Arya Samaj, Dayanada Saraswati and Theosophical Society | History Optional for UPSC (Notes) PDF Download

Dayanada Saraswati

Mulshanker (1824-83), known as Dayanand, was born into a Brahmin family in the old Morvi state of Gujarat. His father, a Vedic scholar and teacher, introduced young Mulshanker to Vedic literature, logic, philosophy, ethics.

Driven by a quest for truth, Dayanand delved into yoga, which necessitated leaving home. He spent fifteen years (1845-60) wandering India as an ascetic, studying Yoga. In 1875, he established the first Arya Samaj unit in Bombay, later setting the headquarters in Lahore. For the rest of his life, Dayanand traveled extensively across India to promote his ideas.

Dayanand aimed to unite India religiously, socially, nationally. He envisioned the Aryan religion as a universal faith, advocating for a classless and casteless society, an India free from foreign rule. He regarded the Vedas as India’s foundational texts and his motto was ‘Go back to the Vedas.’

• Dayanand emphasized the authority of the Vedas as the most authentic Indian religious texts, seeking to cleanse Hinduism of post-Vedic additions.
• He offered his own interpretations of the Vedas, rejecting the later Hindu scriptures like the Puranas, which he believed contributed to harmful practices such as idol worship and superstitions.

He denounced idol worship and advocated for the unity of Godhead. His views were articulated in his renowned work, Satyartha Prakash (The True Exposition).

• Dayanand launched a frontal attack on numerous abuses in Hindu religion.
• He challenged idolatry, polytheism, belief in magic.
• Dayanand rejected the popular Hindu philosophy of maya and the illusion of the physical world.
• He argued that God, soul, matter (prakriti) are distinct and eternal entities.
• Every individual must work out their own salvation according to eternal principles.
• Dayanand rejected monism and the belief in pre-determination.
• He asserted that human beings are not bound by fate and must take responsibility for their actions.
• He accepted the doctrine of karma but rejected the theory of niyati (destiny).
• Dayanand viewed the world as a battlefield for individual salvation through right deeds.
• He challenged the dominant position of the Brahmin priestly class in Hindu society.
• Dayanand ridiculed the priests' claim of acting as intermediaries between man and God.
• He asserted every Hindu's right to read and interpret the Vedas.
• He condemned the caste system based on birth.
• Dayanand subscribed to the Vedic notion of the four varna system based on occupation.
• He advocated for equal status between men and women.
• Dayanand pleaded for widow remarriage and condemned child marriages.
• His slogan of 'Back to the Vedas' called for the revival of Vedic learning and purity.
• He accepted modernity and displayed a patriotic attitude towards national problems.
• There was a Western Orientalist touch in his discourse projecting Hinduism as a 'religion of the book'.
• He appropriated Western intellectual discourse of reason and science against his adversaries.
• Dayanand claimed that the Vedas contained scientific truths superior to other religions.
• On the authority of the Vedas, he attacked idolatry and polytheism.
• He condemned ritualistic religion dominated by Brahman priests.
• Dayanand stood for widow remarriage, inter-caste marriages, female education.
• He denounced untouchability and repudiated the caste system.
• Despite this, he upheld the fourfold varna division of the Indian social organization.

Arya Samaj

• The Arya Samaj was founded by Swami Dayananda Saraswati in 1875 in Bombay. Its principles were revised in 1877 in Lahore.
• The movement was a response to Western influences, aiming to revive the ancient religion of the Aryans while rejecting Western ideas.
• The Ten Principles approved by Dayanand include:
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  • God is the source of all true knowledge.
  • God, as All-truth, All-knowledge, Almighty, Immortal, Creator of the universe, is the only worthy object of worship.
  • The Vedas are the books of true knowledge.
  • An Arya should always be ready to accept truth and abandon untruth.
  • All actions must conform to dharma, considering right and wrong.
  • The Samaj aims to promote the world’s material, spiritual, social well-being.
  • All persons should be treated with love and justice.
  • Ignorance should be dispelled, knowledge increased.
  • Individual progress depends on the uplift of all others.
  • Social well-being should be placed above individual well-being.
• The Arya Samaj has made significant contributions to social reform and the spread of education, basing its programs on the Vedas, tempered by rationalism and utilitarianism.
• Its social ideals include the Fatherhood of God, the brotherhood of man, gender equality, justice, charity.
• The D.A.V. institutions, established by the Samaj, exemplify its educational achievements, combining modern and classical Indian studies.
• The movement initially emerged from the Anglo Vedic School in Lahore, founded in 1886.
• In 1892, the Arya Samaj split into two factions:
  (i) One faction, led by Lala Hansraj, advocated a meat diet and liberal education.
  (ii) The other faction, under Munshi Ram(later known as Swami Sraddhananda), emphasized a return to traditional Vedic ideals.
• The latter faction founded the Gurukul Pathsala in 1902, where students lived under strict vows and guidance.
• The Arya Samaj instilled a sense of self-confidence and self-reliance in Hindus, countering beliefs in the superiority of the White Race and Western culture.
• While the Brahmo Samaj and the Theosophical Society appealed to the English-educated elite, Dayanand’s message resonated with the masses.
• The Arya Samaj took deep root in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, fostering a spirit of patriotism and producing prominent leaders like Lala Hans Raj, Pandit Guru Dutt, Lala Lajpat Rai.

Dayanand's Political Slogan and Legacy:

• Dayanand's political slogan was ‘India for the Indians’.
• His reformist approach faced resistance from orthodox Hindus and Brahmos but gained acceptance in Punjab and the North-Western Provinces.
• At the time of his death in 1883, Arya Samaj branches were widespread in these regions, the movement began to gain popularity and become more aggressive.
• After 1893, the moderates among Dayanand's disciples, who focused on education and community work, were sidelined. A militant group led by Pandit Guru Dutt and Pandit Lekh Ram initiated a militant campaign to preach Vedic religion, targeting Muslims and aiming to reconvert individuals lost to Christianity, Sikhism, Islam.
• In the 1890s, Arya Samaj became heavily involved in the cow-protection movement, shifting from reformism to revivalism. Lala Lajpat Rai noted that Arya Samaj was a product of western influences.

Arya Samaj: Founding and Objectives:

• Arya Samaj was established by Dayanand Saraswati in 1875 as a socio-religious movement aimed at reforming Hinduism by promoting the Vedas as the ultimate source of truth.
• The movement opposed practices such as idol worship, polytheism, rituals, the caste system. It advocated for widow remarriage, inter-caste marriage, female education.

Western Influence Debate:

• Historians are divided on the extent of Western influence on reformers like Dayanand Saraswati.
• First Viewpoint: Arya Samaj as a product of Western influence.
• Lala Lajpat Rai and Jawaharlal Nehru argued that Arya Samaj was a response to the impact of Islam and Christianity.
• Some scholars believe that British rule, with its emphasis on Protestant Christianity, inspired modern iconoclasm like Arya Samaj, leading to a form of Hinduism that emphasized philosophical monism and rejected idolatry.
• The reform policies of Arya Samaj, such as opposition to idol worship and polytheism, mirrored Western Christian critiques.
• The British portrayal of India as a backward culture motivated Arya Samaj to instill self-confidence in Indians through reforms and the call for Swarajya.

Second Viewpoint: Arya Samaj was not influenced by the West.

• Har Bilas Sarda argued that Dayanand Saraswati was not influenced by Western civilization as he did not know English and was not exposed to European culture.
• Dayanand believed that practices like idol worship and polytheism were later additions to Hinduism, he used the Vedas to oppose social evils.
• The notion that he borrowed ideas like women's empowerment from the West is flawed, as he was not familiar with Western traditions.
• His initiation of the shuddhi movement for reconversion had no Western influence.

Conclusion

• It is suggested that the ideas did not migrate from the West to India, but the exposure to the West brought out latent elements already present in Hinduism.
• The conditions brought by the West led reformers like Dayanand Saraswati to establish Arya Samaj to promote reform ideas rooted in ancient Indian sources like the Vedas.
• Connecting reforms to indigenous sources was a strategy to gain mass appeal and face less opposition from conservative factions.

Theosophical Society

• The Theosophical Society was established by Western individuals who were inspired by Indian philosophy and culture.
• Madame H.P. Blavatsky (1831-1891), of Russo-German descent, initiated the movement in the United States in 1875.
• Colonel M.S. Olcott (1832–1907) later joined her in this endeavor.
• In 1882, they moved the headquarters to Adyar, on the outskirts of Madras, India.
• Members believe in establishing a special connection between an individual's soul and God through practices like contemplation, prayer, and revelation.
• The Society embraces Hindu concepts of reincarnation and karma and draws inspiration from the Upanishads, as well as the Samkhya, Yoga, and Vedanta philosophies.
• In India, the Society initially focused on reviving, strengthening, and uplifting ancient religions such as Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, and Buddhism in Ceylon and Burma.
• It promotes the idea of universal Brotherhood of Humanity, regardless of race, creed, sex, caste, or color.
• The Society also aims to explore the unexplained laws of nature and the latent powers within individuals.
• The Theosophical Movement became associated with the Hindu Renaissance.

Mrs. Annie Besant (1847–1933)

• The growth of the Theosophist Movement as a significant force in Indian history was greatly influenced by the election of Mrs. Annie Besant as its President after the death of Olcott in 1907.
• Early in her life,Mrs. Besant lost faith in Christianity, divorced her husband (an Anglican clergyman), and became involved with theosophy (1882).
• In 1889, she officially joined the Theosophical Society.
• After Madame Blavatsky's death in 1891, Mrs. Besant felt孤独and decided to come to India.
• Mrs. Besant was well-versed in Indian thought and culture. Her approach was Vedantic, evident in her translation of the Bhagavad Gita.
• While Blavatsky emphasized the occult, Mrs. Besant found a bridge between matter and mind.
• Over time, Mrs. Besant embraced Hinduism in her views, dress, food, company, and social habits.
• Under her guidance, Theosophy in India transformed into a movement of Hindu Revival.
• Regarding the Indian situation, she stated: “The Indian work is, first of all, the revival, strengthening and uplifting of the ancient religions. This has brought with it a new self-respect, a pride in the past, a belief in the future, and as an inevitable result, a great wave of patriotic life, the beginning of the rebuilding of a nation.”
• She established the Central Hindu College in Benares in 1898, teaching both the Hindu religion and Western scientific subjects. This college later became the nucleus for the formation of Benares Hindu University in 1916.
• Mrs. Besant also contributed significantly to the cause of female education.
• She founded the Home Rule League inspired by the Irish Home Rule movement.
• The Theosophical Society acted as a common platform for various sects and catered to the aspirations of educated Hindus.
• It promoted the development of a national spirit among Indians, fostering self-respect, pride in the past, and belief in the future, leading to a wave of patriotic fervor and the beginnings of nation-building.
• However, to the average Indian, the philosophy of the Theosophical Movement appeared somewhat vague and lacking a concrete program, limiting its impact to a small segment of the westernized class.