What is Arya Samaj

There have been many Spiritual Gurus in the last century who have founded a new sect or belief system. However, Arya Samaj does not behave like a religion, cult, or sect. It is not a new sect or belief system. There is no founder who needs to be worshipped. There is no samadhi, temple, or idol. Besides, it challenges many rituals and practices commonly practised in the name of religion. Hence, it has given rise to many misconceptions about the Arya Samaj.

Many suspect the Arya Samaj to be a group of non-believers because people following Arya Samaj do not visit temples to worship. Neither do they worship idols, nor do they consider Ram-Krishna as avataars of God and worship them.

In this chapter, we explain the primary principles of Arya Samaj. They are also the primary principles of Vedic or the Sanatana Dharma. Arya Samaj only follows this Dharma. Whatever is in line with teachings of Vedas, is acceptable and whatever contradicts Vedas is not acceptable. This is the primary principle being followed by Arya Samaj.

Arya Samaj is not a sect or cult, unlike others which have mushroomed in last century, glorifying a Guru or founder. Arya Samaj does not approve the worshipping of its founder Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati. Arya Samaj does not believe in idols which may be worshipped. In fact it challenges the existing practices of Hinduism as well as the newly born cults. No one wants to be criticised, hence there is a tendency of many people to reject Arya Samaj. Rejection saves them from entering into a debate about the reality of their own orthodox practices.

In this chapter we explain - What does Arya samaj believe! These beliefs are the original beliefs of Sanatan dharma, as these are based on the Vedas-the most ancient and true guiding scriptures of the world.

Arya Samaj

Arya Samaj has been a vigorous multi-dimensional reform movement in Indian society that was founded in 1875, by Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati. His clarion call, 'Go back to the Vedas' created consciousness among the people for liberation of the Hindu and Indian society. Swamiji rejected idol worship, ritualism, sacrifice and polytheism. He based his doctrines on the four Vedas as the eternal word of God. He rejected Puranas and other books written in the name of scriptures that were inconsistent with Vedas. Arya Samaj encouraged Indian knowledge systems but did not look down upon the knowledge of the West. In the second half of the 19th century, Arya Samaj laid the foundation of National Unity and the struggle for Freedom. Thus, Arya Samaj is a social-cultural-national and religious movement 

Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati addressed all the citizens of Aryavarta as Aryans, as is explained in Chap. 11 of his book, Satyartha Prakash.

He reminded us of the Vedic Proclamation "Krinvanto Vishvamaryam" which means let us make the entire world noble. It is not a call to conquer the world by a specific race, but a declaration to imbibe noble qualities among all. Thus the definition of "Arya" as well as the invitation to become an "Arya" is Universal. Anyone who imbibes noble or good qualities, irrespective of which culture, nationality or faith he may belong to, can be called an "Arya".

Thus, Arya Samaj means a society or congregation of Noble People. They strive to improve their own lives and also help others do the same.

Who is an "Arya"?

The word Arya denotes 'a noble person'. In ancient times, India was called Aryavarta, a land inhabited by noble people in their character, thoughts and deeds. It was never meant to be a race or 'nobility' by class.

In ancient times, we also find people, including kings such as Shri Ramachandra and Shri Krishna, being addressed as 'Arya' or 'Arya- Putra' (son of an Aryan). This did not refer to a race but reminded them that they need to uphold the virtues that are expected of an 'Arya.'

In modern context, Swami Dayanand Saraswati defined an 'Arya' by specifying ten golden rules for him. A collective body of such people is called Arya Samaj. The Ten Golden Rules are the guiding principles of Arya Samaj. Swami Dayanand never meant the word 'Arya' is confined only to a person who follows Arya Samaj. Arya continues to relate, what it always meant, for a person who is noble in one's character, thoughts and deeds.

Aryan Invasion Theory-a Myth

The slavery for about centuries, first under Mughals and then under the British rulers, had a dampening impact on Indian mindset regarding Indian culture and civilisation. The rulers with vested interests had created lies and fictitious stories and added them to our scriptures and history books. Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati and his followers saw through the plot and showed us the path to undiluted scriptures and history. These undiluted or original scriptures were called Aarsh Granth.

Of among many such corrupted insertions in our history books is the lie that "Aryans" were not the original inhabitants of Bharat. They belonged to a race that originated from Iran and Central Asia. This was deliberately done by the British and other historians of Europe. They developed a false propaganda by adding that the original inhabitants of Bharat were Dravidians and Bhils, who were displaced by the invading armies of Aryans. This misrepresentation in history helped them in multiple ways:

According to the British, India was ruled by invaders called Aryans for many millennia. They were followed by Mongols, Turks, Afghans and Mughals. Hence, India has been ruled by outsiders for a very long time. This in turn, justified the British rule over India.

Creating a divide between Northern and Southern India. Acceptance of Aryan Invasion Theory meant people in South India were the original inhabitants of the country. The rest were invaders who looted, plundered and displaced them. The British' policy of Divide and Rule is well known. The Aryan Invasion Theory is one more ploy to divide the country, this time on racist lines.

Swami Dayanand Saraswati opposed this by citing historical facts and proofs.

This shrishti (universe) is calculated to be approximately 2 billion years old. Swami Dayanand established that humanity began on this earth from a place called Trivishtap, which is today's Tibet. In the beginning, there was only one human race. Humanity was recognized by virtues and vices. People who were virtuous were addressed as Aryans or devas, whereas people with vices were called dasyus (dacoits or asuras). Both were at conflict with each other. Similar strifes and conflicts exist even today.

Aryans lived in the Indian subcontinent and established their dominance here. Hence, this subcontinent was known as Aryavarta  

Aryans were the original inhabitants of this region. Prior to Aryavarta, there was no name for this geographical region on earth and there were no occupants either.

No historical book, prior to the British, records Aryans to be the natives of Iran or Central Asia. People of Aryavarta descended from Brahma. Brahma's son was Virat, Virat's son was Manu; Manu's son was Mareech. They were followed by seven kings and their offsprings. In this lineage came kings whose names were Icchvaku, Raghu, Ramchandra. Thereafter came the Mahabharata period of Kauravas and Pandavas. Swami Dayanand listed generations beginning from Maharaj Yudhishthir during the period of the Mahabharata till Maharaj Yashpal, covering a time span of 4,157 years. He mentioned that the Aryans were the only occupants of this part of the earth until Samvat 1248 or 1191 CE. Thereafter, foreign invaders started attacking India. Eventually, they replaced the rule of Aryans over the country.

Conduct of an "Arya"

As per the practices of Arya Samaj, cleanliness in a person's life & conduct is more important over religious deed. Arya Samaj gives priority to a person's conduct in his/her life. Hence, the rules stipulated for becoming a managing committee member or office-bearer in an Arya Samaj are as follows:-

Desist from involvement in any immoral activity.

Avoid consumption of any kind of stimulant like tobacco, alcohol or drugs.

Remain faithful to one's spouse.

Avoid non-vegetarian food.

There are Ten Principles of conduct for an Arya Samaji. These are universal in nature. It is not necessary that one who wants to become a member of Arya Samaj should possess these qualities. On the contrary, if one finds these principles to be logical and resonating with one's own way of life, he or she can choose to follow them. Such people improve their personal and public life and eventually can become an Arya. People who agree to adopt these principles in their life can enlist themselves as members of Arya Samaj.

The Ten Principles of Arya Samaj

1. God is the efficient cause of all true knowledge and all that is known through knowledge.

2. God is existent, intelligent and blissful. He is formless, omniscient, just, merciful, unborn, endless, unchangeable, beginning-less, unequaled, the support of all, the master of all, omnipresent, immanent, un-aging, immortal, fearless, eternal and holy, and the Creator of all. He alone is worthy of being worshiped.

3. The Vedas are the scriptures of all true knowledge. It is the paramount duty of all Aryans to read them, teach them, recite them and to hear them being read.

4. One should always be ready to accept truth and to renounce untruth.

5. All acts should be performed in accordance with Dharma that is, after deliberating what is right and wrong.

6. The prime object of the Arya Samaj is to do good to the world, that is, to promote physical, spiritual and social good of everyone.

7. Our conduct towards all should be guided by love, righteousness and justice.

8. We should dispel Avidya (ignorance) and promote Vidya (knowledge).

9. No one should be content with promoting his/her good only; on the contrary, one should consider one's own good to be implicit in promoting the good of all.

10.  One should regard oneself bound to follow the rules of society to promote the wellbeing of all. However, one is independent to set and follow one's own rules and norms where others are not impacted.

While the above are generic norms to be followed, the scriptures lay out in much more detail how an "Arya" improves his thoughts, actions and deeds to realize one's higher self. It is a continuous journey of self-improvement based on the knowledge laid down by our Rishis.

Accepting "Truth" & rejecting "Blind-faith"

Swami Dayanand laid out ten Principles of Arya Samaj. In the fourth principle, he stated that 'one should always be ready to embrace truth and renounce untruth.' This is the core belief of Arya Samaj.

We see many socio-religious practices around us that are detrimental, yet people follow them blindly because they have been followed for a long time. They get justified in the name of tradition or belief. They cannot be questioned. In many cases, the so-called religious leaders or books prescribe those practices. Anyone in the community not following them is ostracised. In few cases, they even extend to preaching, in the name of their God, killing all those who are non- believers of their sect. The followers of these practices are led by fear and blind belief, and people are not willing to question them.

Arya Samaj invites people to question the illogical practices and to arrive at truth. What is not truth should be discarded as blind faith. We should always be ready to accept the truth and discard blind faith. Truth is the one which is Universal, Eternal, benefits all, Sustainable, adheres to the Principles of fairness and natural justice to all living beings (not just any particular community or human beings). Swami Dayanand, through his book Satyartha Prakash, analysed various beliefs and their negative effects prevailing during his time.

Arya Samaj advocates all to accept truth and discard untruth. This requires one to have the ability to understand different viewpoints, carefully think through the merits and demerits of each point, discuss, evaluate and finally decide to adopt a particular view point.

Arya Samaj-Rediscovery vs An Invention

Discovery involves identifying something existing for the first time, previously undiscovered by anyone, as exemplified by Christopher Columbus' exploration of America. On the other hand, invention entails the creation of something entirely novel through one's own concepts and advancements.

With this definition and example, we can delve into the nature of Arya Samaj. Established by Swami Dayanand Saraswati in 1875, the founder embarked on a journey in pursuit of the Truth of God. During his travels, spanning almost 2 decades, he engaged with diverse individuals, studied various religious texts, and meticulously analysed them. In his quest to comprehend ancient scriptures, he mastered Sanskrit, paving the way for an in-depth study of four Vedas.

Witnessing societal issues such as Sati, child marriage, discrimination against women, and atrocities linked to the caste system, Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati felt compelled to apply his knowledge to reform the society. His vision was to establish a community of noble (Arya) individuals, and to achieve this, he outlined the qualities of nobility. He envisioned that a large community of people already practice or would adopt the qualities of an Arya (Noble). Thus, he named this community of noble people 'Arya Samaj.' Importantly, this concept was inclusive, welcoming individuals of all castes, creeds, and nationalities to become Arya. He introduced a universal notion of nobility for the world.

Arya Samaj emerged as a Hindu monotheistic socio-religious movement, advocating practices and principles rooted in the authority of the Vedas. Its primary objective was to rejuvenate the true essence of Hinduism among the masses, emphasising two fundamental tenets-Monotheism and the Infallible authority of the Vedas. Arya Samaj played and continues to play a pivotal role in effecting transformative changes across educational, spiritual, religious, and social spheres.

Functioning as a catalyst for change, Arya Samaj challenged entrenched social norms and stood for the empowerment of individuals through self-improvement and education. The movement not only sought to revive the authentic principles of Hinduism but also actively contributed to relaying the foundation of an enlightened and progressive society. This stood out in stark contrast to the conditions of the society after a millennium of subjugation during the Mughal and British rule.

Arya Samaj distinguished itself as the first ever reform movement that engaged in proselytization (Shuddhi). The followers of Arya Samaj adhered to the belief in the profound supremacy of God and strongly opposed idol worship. Central to the tenets of Arya Samaj was the conviction that Vedas served as the ultimate source of knowledge, emphasising that every Hindu should actively read and recite Vedas. This commitment to disseminating Vedic wisdom and discouraging idolatry marked key aspects of Arya Samaj's theological and reformist principles.

Indeed, Swami Dayanand's foundation of Arya Samaj is rooted in a meticulous research of Vedas and other religious texts. Given that his work involves a deep exploration and understanding of Vedic scriptures, Arya Samaj is a movement to rediscover what always existed, and not an invention of any new philosophy or thinking.

Thus, neither does Arya Samaj nor its Founder, unlike many other Gurus, take any credit for the philosophy. Indeed, to the contrary, it acknowledges the work done by our ancient Rishis. Arya Samaj only acts as a channel to go back to their teachings.

Sanatana Dharma = Vedic Dharma

The word 'sanatan' means "that which has always existed". By definition, "sanatan" has stood the test of time and represents beliefs that remain core to various aspects of our life. Sanatan Dharma refers to the Vedic Dharma because it is the only Dharma and dates to the beginning of human beings, millions of years ago. All others so called "Religions" are belief systems that have been invented by human beings within the last 2500 years. They cannot ever be called Sanatan.

The present form of Hinduism, while adopting many practices from the Vedic dharma, has also been delineated from the original base of the Vedas. Many practices came into existence that are contrary to what has been written in the Vedas. Over time, these beliefs and practices have been collectively been labeled as "Hindu" Dharma. However, the term "Hindu" itself does not find any mention in any scripture.

Arya Samaj led the reform movement for the entire humanity. A large proportion of its followers were previously following Hindu beliefs. In response, the proclaimed Hindu Gurus began referring to Hinduism as Sanatan, because it pre-existed any of the reforms. The limitations of the Hindu Dharma, rubbed off, in common perception, on the Sanatan Dharma. This explains why a section of the society feels alienated from Sanatan Dharma.

However, to put things in perspective, Arya Samaj stands for going back to the Vedic Dharma which has existed right since the beginning of humanity. Hence, the original "Sanatan" is the Vedic Dharma. The common Hindu practices we see today in many places originated from the so-called scriptures called "Puranas". Hence, it can also sometimes be referred to as Puranic Dharma.

Even the proclaimed Gurus of Hinduism would acknowledge Vedic knowledge as the beginning of all the religious beliefs of Hinduism. Hence, true Sanatan Dharma is the Vedic Dharma. It is universal and does not belong to any race, caste, creed or nationality. Even though the cradle of this Dharma was Aryavarta, it is meant for the entire Universe.

Arya Samaj also believes that Vedic dharma is Sanatan Dharma in its true sense, as it is based on the eternal truth of the Vedas. However while understanding and applying the Vedic or Sanatan Dharma, the emphasis is on understanding the underlying meaning and rationale. It does not propose "blind-faith" of anything. Instead it encourages genuine inquisitiveness with respect of that which has been followed universally over a very long period of time by our ancestors.

Arya Samaj presents a window of opportunity to rediscover the Vedic or Sanatan Dharma.

You too can be an "Arya"

In ancient times, people used to address each other as "Arya". As mentioned earlier in this book, this was not only seen as a respectful salutation, but also reminded one to imbibe and practise noble qualities in life.

The Vedic varna(caste) system as prescribed by our Rishis is the basis of the occupation one chooses. It is based on meritocracy. However, among many, one degenerative practice adopted later by society created a birth-based caste system. Caste became an identity for people, and it was added as a surname. Upper caste became a privilege and lower caste a bane to people. People enjoyed or suffered from the caste they got from birth. This practice was inherently unjust and divided the society deeply. Eventually, it became a primary reason for the downfall of Indian Society and the Nation.

In the early twentieth century, Arya Samaj began a movement to address this fundamental malaise of Indian society. Arya Samaj leaders encouraged people to replace the caste-based identities in their names with the word "Arya". Tens of thousands of people adopted this for the cause of National Unity. They cut across castes and geographical boundaries. It not only overlayed caste identities, but also reminded us about our glorious past. Thus, people carrying the surname "Arya" are visible in all communities and states across India. They are also found in other countries.

Even today, the adoption of Surname "Arya" is open to everyone. It is not a surname by birth. Thus, if one identifies himself/herself with the noble virtues within, one can adopt the surname "Arya". If one believes in Ten Principles of Arya Samaj, one becomes an Arya. There is no requirement of an oral pledge or a written commitment. An Arya should try to adopt these Principles in their life.

Indian Law has specified the process of change in name or surname. Yet, if one needs any support, can reach out to Arya Samaj.

Beyond name change, if a person wants to get associated with Arya Samaj, he/she is welcome to become a member of Arya Samaj in their vicinity. One can enjoy the following benefits by doing so.

In Arya Samaj centres, there is a weekly Satsang or congregation of like-minded people. Havan (also called Deva Yagya) is conducted in every Satsang, followed by bhajans or spiritual songs. There are also discourses wherein scholars and Arya Samaj members present the Vedic point of view on any contemporary topic. The audience can ask queries and clear their doubts in spiritual or other related matters, either during the Satsang or immediately after.

You are encouraged to learn performing Havan in Arya Samaj. Thereafter, you can perform havan at home with family members and friends. You will also be assisted in performing all 16 Sanskaars of life with the help of a Pandit/ Purohit who is attached to Arya Samaj centre. Thus, you can uplift yourself spiritually.

Arya Samaj conducts many activities like celebration of festivals in the Vedic way, organising special events/ lectures on socio- spiritual subjects and conducting camps for all sections of the society so that they can understand the Vedic Way of life. It also has facilities like access to a library. You will be invited to participate in these activities and become a part of the community.

Thus, the invitation to become an "Arya" and to become a member of Arya Samaj is open to all, without any favour or discrimination.