Glossary & Concepts – Bharathiyam

What is Dharma? A Word with a Thousand Meanings

Venkatesham — Sat, 19 Oct 2024 17:28:39 +0000

Few words in Sanātana Dharma are as profound, complex, and multi-layered as dharma. To ask “What is dharma?” is to open a doorway into India’s spiritual and philosophical heritage. At once law, duty, righteousness, cosmic order, and spiritual truth, dharma is a word that resists a single translation. It has been called “that which upholds,” the principle that sustains both the universe and…

Source

Understanding Tithi, Nakshatra, and Yoga in the Panchanga

Venkatesham — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 17:29:52 +0000

Time in Sanātana Dharma is not measured only by the ticking of a clock or the turning of a calendar. It is understood as a living rhythm of the cosmos, where the movements of the Sun, Moon, and planets shape the quality of each moment. The Panchāṅga—the traditional Hindu almanac—captures this rhythm. Derived from pancha (five) and anga (limbs), it records five key elements of time: Tithi (lunar…

Source

The Five Koshas: Layers of Human Existence

Venkatesham — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 17:30:59 +0000

Sanātana Dharma views human life not as a mere physical existence but as a multi-layered reality. Beneath the body and mind lie deeper sheaths that veil the Self (Ātman), our true nature. The Taittiriya Upanishad describes these as the pañcha koshas—the five sheaths or coverings—through which the Self is experienced. Understanding these koshas helps us grasp the holistic view of human existence…

Source