Aims and Objectives

Thus spoke Kṛṣṇa and, perhaps, there is no better way to state the intent of the journal from the forego. The journal aims to bring out to the public the plethora of scholarship that are being produced in the various domains of the Sanātana Dharma. The journal strives to foster critical insights and contemplative observations upon the philosophical, cultural, sociological, political, and other pertinent concerns that fall under the umbrella of the “Sanātana Dharma”.

What do we mean by the “Sanātana Dharma”?

The word “सनातन (sanātana)” is an amalgamation of two Saṁskṛta roots: “सन् (san)” which means “eternal” and “तन् (tan)” which means “extent”. To crudely dub the word in English, one might say that whose extent is eternal is “sanātana”. The word “धर्म (dharma)”, on the other hand, is etymologically derived by adjoining the root “धृ (dhṛ)”, meaning “that which is put on” or “that which is carried”, and the suffix “मन् (man)”. So, the word may be explained as “that (quality) which one carries”. One must note that dharma is not religion. Therefore, this is not a journal of “Religious Studies” though religions of the world may be considered as subject(s) discussed here. Anglophonic terms like philosophy, theology, and their progeny ‘theosophy’ may also be considered while concerning with the nature of the journal.

Why this journal?

We, a group of academicians, have felt that there is visible hiatus between the traditional scholarship and the modern scholarship upon the subjects of the Sanātana Dharma. We look forward to bridge that gap and cater before the inquisitive minds a comprehensive understanding of the subjects. We have also felt a strong lack of journals which publish research works upon the domains parented by the Sanātana Dharma. Moreover, we have often felt that the research works published in certain journals on “Hindu Studies” tend to have Orientalist and Indological biases which undermine the greater ‘dhārmika’ causes. Apart from that, it has also been observed that traditional scholars from the Indian subcontinent find less frequent representation in those journals. The articles published in those journals are mostly by Western scholars or Indian/Asian scholars with Western institutional affiliations. The mission of this journal is to provide the traditional scholars a platform to publish their works. In addition to these serious concerns, we also feel that the article processing charges (APC) is often too much of a burden for scholars with merit but having financial constraints. The objective of the Journal of Sanātana Dharma is to be free from all sorts of racism (ethnic or geographical), ideological biases, economic discrimination, and institutional snobbery.

What is the nature of the journal?

The journal is being and will be run strictly as a research-based academic enterprise. No other modes are accepted or entertained. If you wish to publish book reviews, personal opinions/articles, poetry, or art works, consider submitting to our Indic Vārtā magazine.

What are the fields that we invite submissions?

Authors might consider the following subjects:

What are the scopes for authors?

At present, we are bootstrapped. But, we have a vision and a dedicated team working tirelessly and selflessly. As soon as the first issue of the journal is published, we are going to apply for ISSN. In the first issue, we will assign each published article a DOI and link them to their ORCID (if provided). We have had communications with some of the reputed databases where we will be indexed immediately after publication. We shall also get indexed in other databases within a year.

What are our visions for the journal?

As a platform, we are trying to (and we will) make the journal of such quality that publishing here would make the authors proud. We are trying. Help us with your scholarship and merit. Our vision is divided in two-folds: the immediate and the sustainable. The immediate vision is to facilitate the authors with traditional scholarship and encourage their research works. Our sustainable vision is to expand the area of research and make the stature of the journal of global repute. We envision to be the most comprehensive journal of research in the fields of the Sanātana Dharma.