an obligation to remove negative stereotypes and dispel the myths and ignorance regarding Hinduism, thereby reviving its presence in believers and awakening all of humanity in both the present and future times to it. Sanatan Dharm, also known as eternal universal truth of the soul, has been forgotten by many due to maya (an illusion that prevents one from knowing the full truth) existing in the material world. However, humans can overcome maya by realizing the truth of Bhagwan (God) and moving forward by following and living their lives according to the teachings of Sanatan Dharm with love, faith, and devotion.

Brahmrishi Guruvanand once said in his discourses that, "The founder of the Sanatan Dharm is Bhagwan (God), and its teachings are divine, eternal, universal, vast, simple, blissful, and transformative for all of humanity in both the present and future times. Yet in the present time of Kali yuga, the teachings have not spread to all the countries on Earth, for it has not been taught and presented properly. That has caused a lack of sincerity in its believers and others. Thus, it is truly important for devotees to present and share the true narrative of Sanatan Dharm with all of humanity. These devotees are the most qualified persons to do so by the grace of Bhagwan. It is necessary to present the truth of Sanatan Dharm to dispel the ignorance and misgivings of people about Dharm, enlighten the people, and impress upon all of humanity to unite under the shelter of Dharm. The methods for teaching Dharm by building schools to educate the young and the old, the methods for preaching Dharm using books, discourses, and other forms of media, and the strictness/discipline of the followers of Dharm must be the best in the sansar (world). Remember that Bhagwan stands for truth. We cannot change the truth, but the truth can change us. You have to accept the truth that is Bhagwan and then move forward using that truth in your own life and spread love to all of humanity."

I pay my obeisance to the divine land of Bharat (India), where Sanatan Dharm has existed from time immemorial. I want to thank my eternal well-wisher/friend Bhagwan Krishna, Mata (Mother) Radha, Mata Parvati, Bhagwan Shiv, Bhagwan Hanuman, and Brahmrishi Guruvanand for inspiring and guiding me in the writing of this book.

I met Brahmrishi Guruvanand (Gurudev) with my family in 2008 during his trip to New York City. Prabha Bhandari (a Guru bhakt) had invited Gurudev to come visit New York City from India. I instantly felt a connection with him, and I now know that this relationship has endured for many of my births. Meeting Gurudev along with learning about the teachings of Dharm from him reinforced and fueled my desire to write about Dharm. The divine knowledge of Dharm will enlighten all of humanity. This book will serve as a light to dispel the darkness in one’s life. All one needs is sincerity, open mindedness, and faith while reading this book.

I want to express my gratitude to Lal Chand Aggarwal and Kaushalya Devi (paternal grandparents), Kewal Krishan Aggarwal and Swaran Lata Aggarwal (maternal grandparents), Vijay Gupta and Vinita Gupta (parents), Ekta Gupta (special thanks to my sister), Rakesh Gupta, Jasleen Gupta, Devansh Gupta, Saanvi Gupta, Pratibha Gupta, Vijaya Govinda Das, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, and everyone else for all their help in making this book a reality.

I bow down to the lotus feet of Bhagwan, Devi/Devata, all Gurus, divine beings, and teachers born in Bharat and outside Bharat from Maharishi Valmiki, Bhagwan Ved Vyas, Sukadeva, Suta Goswami, Tirumular, Bhagwan Adinath to Bhagwan Mahavir, Patanjali, Bhagwan Gautam Buddha, Adi Shankaracharya, Chanakya, Ramanuja, Guru Gorakshanath, Baba Balaknath, Basava, Nimbarkacharya, Madhavacharya, Vallabhacharya, Swami Ramananda, Bhagwan Ayyappa, Bhagwan Dattatreya, Kabir, Sant Ravidas, Meera Bai, Maharana Pratap, Guru Nanak to Guru Gobind Singh, Mata Gujri, Banda Singh Bahadur, Swami Sam-arth Ramdas, Sant Tukaram, King Shivaji, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Tulsidas, Swami Raghavendra, Rani Lakshmi Bai, Jhalkari Bai, Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Narayana Guru, Ramana Maharishi, Sai Baba of Shirdi, S Venu Gopalacharya, Sister Nivedita, Bhakti Tirtha Swami, Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, Swami Chinmayananda, Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Navaratna S. Rajaran, Rajiv Malhotra, Stephen Knapp, Richard L. Thompson, David Frawley, Dalai Lama, Swami Paripoornananda, Manak Muni, Acharya Bal Krishna, Guru Ramdev, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Babasaheb Ambedkar, Hari Baba from Hoshiarpur, Swami Ramsukhdas, Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Devraha Baba, Brahmrishi Guruvanand, and many others for teaching and preserving Sanatan Dharm until the present 28th Kali yuga of the 7th Vaivasvat manvantar of the first day (Shvet Varaha kalp) of the 51st year of Brahma Devata, and for the future times to come.

I also pay my respect to King Vikramaditya of Ujjain (birth date 102 BCE [BC] — date of departure 15 CE [AD]), who started the Vikram Samvat Hindu Lunar calendar in 57 BCE.

I am writing this book with Mata Saraswati by my side. We start with the holy mantra (OM), the sound of the world which purifies and calms the mind. When reading this book, please read it with an open mind and as a devotee of Bhagwan.

This book is divided into three chapters:

Chapter 1: Teachings of Sanatan Dharm (Hinduism)

Chapter 2: We Have Seen Bhagwan Krishna

Chapter 3: Teachings of Brahmrishi Guruvanand

Rahul Gupta

New York, 2022

Vikram Samvat 2079

Bhagwan Mahavir

Bhagwan Gautam Buddha

Adi Shankaracharya

Ramanuja

Sant Ravidas

Guru Nanak

Meera Bai

Guru Gobind Singh with Char Shaibzade

Swami Vivekananda

Babasaheb Ambedkar

Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Brahmrishi Guruvanand

CHAPTER 1

Teachings of Sanatan

Dharm (Hinduism)

Mata Lalita Tripura Sundari

Shri Yantra (also called Shri Chakra or Shri Vidhya)

Map of India (Bharat)

What Is the Origin and Meaning of the Word Hindu?

The word Hindu is derived from the Sanskrit word Sindhu. The word Sindhu in Sanskrit means river. The sacred Sindhu River flows through the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent. In the Persian language, Sindhu is pronounced Hindu (the s became an h). The ancient Persians thus called the Sindhu River the Hindu River. The Persians also used the word Hindu as a geographic term for those people who lived on the eastern side of the Sindhu River. Therefore, the inhabitants of India (Bharat) were called Hindus, and India was called Hindustan (land of the Hindus).

Ancient Greeks called the Sindhu River the Indos River. Eventually, the area around the Sindhu River came to be called India by the Greeks and other Europeans.

The Sindhu River originates near the northern slopes of Kailash Parvat (Mount Kailash), which is part of the Himalayas in Tibet. The Sindhu River begins its course in present-day Tibet and then flows through present-day India into Pakistan.

What Is Sanatan Dharm (Hindu Dharm)?

In the Sanskrit language, Sanatan means eternal, and Dharm means intrinsic nature, or universal truth, or the way of life. Sanatan Dharm came from God. It is the eternal way of life given by God to all humanity regarding the prakriti (intrinsic nature) and sanskriti (culture) of human beings and their souls. It is meant to help all of humanity lead personal lives of contentment, righteousness, and happiness, while also guiding humans on their journey to attaining moksha (nirvana or mukti).

In the last few hundred years, people have started referring to Sanatan Dharm as Hinduism or Hindu Dharm. Sanatan Dharm is eternal. It has no beginning and no end as it is beyond time. It has always existed, even before time began, and will always exist. It existed before the birth of our Universe and will exist after our Universe collapses.

What Are the Beliefs of Sanatan Dharm?

The beliefs of Sanatan Dharm are as follows:

1. Belief in One Almighty Supreme Bhagwan or Parm-atma (God), who is Akaal Murat , who is anant (infinite), eternal, ajanma (never born), who is the Absolute Highest Truth, who is Krishna.

Bhagwan Krishna is Puran-Brahm (Para-Brahm), which means that Krishna is both saguna-sakar Brahm (God with attributes and with form) and nirguna-nirakar Brahm (God without attributes and without form).

Bhagwan Krishna expands into their divine feminine form Mata Radha (Radha/Krishna). Bhagwan Radha/Krishna further manifests as Bhagwan Parvati/Shiv and Bhagwan Lakshmi/Vishnu. All of them are still One — Sanatan Dharm is a monotheistic belief.

Bhagwan Radha/Krishna, Bhagwan Parvati/Shiv, and Bhagwan Lakshmi/Vishnu are all infinite, eternal, ajanma, the truth, and not under the influence of maya (illusion).

Worshipping Bhagwan by making murti (divine images of Bhagwan) is an easy way for human beings to connect and communicate with Bhagwan.

2. The belief is that both the adhyatmik sansar ( spiritual world ) and bhautik sansar (material world ) reside within Bhagwan.

The spiritual world of Bhagwan consists of the divine Loka (realms), which exist eternally and are not under the influence of maya.

The material world of Bhagwan consists of millions of brahmand (universes) which are temporary and under the influence of maya. Each universe in the material world goes through many cycles of creation, preservation, and destruction in its life span.

3. Belief in the divinity of the four Vedas , Bhagavad Gita, Puran, Ramayan , and Mahabharat .

4. Belief in the law of karma or karm .

The word karma means action or actions. One has the free will to perform good or bad actions. Every action has a manifold reaction, sometimes in the same birth and for many births thereafter. All actions an individual performs influence the journey of their atma (soul) toward its ultimate destination of attaining moksha. One should always perform good actions that will benefit society and the needy and thus follow and live on the path of Dharm.

5. The purpose of Yog ( Yoga ) is to elevate the soul to its true nature of being pure and divine, which is essential for spiritual progress in the path to attaining moksha .

6. Belief that ahimsa (non-violence) is the greatest virtue for human beings.

All living beings have divinity in them, and one should be compassionate toward all life forms and do no harm to them. Ahimsa is the highest truth, as well as the highest self-control that all humans should practice. On the path toward ahimsa, one must avoid war through sincere dialogue, but if dialogue fails, then to protect the weak, the country, to establish justice and Dharm, it is acceptable to go to war.

7. Belief that the atma reincarnates for infinite births in various yoni (species) until it attains moksha (liberation from the cycle of birth and death to become one with Bhagwan).

The soul is eternal, and every soul has Bhagwan (Parm-atma) residing inside it. All of one’s actions play a role in the journey of the soul through its many births. Based on one’s actions, the soul can reincarnate in any one of the 8.4 million species or attain moksha.

Human beings constitute only one among the many species. It is extremely difficult for the soul to get human birth, as it provides an easy opportunity for one to do good karma by which the soul can progress toward attaining moksha.

The influence of maya in the material world can cause the soul to become impure, similar to how a mirror becomes covered with dust over time. However, leading a pure life by exhibiting prem (love), shradha (faith), and bhakti (devotion) toward Bhagwan and doing righteous karma allows the soul to shine and reveal Bhagwan and thus overcome maya, akin to how a mirror shines when the dust covering is removed.

The true nature of the soul is purity and divinity, and when it expresses this state of purity and divinity, then Bhagwan, who resides in the soul, shines through it, and one attains moksha.

What Is the Spiritual World and the Material World of Bhagwan?

Bhagwan is eternal. There is both a spiritual world and a material world in the world of Bhagwan. The spiritual world of Bhagwan consists of the Gau Loka (Gaulok) of Bhagwan Radha/Krishna, Kailash Loka of Bhagwan Parvati/Shiv, and Vaikuntha Loka of Bhagwan Lakshmi/Vishnu which are all eternally present and not under the influence of maya.

The material world of Bhagwan consists of millions of universes which are all temporary and under the influence of maya. Each universe in the material world has its own Brahma Devata (also called Brahma) who resides in his own realm, which is called the Brahma Loka. So, there are millions of Brahma Devata for the millions of universes. Each universe in the material world goes through many cycles of creation, preservation, and destruction in the lifespan (the age) of its Brahma Devata.

How did Bhagwan Create the Material World?

Bhagwan Krishna, who is Puran-Brahm, expands as Bhagwan Maha Vishnu in the Cosmic Causal Ocean known as the Karan-Odak, and millions of universes, which are part of the material world of Bhagwan, emanate from Bhagwan Maha Vishnu’s body in the form of oval shapes.

Bhagwan Radha/Krishna, Bhagwan Parvati/Shiv, and Bhagwan Lakshmi/Vishnu, who are all eternally present in the spiritual world, further enter into each of the millions of universes in the material world as part of their divine leela.

Bhagwan Maha Vishnu lying in the Karan-Odak, with millions of universes emanating from their body

Bhagwan creates the universe. In each universe, Bhagwan Lakshmi/Vishnu rests on the Ananta Shesha naga (a thousand-headed divine snake) in the Cosmic Ocean of Milk known as Kshir Sagar.

A kamal (lotus flower) sprouts from the navel of Bhagwan Vishnu to give birth to Brahma Devata. A divine soul is given the role of Brahma Devata by Bhagwan for each universe. Brahma Devata resides in each universe in his realm which is called Brahma Loka for the life span of that universe. Brahma Devata in each universe then proceeds to create the planet Earth and all its species and other things needed by the grace of Bhagwan.

In each universe (in the material world), the responsibilities of creator, preserver, and destroyer are taken by Brahma Devata, Bhagwan Vishnu, and Bhagwan Shiv respectively.

Bhagwan Lakshmi/Vishnu in the Kshir Sagar (Brahma Devata in each universe is born out of a lotus flower which sprouts from the navel of Bhagwan Vishnu)

The material world consists of millions of universes. Each universe is a different size, varies in its life span, and its current age as follows:

•Each universe, based on its size , has variable numbers of galaxies: some have more than our Universe, some the same as our Universe, and some have fewer than our Universe. Each universe with a variable number of galaxies is also divided into 14 Loka .

•Each universe has a life span based on the age of its Brahma Devata. Some universes have a life span greater than our Universe, some equal to our Universe, and some less than our Universe. Each universe goes through many cycles of creation, preservation, and destruction during the life span of its Brahma Devata. Each universe exists for the life span of its Brahma Devata, after which everything goes back into Bhagwan Maha Vishnu, and then, after a while, the process starts again.

•The current age of each universe varies based on when that universe emanates from the body of Bhagwan Maha Vishnu. In some universes, the Brahma’s age could be older than that in our Universe, in some universes the Brahma’s age could be the same as our Brahma’s age, in some universes the Brahma Devata could be younger than our Brahma Devata, and in some universes the life span of Brahma Devata may have been completed and the universes may be going back into Bhagwan Maha Vishnu.

How Old Is Our Brahma Devata and Our Universe?

In our Universe, the lifespan of our Brahma Devata in Brahma Loka time is 100 years, which translates into 311 trillion, 40 billion (311,040,000,000,000) years of Earth time. Brahma Devata has completed 50 years of his life and his 51st year of life has started, which makes the current age of our Universe nearly 155 trillion years of Earth time. Time travels much more slowly in Brahma Loka than on our planet Earth. When we measure time in Brahma Loka, we use the term kalp; to measure the same time on our planet Earth, we use the terms yuga and manvantar. When Brahma Devata completes 100 years of his lifespan, then our Universe will return into Bhagwan Maha Vishnu, and our Universe will be formed once again at a later time.

Science currently has evidence that our Universe (which has over two trillion galaxies) started with a Big Bang around 14 billion years ago. Fourteen billion years in Vedic time, however, is only around 1.62 kalp (days) of Brahma Devata in Brahma Loka time. Science offers us a date of just 14 billion years, as it uses a linear view of time. In the future, science will develop new tools and use them to find that our Universe is around 155 trillion years old. Time is both linear and cyclical, and there have been thousands of cycles of creation, preservation, and destruction in the history of our Universe. Science will further prove that the multiverse hypothesis in physics, which describes the presence of many more universes, is indeed correct.

How is the life span of Brahma Devata in Brahma Loka related to time on our planet Earth?

Time moves very slowly, and it is almost at a standstill in the realm of Brahma Devata who resides in Brahma Loka. In contrast, time on our planet Earth moves at a very fast speed as illustrated below.

What is the relationship between one kalp (day) in Brahma Loka and time on Earth?

12 hours of daylight in Brahma Loka = 4.32 billion years of life on Earth

(15 sandhya + 14 manvantar)

12 hours of night in Brahma Loka = 4.32 billion years of no life on

Earth, as Earth is destroyed

One kalp (day) of Brahma Devata in Brahma Loka has 24 hours, which includes 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night. The 12 hours of daylight in Brahma Loka are when life exists on Earth. Toward the end of that 12 hours of daylight in Brahma Loka, pralaya (destruction) begins on Earth. When those 12 hours of night begin in Brahma Loka, there is no life on Earth, as Earth is destroyed.

Then, sometime during the early middle of the 12 hours of night, and before the start of the next kalp of 12 hours of daylight in Brahma Loka, the process of creating Earth starts again (by Brahma Devata), so life can then exist again on Earth during the next kalp of 12 hours of daylight. This ongoing process of creation, preservation, and destruction in our Universe will continue for the lifespan of our Brahma Devata, which is 100 years in Brahma Loka time, or 311 trillion, 40 billion years of Earth time.

The 12 hours of Brahma Loka time is the same as the total duration of 1,000 Chatur yuga of Earth time. The duration of one Chatur yuga is 4.32 million years of Earth time. So the total time of 1,000 Chatur yuga is 4.32 billion years of Earth time. So both the 12 hours of daylight and the 12 hours of night in Brahma Loka have equal durations of 4.32 billion years of Earth time.

Half of Brahma Devata’s life (50 years) is called a parardh. Brahma Devata lives for two parardh, which is 100 years in Brahma Loka. In Brahma Loka time, there are 30 kalp (days) in a month, which equates to 360 kalp (days) in 12 months (one year). So there are 36,000 kalp (days) in 100 years of Brahma Devata, which makes 36,000 daylights and 36,000 nights in the life span of Brahma Devata in Brahma Loka.

Brahma Devata has completed 50 years (first parardh) of his life, which means that 18,000 kalp of Brahma Devata (50 years × 360 kalp) have elapsed in Brahma Loka. So 18,000 daylights and 18,000 nights of Brahma Devata have elapsed. This means that our Universe, which includes billions of galaxies, our Milky Way galaxy, and our planet Earth have gone through 18,000 episodes of creation, 18,000 episodes of preservation, and 18,000 episodes of destruction. This means that a total of around 155 trillion years have elapsed in our Universe alone since its origin from the body of Bhagwan Maha Vishnu.

Currently we have just started the second parardh, in which the 51st year of Brahma Devata has begun. So presently we are living in the 18,001st kalp (day) of Brahma Devata’s creation and within that kalp the 18,001st daylight (the 12 hours of daylight) of Brahma Devata. So the present first kalp in the first month of the 51st year of Brahma Devata is called the Shvet Varaha kalp. The Shvet Varaha kalp started around 1.97 billion years ago in Earth time.

Let us understand the terms yuga and manvantar as they apply to time on Earth.

How does the concept of yuga apply on Earth?

There are four yuga in one Chatur yuga, namely:

1. Sat yuga

2. Treta yuga

3. Dwapara yuga

4. Kali yuga

All four yuga make up one Chatur yuga, which makes up a total of one cycle of 4.32 million years on Earth. As one progresses from Sat yuga to Treta yuga to Dwapara yuga to Kali yuga, there is a decline of Dharm, knowledge, mental health, physical health, and morality. The four yuga each go in sequence for 4.32 million years of Earth time to make one Chatur yuga, and then the cycle of four yuga repeats for the 71 Chatur yuga in one manvantar.

How does the concept of manvantar apply on Earth?

One sandhya = 1.728 million years of Earth time.

One manvantar = 71 Chatur yuga = 306.72 million years of Earth time.

15 sandhya = 15 × 1.728 million years of Earth time = 25,920,000 years of Earth time (total duration of six Chatur yuga).

14 manvantar = 14 × 306.72 million years of Earth time = 4,294,080,000 years of Earth time (total duration of 994 Chatur yuga).

15 sandhya + 14 manvantar = 4.32 billion years of Earth time (total duration of 1,000 Chatur yuga).

During the 12 hours of daylight in Brahma Loka, there is life on Earth, so there are 14 Manu (Men) on Earth. Each Manu is given the role of leading a manvantar and starting life on Earth by the divine grace of Bhagwan. During the 12 hours of night in Brahma Loka, there is no life on Earth, as Earth is destroyed, and so there are no Manu.

In each of the 14 manvantar, there are some changes as to who the Manu, Indra Devata (King/ruler of Heaven), Sapta Rishi (Seven divine beings), and avatar of Bhagwan are, and then there are some other changes.

The names of the 14 Manu and their corresponding manvantar in our Universe in the present Shvet Varaha kalp are:

Swayambhuv Manu (1st Swayambhuv manvantar)

Swarochish Manu (2nd Swarochish manvantar)

Uttam Manu (3rd Uttam manvantar)

Tamas Manu (4th Tamas manvantar)

Raivat Manu (5th Raivat manvantar)

Chakshush Manu (6th Chakshush manvantar)

Vaivasvat Manu (7th Vaivasvat manvantar)

This is our present 7th manvantar

Savarni Manu (8th Savarni manvantar)

Daksha Savarni Manu (9th Daksha Savarni manvantar)

Brahma Savarni Manu (10th Brahma Savarni manvantar)

Dharm Savarni Manu (11th Dharm Savarni manvantar)

Rudra