Sanātana-dharma means when one understands his real position, his real posi . . . that is self-realization. Or, in other words, Kṛṣṇa is sanātana. If you engage yourself in the service of Kṛṣṇa, then, by practicing the sanātana-dharma, you are transferred to the sanātana place, Vaikuṇṭha. That is sanātana-dharma. Dharma means characteristic.
So what is our characteristic, I was going to explain: That we are now serving our senses. This is our material characteristic. Material characteristic because originally I am servant. I am not master. But I have given up service of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare (Prema-vivarta). "Why shall I become servant? I shall become Kṛṣṇa."
All right, you become Kṛṣṇa. You become enjoyer. That is material world. Everyone is trying to become Kṛṣṇa, enjoyer. So there is fight, always. You are becoming . . . trying to becoming Kṛṣṇa, I am trying to become Kṛṣṇa, as there are so many incarnation of God nowadays—every lane, every street. So we are all imitation Kṛṣṇa, and there is fight. That is asanātana-dharma. That is not sanātana.
Therefore the brāhmin says, kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśāḥ: "My dear Lord, I tried to become master, but I have become servant of my senses—kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, mātsarya, ityādi. Now I see that I have served so long, but my so-called master, they are not satisfied." Everyone knows. Even up to the end of life, one tries to become master. But that is not possible, because he's not master.
So when one is wise, he sees that, "I am actually not master. I am serving others, but I am thinking I am master. Just like in my family, I am thinking that I am the head of the family, I am the master of the family, but actually, to satisfy my family members, I have to work hard day and night. So I have become their servant, but I am thinking I am master." This is called illusion.
So when one comes to the senses that he cannot be master at any stage of his life, then he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). "Oh, Vāsudeva is the real master. And my nature is to serve Him." Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ.
He's first-class mahātmā, not the mahātmā who is thinking himself that he has become Nārāyaṇa and begging door to door. And Nārāyaṇa is meant for begging? Nārāyaṇa is the master of Lakṣmī, goddess of fortune. But they have manufactured a word—daridra-nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa has become daridra. Just foolishness, see.
Nārāyaṇa, He's the master of goddess of . . . not only one goddess of fortune, lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam aham . . . (Bs. 5.29), hundreds of thousands of Lakṣmīs. Just like Kṛṣṇa, when He was present, He had 16,108 Lakṣmīs in Dvārakā. That is Nārāyaṇa. And each Lakṣmī was given big palatial building made of marble and bedecked with jewels. So there was no need of light. Such nice marble palaces. And each queen was given ten children, and it is not that that sixteen thousand queens were crying and Kṛṣṇa is only with one queen. No. He expanded Himself into sixteen thousand forms, and He was living with each queen. That is Nārāyaṇa.