History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c96.s1.39

v7.c96.s1.39

²⁶¹² One of the earliest occurrences of the word सनातनधर्म is found in the Khanapur plates of Mādhavavarman (in E. I. Vol 27, p 312) edited by Dr. V. V. Mirashi, who assigns it to about the 6th century A D., in the description of the donee as 'यजनयाजनाध्ययनाध्यापनदानप्रतिग्रहाय (च ?) श्रुतिस्मृतिविहितसनातनधर्मकर्मनिरताय etc'. The land granted was in Returaka (modern Retrem in the Satara District of the Mahārāṣṭra State) Another early reference to the phrase सनातनधर्म is in ब्रह्माण्डपुराण II 33. 37-38 अद्रोहश्चाप्यलोभश्च तपो भूतदया दम । ब्रह्मचर्य तथा सत्यमनुक्रोशः क्षमा धृति । सनातनस्य धर्मस्य मूलमेतदुदाहृतम् ॥. The words 'सनातनधर्म' are used in the sense of ancient practice no longer prevalent in Ādiparva 122 18 (Ch. ed.), and in the sense of 'duty recognised long ago' in रामायण, अयोध्याकाण्ड 19 26, 21 49 etc