Acharya Prashant explains that the topic of Sanatan Dharma and Vedanta is of utmost importance. He begins by classifying all that is into three categories: the timeless (Nitya), which is the Truth; the eternal (Shashwat), which is the mind's constant search; and the time-bound (Kalbadh), which includes the transactional (Vyavaharik), the apparent (Pratibhasik), and the illusory (Mayavi) contents of the mind. He clarifies that 'Sanatan' refers to the timeless, that which is beyond time, not merely something that remains unchanged within time. Only the Truth is truly Sanatan. Everything the mind can conceive of, including thoughts, concepts, and imagination, exists within the realm of time. The mind itself is in a constant state of flux, eternally seeking something beyond itself. This eternal search is its 'Shashwat' nature. The mind seeks because nothing in the world can bring it lasting contentment or rest. Dharma, he states, is knowing who you are and therefore how to live. Sanatan Dharma, then, is the singular responsibility to seek that which is beyond oneself. It is the path to move towards the timeless (Sanatan) because there is no peace to be found within the self. This path involves constantly moving towards that which will take you beyond yourself. We are always seeking something, but often unconsciously and in a thousand different ways. The first step in the dharmic process is to recognize that we are always asking for one thing: peace, which is found only in the Truth. Acharya Prashant asserts that Sanatan Dharma is de facto Vedanta itself. The journey through the Vedic literature, which starts with rituals (Karmakand) and practices (Anushthan), culminates in the Upanishads (Vedanta). By the time one reaches the Upanishads, all prescribed actions, rituals, and beliefs are discarded. What remains is a pure, relentless investigation by the mind into the Truth. Vedanta is concerned only with the mind and the Truth, dismissing everything else as trivial. Therefore, one cannot be a follower of Sanatan Dharma (Sanatani) without being a follower of Vedanta (Vedanti). Any religion that asks you to believe in time-bound concepts or follow specific traditions cannot be Sanatan Dharma, as these are all constructs of the mind.