It was a lovely winter morning for Ganpat and his family.

He sat outside in the sun with his mother but

grew confused when he saw his little sister, Shivya, doing something nearby.

“What is she doing?” Ganpat asked his mother.

His mom replied with a smile, “She is feeding the birds as food can be hard to find in the winter. She is a
cool Sanatani, isn’t she?”

 That confused Ganpat even more. He had never heard that word! “Sanatani? What is that?” he asked
again. 

“Sanatan means according to nature and for nature; and whoever lives a life like nature can be called a
Sanatani. To live as a Sanatani is to live an eternally righteous life which is one with nature,” his mother
calmly explained.

Ganpat scratched his head— Shivya? A Sanatani? These philosophies were too ninja-level for him. They
were just going over his head. 
 
His mother saw his puzzled face and decided to tackle the subject in an easier manner. “No worries!
Let's understand the two words of Sanatan Dharma separately. Sanatan means eternal— without a
beginning, and without an end.”

“Just like the circular shape of a donut!” Ganpat smartly exclaimed. “It is impossible to locate its start
and endpoints.”

His mother laughed at this practical relation Ganpat arrived at. “I love this creative culinary connection
you just made! You are getting it. Next, Dharma means righteous behavior or the innate nature of
something.” 

“Is it connected to one's religion or geographical location?” he questioned further.

“Dharma does not mean religion,” his mother answered sagely. “No, let me tell you a story, old but
true.”

Ganpat grew curious upon hearing that and watched his mother’s face light up in a reminiscent smile as
she continued, “after being uprooted from Kashmir, your dad's family was facing challenges adjusting to
a new environment. We got married while doing an internship, so we had very few resources. Your dad
bought his grandmother hearing aids, dentures, and a walker from the money we received as wedding
gifts. Instead of splurging on an exotic vacation, he used the money wisely to make a difference in his
grandmother's life. This selfless act is Dharma for the family. This makes him a Sanatani, even though he
is an atheist.”

“What if you break the protocol? What if someone strays from what they are supposed to do in life?”
Ganpat grew inquisitive.

“Good Question!” His mother was impressed. “Dharma of sugar is to be sweet, the sun is to give light,
and the air is to blow. If this intrinsic quality gets disrupted, the entity will lose its essence. As a result,
there will be chaos and disbalance in the universe. Imagine Yoda from the Star Wars, ‘I sense a
disturbance in the force.’”

 They both chuckled together at this reference. “Hmm! Are there any such rules for animals?” he asked
again.

“The Dharma of animals is to survive by killing and eating. The food chain is an orderly sequence of
events where organisms are dependent on each other for survival. If the food chain gets disrupted, the
ecosystem will collapse, and species will become extinct,” was his mother’s answer.

“So how is it different for humans?” Ganpat wanted some clarification.

“Besides survival instincts, humans have the intelligence to expand the awareness of their minds to
experience affinity with the spiritual realm. Thus, the dharma of human beings is to evolve, create value,
and uplift humanity.

“The intrinsic nature of the human soul is love, compassion, and selfless service. Respecting and
preserving living and non-living entities, in turn, also supports human existence. Protecting the order
and regularity of the world sustains the universal rhythm for joyful coexistence,” his mom tried her best
to make him understand.

Ganpat finally realized, “Now I know the reason for Shivya's Sanatanness. In mommy's life, I like one
unique dharma you always carry out. You always jab on Shivya’s arm with your pointy finger to give her
a dose of love before she leaves for school. You make sure she doesn’t miss you for the next seven
hours. Once she comes back, you give her another booster shot of love. This way, she feels loved and
spreads this emotion and compassion further. Your little love shot creates a ripple like the waves in the
sea, and is carried forward to make the world a more beautiful place.”

His mother was touched. “Aww! My heart is melting like butter on double toasted bread.”

But Ganpat wasn’t done yet. “Last question! Is Sanatan Dharma like a long-lost cousin of Hinduism?”  

Proud of his intelligent questions, his mother answered, “Any entity comes into existence with some
original fundamental nature. The fact that the Earth goes around the Sun is an inherent law of nature
and existed even before it was discovered. Similarly, Sanatan dharma has lived forever but was nurtured
and practiced in India by the sages.

“Hindu scriptures were written under the rubric of Sanatan Dharma. Hinduism represents a set of
philosophical ideas, cultural and spiritual traditions of India.”

Sanatan Dharma represents much more than just a religion; rather, it provides its followers with an
entire worldview, and a way of life with a coherent and rational view of reality. Sanatan carries hope
for all life forms in the future.