Khattar credits Arya Samaj for playing significant role in rejuvenation of Hindu society

[ajay0]

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar stated that the ideology of Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati and the Arya Samaj played a significant role in rejuvenation of Hindu society and India's independence from colonial rule.

Ideology of Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati played significant role in India's independence: Khattar

"The ideology of Arya Samaj inspired innumerable people for freedom and led the country to independence,” he said.

www.outlookindia.com

"The ideology of Arya Samaj inspired innumerable people for freedom and led the country to independence,” he said.

Khattar was addressing a programme organised on the 200th birth anniversary celebrations of Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati in Rohtak's Maharshi Dayanand University, according to an official release.

Paying tribute to the Arya Samaj founder, the chief minister said following the path shown by Maharishi Dayanand and working for the strength of the nation would be a true tribute to him.

"That is why every person should try to eliminate social evils like casteism and untouchability and make continuous efforts to take children forward by giving them education,” he said.

Maharshi Dayanand was the main architect of the revolution of 1857 and influenced by his nationalist ideology, many patriots like Ram Prasad Bismil and Bhagat Singh joined the Arya Samaj and later worked for the independence of the country by furthering his ideology, said Khattar.

"Following the guidance shown by Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati, the state government is also working on the principle of 'sabka saath, sabka vikas', so that every needy person can progress,” the chief minister said.

The Arya Samaj is a monotheist Hindu sect founded by Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati and played a major role in reformation of Hindu society by discarding superstitious practices like casteism, untouchability, sati, child marriages and animal sacrifices. They emphasized the equality and fraternity of all human beings, as well as gender equality.

Former Indian president Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, on Shivratri day, 24 February 1964, wrote about Dayananda:

"Swami Dayananda ranked highest among the makers of modern India. He had worked tirelessly for the political, religious and cultural emancipation of the country. He was guided by reason, taking Hinduism back to the Vedic foundations. He had tried to reform society with a clean sweep, which was again needed today. Some of the reforms introduced in the Indian Constitution had been inspired by his teachings."

 

[mangalavara]

This is a good article. Thanks for finding and sharing it.

Does Arya Samaj practice the varnashrama system?

 

[ajay0]

This is a good article. Thanks for finding and sharing it.

Does Arya Samaj practice the varnashrama system?

He sought merit based varna and a meritocratic society , and this is in tune with the Vedas and Shrutis.

He rejected the caste system and related practices as a man-made system and smriti which has no basis in the Vedas.

 

[mangalavara]

He sought merit based varna and a meritocratic society , and this is in tune with the Vedas and Shrutis.

I agree that it is in tune with the Vedas.

I recall reading a comment somewhere on Beliefnet many years ago that Dayanand Saraswati taught people to recite the Gayatri mantra even if they are uninitiated. Is reciting Vedic mantras permitted to people who are uninitiated according to Dayanandaji?

 

[ajay0]

I agree that it is in tune with the Vedas.

I recall reading a comment somewhere on Beliefnet many years ago that Dayanand Saraswati taught people to recite the Gayatri mantra even if they are uninitiated. Is reciting Vedic mantras permitted to people who are uninitiated according to Dayanandaji?

I don't have much information on this.

Dayanandaji's stance is that the Vedas belong to whole of humanity and anyone can learn them provided they are reverent and diligent. He may have stressed proper pronounciation of the mantras though so that the proper effects are created. A reverent and loving attitude is also important during the mantra chanting.

It is said that reciting mantras have the ability to create a mantra kavach - an intangible armor of positive energies around oneself.

Delhi Arya Pratinidhi Sabha

delhisabha.org

 

[mangalavara]

Dayanandaji's stance is that the Vedas belong to whole of humanity and anyone can learn them provided they are reverent and diligent. He may have stressed proper pronounciation of the mantras though so that the proper effects are created. A reverent and loving attitude is also important during the mantra chanting.

It is said that reciting mantras have the ability to create a mantra kavach - an intangible armor of positive energies around oneself.

This is good to read. Thank you for the link as well. I will have to look at the e-books on the Arya Samaj official website soon.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Arya Samaj is a fork of but not Hinduism. In time they may separate from Hinduism. They are nominal Hindus and reslly hate Hinduism. They do not worship the way majority of Hindus do (their way is 'yajna'), they don't worship the Hindu Gods and Goddesses, they consider idol worship as wrong. Dayananda came up with a very contorted and false translation of Vedas, probably the worst in the world. Arya Samaj knows nothing about real meaning of Vedas. Dayananda divided the Hindu society.

Arya Samaj is popular in North West India. Khattar may be from Arya Samaj. Then he is a politician and would want votes from Arya Samaj. No wonder, if he praises Arya Samaj.

 

[ajay0]

Due to Swami Dayananda Saraswati and Arya Samaj's opposition to many superstitious practices in Hinduism like casteism, untouchability, sati or widow burning, gender inequality and animal sacrifices, there has been a lot of opposition to Arya Samaj from the orthodox sections of Hinduism and there has been a lingering smear campaign against him.

I have no doubt that if it weren't for Raja Ram Mohan Roy's Brahmo Samaj and Swami Dayananda Saraswati's Arya Samaj, the Hindu renaissance and rejuvenation of Hindu society in the nineteenth century would not have happened, and India still would have been a heavily divided society under foreign colonial rule even now. It is also possible that Hinduism would have become a minority religion in India as many of the lower castes and dalits had extensively converted to other religions back then to escape casteist discrimination.

Swami Dayananda Saraswati gave great importance to equality and fraternity of all human beings, and simplified the expensive rituals back then, and emphasized investment instead in education and industry, and cultivation of rational temperament and a good value system.

It is worth noting that Dhirubhai Ambani, who rose from poverty to prosperity through intelligence and good work ethics, and was India's richest man for decades was a firm believer in the Arya Samaj, and its teachings.

“I am not a believer in religious rituals. I was brought up in the Arya Samaj environment which taught us to shun rituals. Puja, of course, but simple, elegant and brief.”— Dhirubhai Ambani​

Sree Narayan Guru, a Hindu enlightened sage, had also taught teachings similar to that of Arya Samaj and Brahmo Samaj which lead to rejuvenation of Hindu society in south India. He discouraged expensive rituals and simplified them, and like Dayanandaji similarly emphasized investment in education and industry. This enabled many Hindu families to rise from poverty and illiteracy to prosperity and high literacy levels.

Similarly, Sree Narayan Guru had also emphasized the equality and fraternity of all human beings, and this brought a check on conversions, ended casteist discrimination to a large extent, and created an organised and united Hindu society focused on reformation. This also greatly aided the freedom struggle back then and unified the highly divisive Hindu society, divided by boundaries of caste and creed.