Sanatandharma and modern philosophy of religion

Sanatandharma is by far the most complex and most easy religion to understand due to its flexibility though in vedic times it was set of rules or laws that governed universe modern rigidity has transformed it into a "Relgion".

You may be a Theist or atheist, monotheist or polytheist,  sanyaasi or materialist  you are accepted in sanatandharma this makes it very confusing for its followers of different philosophies and hence very complex but this is the very reason which makes it even more easy to follow not depending on which philosophy of Religion you follow you will still be governed by an "eternal law"(Sanatandharama).Now let us discuss how modern philosophies of religion are considered in Sanatandharma.

First of all the most contentious in "modern Hinduism" atheism let me take a verse from Rig Veda to discuss this philosophy:   "truly? Who can here declare it? Whence it was born, whence is this emanation. By the emanation of this the gods only latter [came to be].Who then knows whence it has arisen? Whence this emanation hath arisen, whether [god] disposed it, or whether he did not. Only he who is its overseer in the highest heaven knows. [He only knows]or perhaps  he does not know"   this verse is clear agnosticism if not atheism where he ask certain questions and doubts about god. Even amongst the six darshanams of Sanatan philosophy Samkhya is clearly atheistic and is based on innate interdependence of purush(man) and prakruti even carvaka system of nastika(heterodox) schools were not only materialistic but also atheistic.

Now we move to the theistic, monotheistic and polytheistic views which are what now mostly forms present Hindu religion. For an outsider sanatandharma is polytheistic religion where they pray about 33 crore deities but only a true follower knows that it deeply monotheistic as in Santandharam's philosophy each form of living or non living is worshipped as forms of god. A verse from RigVeda clearly states as:

Indraṃ mitraṃ varuṇamaghnimāhuratho divyaḥ sa suparṇo gharutmān, ekaṃ sad viprā bahudhā vadantyaghniṃ yamaṃ mātariśvānamāhuḥ

"They call him Indra, Mitra, Varuṇa, Agni, and he is heavenly nobly-winged Garutmān.To what is one, sages give many a title they call it Agni, Yama, Mātariśvan."   

Sanatandharma is also deeply pantheistic the reason which makes it monotheistic system is the same reason which makes it pantheistic that is a belief that everything composes an all-encompassing, immanent God. Considering rivers, forests, animals, mountains, mother earth and trees as sacred this oneness with nature makes it deeply pantheistic.  Amongst the six darshanams sakhaya and yoga are based on the thoughts of innate and independent realities 1) consciousness itself (Purusha)   2) primordial materiality (Prakriti).Adaivata Vedantism taught about atman (true self; human soul) is indistinct from Brahman (the unknown reality of everything) and hence Adi-Shankara who consolidated vedantism sixth darshanam of sanatan philosophy said those who know the truth are the only brahmins rest all are shudra.

At last we will discuss sanyaas and materialism sanyaas is the stage of renunciation as said by lord Krishna in Bhagvad Gita:"The giving up of activities that are based on material desire is what great learned men call the renounced order of life [sannyas]. And giving up the results of all activities is what the wise call renunciation [tyaga]" Hence Sanyaas is developing vairag from the worldly life and is considered necessary for moksha. Now even there are certain school of thoughts who defend materialism very strongly the most vociferous among them is carvaka school of Nastika(heterodoxy). Carvaka system believed that there was nothing wrong in enjoying pleasure as it decreases your pain and carvaka considered austerity and rejecting pleasure as foolish.

This is santanadharma where there is an argument and a counter argument one may not agree but this is what makes it special as it has an agreement of disagreement governed by an eternal law and that is why even today it can accommodate all the philosophies of modern religion.