Socio-Religious Movements within Hinduism: Arya Samaj

The Arya Samaj is an Indian Hindu reform movement that promotes values and practices based on the infallibility of the Vedas. The samaj was founded by Dayananda Saraswati, a sannyasi, on 7 April 1875.

Swami Dayanand Saraswati

Swami Dayananda Saraswati, the founder of the Arya Samaj, was one of the makers of modern India. With an indigenous orientation, he wanted to bring a new social, religious, economic and political order in India. Taking inspiration from Veda, he criticized evil practices like idolatry, caste system, untouchability etc., as prevailed in the Indian society. Swami Dayananda Saraswati, known as Mulshankar in childhood, was born in 1824 in the small town of Tankara, belonging to Kathiawar of Gujarat, in a conservative Brahmin family. Taking early education from his family, he subsequently emerged as a great Vedic scholar. He renunciate the worldly life and moved from one part of India to another in the pursuit of wisdom and truth. Finally, he met Swami Vrajanand at Mathura and became his disciple. After completing his education, he went on with the mission of spreading true Hindu religion and culture all over India. With this purpose, he established the Arya Samaj in Bombay on 10th April 1875. A number of twenty-eight rules were framed, which were approved by the members present in the meeting. As a writer of eminence, Dayananda wrote books like ‘Satyarth Prakash, Vedanga Prakash, Ratnamala’ Sankarvidhi’, Bharatinivarna’ etc. He traveled throughout the country to propagate his views and established branches of Arya Samaj in different places.

Principles of Arya Samaj:

1. Acceptance of the Vedas as the only source of truth.
2. Opposition to idol worship.
3. Opposition to the theory of God-incarnation and religious pilgrimages.
4. Recitation of the mantras of the Vedas and performance of Havan’ and Yajna’.
5. Faith in female education.
6. Opposition to child marriage and polygamy.

Religious Reforms

Swami Dayananda, through the Arya Samaj, tried to reform the Hindu society and religion. On the basis of the above-mentioned principles, the Arya Samaj emphasized the liberation of the Hindu society. Dayananda claimed that only the Vedas were the repositories of true knowledge, and only Hinduism was the religion of the Vedas. The principles of economics, politics, social sciences, and humanities can be found in the Vedas. His clarion call Go Back to the Vedas created consciousness among the people. He rejected other scriptures and Puranas’. He strongly opposed idol worship, ritualism, the practice of animal sacrifice, the concept of polytheism, the idea of heaven and hell and fatalism.

The Arya Samaj simplified Hinduism and made Hindus conscious of their glorious heritage and the superior value of Vedic knowledge. The Hindus should not look towards Christianity, Islam or Western culture for guidance.

Emphasizing the superiority of Hinduism, the Arya Samaj could challenge the Islamic and Christian propaganda against it. Dayananda started Shuddhi Movement as a process of converting the people of other religions to Hinduism and also to reconvert those who have changed from Hinduism to other religions. This movement prevented low-caste Hindus from converting to Christianity or Islam. The Shuddhi Movement challenged the Christian missionaries who tried to convert the uneducated, poor and depressed classes of the Hindus.

Social Reforms

The Arya Samaj rendered valuable services to Hindu society by opposing various social evils. He opposed the caste system and the superiority of the Brahmins in society. He also challenged the Brahmins’ monopoly on reading the Vedas and supported the right of every individual, irrespective of caste, creed and color, to study the Vedas. Dayananda also opposed the practice of untouchability.

He protested against injustice to women and worked for the education of the females. He vehemently opposed child marriages, polygamy, Purdah and the practice of Sati etc. Citing the teachings of the Vedas, he proved that women should have equal rights with men. The members of the Arya Samaj practiced inter-caste marriages and interdining.

The Arya Samaj established a number of educational institutions like Gurukuls, Kanya Gurukuls, D.A.V. Schools and Colleges for the education of both males and females. These educational institutions protected the Hindu religion and society, promoting knowledge and education growth in the modern scientific line.

Evaluation

Though Arya Samaj had not actively participated in politics, it indirectly helped in the promotion of national consciousness. Dayananda was the first to advocate Swadeshi to discard foreign goods. By recognizing Hindi as the national language, he promoted the growth of an all-India national spirit.

He also used the term Swaraj’ to be established on the Vedic principles before any Indian national leader thought of it. The Arya Samaj thus became a fanatic supporter of Hinduism and became an organ of militant Hinduism. Because of such militancy, subsequently, the growth of extremism within the fold of the All-India National Congress became possible.

The Arya Samaj played a significant role in bringing about socio-religious changes in pre-independent India. Though Dayananda was criticized as a conservative and sectarian activist who claimed the superiority of Hinduism over and above all other religions, he was one of the makers of modern India.

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