Bharat: The Ancient Land of Vedas and Sanatan Dharma
The landmass commonly known as "India" carries profound indigenous names, primarily Bharat, also revered as Matru-Bhoomi (Motherland), Puniya-Bhoomi (Sacred Land), Dharma-Bhoomi (Land of Dharma), Swarag-Bhoomi (Heavenly Land), and Prakriti Ma (Mother Nature).
The Vaishnava Sahajiya Tantric Bauls of Birbhum are based on Sanatan Dharma, they are only synergistic within Hinduism. This lineage (Guru shishya Parampara Sampradaya (Kula or sect) is based on Dattatreya and Krishna Sahaja. They are indigenous to the land of Birbhum W Bengal India.
Regarding the ownership of Yoga, it is asserted that India claims its origin. Yoga is a Sanskrit term, originating in Bharat, and while it transcends singular ownership, its deep roots are undeniably within this ancient land.
Bharat is far more than just "India"; it is the sacred land of the ancient Vedas and the birthplace of Sanskrit, the language of the Vedas. Sanskrit is celebrated as a near-perfect language, meticulously crafted to preserve Vedic knowledge. Its brilliance lies in its unchanging nature; concepts conveyed 10,000 years ago retain their exact meaning today. This stands in stark contrast to most other languages, which are inherently fluid and subject to change. A trained Sanskritist understands and safeguards this immutability.
Bharat boasts an indigenous name, language, spirituality, and culture that existed within its landmass long before the advent of other major religions. This rich heritage, meticulously recorded in the Vedas and Sanskrit texts, deserves to be preserved and represented by its original peoples: the Indigenous lineage holders of India. These are the individuals who have mastered Sanskrit, possessing the keys to its intricate codes and its extensive astronomical and astrological histories. This also extends to those who have diligently traveled to India and studied under Gurus within authentic lineages for many years, striving to preserve these traditions as closely as possible to their intended truth of self-realization and enlightenment. The system of Yoga, as described by Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita 5,000 years ago and later codified by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras, unequivocally originated in Bharat.
Religions such as Islam and Christianity arrived in Bharat significantly later in history. While Buddhism and Jainism also originated in India, they emerged subsequent to the foundational Vedic culture. Most other religions that entered this land, now called "India," did so after the establishment of the Vedic culture, often with explicit intentions of conversion.
Indians, by tradition, are remarkably tolerant, allowing diverse religious practices and even internal variations of what is now known as Hinduism or Sanatan Dharma. This historical tolerance, perhaps influenced by centuries as a conquered land, may have inadvertently led to an acceptance that some now perceive as an inferiority complex, a desire for external validation.
This perspective raises a crucial question: If India's indigenous culture—the Vedic Culture, the Vedas, Sanskrit, Ayurveda, Mahabharata, Ramayana—did not originate in Bharat, where did it? All astrological, astronomical, and scriptural evidence consistently points to Bharat. To assert that India is not Hindu or Vedic is a blatant dismissal of documented history. The indigenous people of India did not originate in Saudi Arabia, Israel, or Europe; all ancient stories, art, and shastra unequivocally point to the landmass now called India.
To claim that India is not Hindu is akin to stating that Saudi Arabia and the Middle East are not Muslim. India is Veda from its very beginning. Veda is Bharat. Bharat is Hindu. Bharat is Yoga. Bharat is Bharat Philosophy, which is Indian Philosophy. It is Sanskrit, it is Veda, it is Bhagavad Gita, it is Mahabharata, it is Ramayana, it is Upanishads, it is Puranic, it is unlimited shastra (some older, some newer), and it is Tantric texts written in Sanskrit. While some elements may incorporate Persian influences, Tantra is a vast subject encompassing Ayurveda, Jyotish, Indian Music, and more, all stemming from an oral tradition written in Sanskrit and Devanagari, originating in Bharat. While Yoga may be practiced by only a segment of India, its traditional practice there often differs significantly from what is seen in the West today. Traditional Yogis and Yoginis primarily practiced in nature. Shiva, considered the greatest of all Yogis, dwelled in solitude on Mount Kailash, covered in ash and immersed in silence, a stark contrast to modern yoga studio lifestyles. While adaptation to changing times is acknowledged, the core essence is emphasized as immutable.
Despite contemporary discussions surrounding Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Yoga has been a central part of Indian tradition, as prescribed and described in the Bhagavad Gita. Thus, it is undeniably Indian. Veda, Bharat, Sanatan Dharma, self-realization—these are profound concepts that encompass far more than just asana. The modern world often mistakenly equates asana (postures) with Yoga; in reality, asana is but a minuscule part of true Yoga.
Regarding the rightful claim to Bharat, the question is posed: Do Christians? Do Muslims? It is noted that Muslims were given Pakistan and have taken Bangladesh, and there are current concerns about slow, forced conversions of Hindus on the borders of and within Bengal. Christian missionaries are also actively converting Hindus (the indigenous people of Bharat) to Christianity, which is viewed as a new form of conquest. Conversely, Jains, Parsis, and Buddhists (the latter two being offshoots of the Vedas) are not known to engage in conversions.
India is incredibly multicultural, but this reality should not negate the origins and identity of the indigenous people of Bharat. Just as there are indigenous peoples in North America and Australia, there are brilliant indigenous people in India who have diligently preserved Yoga (Tantra, Mantra, Yantra), Shastra, Ayurveda, Jyotish, the Vedas, and Sanskrit under extremely challenging conditions, despite facing encroachment from various religions.
Mahatma Gandhi, a Jain, dedicated his life to preserving the Indian/Bharata way of life and reconnecting the people to their indigenous culture. His last words, "Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram," resonate from the Ramayana. Yoga, in one way or another, stems from this culture; it is a Sanskrit word, not Christian or Muslim. It originates from an oral tradition, and without understanding that oral tradition, Patanjali's concise codes and their connection to the Bhagavad Gita are difficult to grasp.
History has demonstrated the immense value of indigenous cultures, yet often, there is little respect or room afforded to indigenous peoples globally.
Jai Bharata! Jai Vedas! Jai Maa! Jai Guru! Jai Sanatan Dharma!
The Story Behind Word Origins: Hindu, India, and Bharat
As further detailed in the provided research, the etymology of "India" and "Hindu" reveals their external origins:
The name "India" is derived from the River Indus (in modern-day Pakistan).
In ancient times, the entire Indus river system and its surrounding area, including its seven tributaries (Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej, Jhelum, Beas, and the now-extinct River Saraswati), was called "Sapta Sindhu" (the land of seven rivers). "Sindhu" (meaning river in Sanskrit) not only referred to the river system but also to the culture that flourished along its valleys (the "Indus Valley Civilization" is more accurately the "Saraswati-Sindhu Civilization").
The corruption of "Sindhu" to "Hindu" can be traced to early Persian explorers from the Northwest. Due to the phonetic peculiarities of their language, they aspirated the "S" sound in "Sindhu" to produce "Hindu." Thus, to the outside world, the region and its culture became known as the land of "Hindus" (leading to "Hindustan," literally "the land of Hindus"). This name became prevalent after the Mughal invasions, used to distinguish the indigenous culture from that of the invaders.
Around 2500 years ago, when the Greeks reached the Punjab plains, they borrowed the name from the Persians, modifying it to "Indos," which later morphed into "Indus" in Latin. The Romans then began to call the entire landmass "India," a name adopted by Europeans.
It is evident that the word "Hindu" initially simply meant "someone living in India" or "related to India," referring to a geographical area rather than a specific religion or set of beliefs. As Dr. Morales notes, "the term Hindu is not a term that is inherent to the religion itself. Rather, the term is known to have been first coined by the ancient Persians, who were culturally, religiously, and perspectively extrinsic to the culture." They mistakenly used it to refer to the Vedic spiritual culture as primarily a geographic and ethnic phenomenon, rather than a religio-philosophical worldview.
Thus, the word "Hindu" is ironically a corruption of the Persian "Hindhu," which is itself a corruption of the Sanskrit "Sindhu," a word merely referring to a river, not a religion. The modern use of "Hindu" for the ancient religion of India is, therefore, a corruption of a corruption of a geographically irrelevant term.
Dr. Morales, in "Word as a Weapon," suggests alternative terms. A strong recommendation is to henceforth refer to ancient Indian achievements as "Hindu achievements" (which they are), and to consistently call the religion "Sanatana Dharma" rather than the "sterile Hinduism."
Bharat: India's True Indigenous Name
India's "official" name is Bharat, given equal constitutional primacy with "India" (as stated in the First Clause: "India, that is Bharat"). There's a misconception that "Bharat" did not exist as a nation until British rule unified various states. This is historically inaccurate. Emperor Ashok's kingdom, for instance, encompassed almost the entire Indian subcontinent, including parts of modern-day Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Afghanistan.
Shri Srinivasan Kalyanaraman highlights a Rigveda verse (RV 3.53.12) by Visvamitra: "viśvāmitrasya rakṣati brahmedam bharatam janam" (this mantra of Visvamitra will protect the nation of the people of Bharatam). In Tamil, "bharatam" refers to the Hindu rashtra (nation). Ancient literature, including the Bhagavad-Gita, also refers to large parts of the landmass now known as India as "Bharat" or "Bharata Varsha."
The Srimad Bhagavatam (Scanto V, Chapter 19) further concludes the description of Jambudwipa, listing numerous sacred rivers of Bharata Varsha, emphasizing how its people are purified by touching their waters.
Ultimately, it is crucial to remember and make others aware that India possesses a deep, indigenous name: Bharat. And we should be proud of it.
