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ARYA SAMAJ

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Originally appearing in Volume V02, Page 713 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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ARYA SAMAJ , a See also:

Hindu religious association with reforming tendencies, which was founded by a Gazerati See also:Brahman named Dayanand Saraswati. This See also:man was See also:born of a Saivite See also:family about 1825, but in See also:early manhood See also:grew dissatisfied with idol-See also:worship. He undertook many pilgrimages and studied the Vedic See also:philosophy in the See also:hope of solving the old problem of the See also:Buddha, —how to alleviate human misery and attain final liberation. About 1866, when he had begun to See also:teach and to gather disciples, he first saw the See also:Christian scriptures, which he vehemently assailed, and the Rig Veda, which he correspondingly exalted, though in the conception which he ultimately formed of See also:God the former was much more influential than the latter. Dayanand's treatment of the Vedas was See also:peculiar, and consisted of See also:reading into them his own beliefs and See also:modern scientific discoveries. Thus he explains the Yajna (sacrificial cult) as " the entertainment of the learned in proportion to their See also:worth, the business of manufacture, the experiment and application of See also:chemistry, physics and the arts of See also:peace; the instruction of the See also:people, the See also:purification of the See also:air, the nourishment of vegetables by the employment of the principles of See also:meteorology, called See also:Agni-Notri in See also:Sanskrit." He denied that the Vedas warranted the See also:caste See also:system, but wished to retain the four grades as orders of learning to which See also:admission should be won by examination. These views naturally met with scanty See also:acceptance among the Brahmans to whom he introduced them, and Dayanand turned to the masses and established Samajes in various parts of See also:India, the first being at Bombay in 1875. He See also:chose the epithet Arya as being more dignified than the slightly contemptuous See also:term Hindu. After a successful See also:series of See also:tours, during which he debated publicly with orthodox pundits and with Christian missionaries, he died at See also:Ajmere in 1883. The Arya Samaj is not an eclectic system like the Brahma Samaj, which strives to find the See also:common basis underlying all the See also:great religions, and its narrower See also:scope and corresponding intensity of conviction have won it a greater strength. It seemed to meet the feeling of many educated natives whose faith in current See also:Hinduism was undermined, but who were predisposed against any See also:foreign religious See also:influence. Their patriotic ardour gladly seized on "a view of the See also:original faith of India that seemed to harmonize with all the discoveries of modern See also:science and the See also:ethics of See also:European See also:civilization," and they cheerfully supported their See also:leader's See also:strange polemic with the agnostic and rationalist literature of See also:Europe.

By 1890 their See also:

numbers had increased to 40,000, by 1900 to over 92,000. Divisions had, however, set in, especially a cleavage into the Ghasi or vegetarian, and the Mansi or flesh-eating sections. To the latter belong those Rajputs who though generally in sympathy with the See also:movement declined to adhere to the tenet of the Samaj which forbade the destruction of See also:animal See also:life and the See also:consumption of animal See also:food. The See also:age of admission to the Samaj is eighteen, and members are expected to contribute to its funds at least 1 % of their income. The ten articles of their creed may be summarized thus: I. The source of all true knowledge is God. 2. God is " all truth, all knowledge, all See also:bliss, boundless, almighty, just, merciful, unbegotten, without a beginning, incomparable, the support and See also:Lord of all, all-pervading, omniscient, imperishable, immortal, eternal, See also:holy, and the cause of the universe; worship is due to him alone. 3. The See also:medium of true knowledge is the Vedas. 4. and 5. The truth is to be accepted and to become the guiding principle.

6. The See also:

object of the Samaj is to benefit the See also:world by improving its See also:physical, social, intellectual and moral conditions. 7. Love and See also:justice are the right guides of conduct. 8. Knowledge must be spread. 9. The See also:good of others must be sought. to. In See also:general interests members must subordinate themselves to the good of others; in See also:personal interests they should retain See also:independence. The See also:sixth clause comprehends a wide See also:programme of reform, including See also:abstinence from spirituous liquors and animal food, physical cleanliness and exercise, See also:marriage reform, the promotion of See also:female See also:education, the abolition of caste and of See also:idolatry.

End of Article: ARYA SAMAJ

Additional information and Comments

Arya samaj was founded by the one of the greatest gem of the mother earth -"Swami Dayanand Saraswati".This organisation gave new direction to the then independence movement of India.He started one of the greatest reforming movement.As per the Indian congress history, 80% of Indian freedom fighters (fighting with Britishers)were related with Aryasamaj.In his book "Light of truth" he explains that in every nook and corner there are so called selfmade gods who are exploiting the poors and women in the name of religion . After using so many soft ways when they dont under stand the truth then he wrote the book of logics and critics to give "stone hard truth" based on logics to improve the lifestyle of people,peace of mind and to remove the clutches of so called self made gods and myths based religions.To under stand Aryasamaj one has to read that book with an open and logical mind.contact nearest aryasamaj sites/temples for more details on TRUTH & REALITIES .Promise yourself that you will not take sides while reading "Satyarth parkash" The light of truth.It shows the way to live and let live.Let us make the whole world "aryans" means noble persons with self respect & who respects his/her country/values/culture and who values human life and who do karmas and help others with no self interest,Regards
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