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Revision as of 23:26, 27 February 2006
Arya Samaj (Aryan Society or Society of Nobles) is a Hindu reform movement in India that was founded by Swami Dayananda in 1875. He was a sannyasin (renouncer) who believed in the infallible authority of the Vedas. Dayananda advocated the doctrine of karma and reincarnation, and emphasised the ideals of brahmacharya (chastity) and sanyasa (renunciation).
Doctrines
The doctrines of the Samaj are summed up in Ten Principles:
- God is the primary cause of all true science and of all that can be known through it.
- God is Existent, Intelligent and Blissful. He is Formless, Almighty, Just, Merciful, Unborn, Infinite, Unchallengeable, Beginningless, Incomparable, the Support and Lord of all, Omniscient, Imperishable, Immortal, Fearless, Eternal, Holy and the Maker of the universe. To Him alone worship is due.
- The Vedas are scriptures of true knowledge. It is the duty of all Aryas to read them, hear them being read and recite them to others.
- All persons should be ready to accept the truth and give up untruth.
- All action should be performed in conformity with Dharma, that is, after due consideration of the right and wrong.
- The primary aim of the Arya Samaj is to do good for all, that is, promote physical, spiritual and social well-being.
- All people should be treated with love, fairness and due regard for their merit.
- One should aim at dispelling ignorance and promoting knowledge.
- One should not only be content with one's own welfare, but should look for it in the welfare for others also.
- One should regard oneself under restriction to follow altruistic rulings of society, while all should be free in following the rules of individual welfare.
Dayananda claimed to be rejecting all non-Vedic beliefs altogether. Hence the Arya Samaj unequivocally condemned iconolatry, animal sacrifices, ancestor worship, pilgrimages, priestcraft, offerings made in temples, the caste system, untouchability and child marriages, on the grounds that all these lacked Vedic sanction. It aimed to be a universal church based on the authority of the Vedas. Dayananda stated that he wanted ‘to make the whole world Aryan’. That is, he wanted to develop a missionary Hinduism based on the universality of the Vedas.
To this end the Arya Samaj set up schools and missionary organisations, extending its activities outside India. It now has branches around the world. It has a disproportional amount of adherents among people of Indian ancestry in Suriname and the Netherlands, in comparison with India.
Arya Samaj is a global organisation having about 8000 and odd Arya Samaj units popularly known as Arya Samaj Temples but not in the orthodoxical appearance. They are rather the conrtolling offices of the philanthropic activities undertaken by the team in the society. The apex body of Arya Samaj ie. SARVADESHIK ARYA PRATINIDHI SABHA is based at Delhi.CaptDev Ratan Arya is the President and Shri Vimal Wadhawan Arya is the Secretary of the SAPS.
The latest founded Arya Samaj is at Pondicherry. SAPS has started an orphanage known as Jeewan Prabhat Vedhapuri at Pondicherry. The ancient name of Pondicherry is Vedhapuri.
See also
Aryasamaj website in Hindi and English at http://www.aryasamaj.org
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