The New York herald., 1879-02-02
DYA NAND SARASWATl.
A Great Religious Reformation Co.
ing on in India.
BRAHMANISM BEING PURIFIED
Foundation, Growth and Beliefs
Of the Arya SaInaj.
THE REFORAlER AND THE REFORMATION.
BOMBAY, Dec. 90, 1s7


There has been for four years past a movement
foot among the Brahmans OF India that is most re-
marka le in many ways and that bids fair TO become
All important factor in the problem OF the relations
between India and the rest of the world. As may
easily be conectured by who is at all acquainted
with the bent OF the Indian mind the movement. is a
purely religious one, and is thus important
than il would be il it assumed any other shape For.
while it is taking deep hold of the minds of the
tiYes. the religious freedom enjoyed by them under
British rule forbids overt opposition il. by the gov
ernrrent. I would not be understood as meaning
that in this move.aent the natives are in any
sense placing themselves in q position of antasonsm
10 The English They not, but the inevitable ten
deucy of the movement is to raise and strengthen
the Indiana result which England does not
profess to desire and which will surely shorten
dominion which far-sighted statesmen have long
declared would be only temporary. This movement,
have called it. is in reformation of Brah
mansm, and the really remarkable man who heads
1t has been compared by natives and resident Euro
peans alike to Martin Luther. The comparison is
Inevitable. He has studied Brahmanism from the
Vedas-a thing which very few of the native priests
profess to have done-and he breaches religion
which in its ethics is certainly not inferior to Chris
tianity. While appealing purely to the reason,
and not to faith it is accepted by the Indian Chris
tianity will be- He is monothest. arguing
that God Gods there second, ana all the IDOLS
and deites of the Brahman priesthood are debased
of the supposed attributes of this
God, and that the traditions which the idols
Worship ped are the outgrowth of corrupt priest
hood. With belief resting these fundamental prin
cpes and owleding the four texts of the Vedas
the only absolute authority, this man. Dya Nand
Saraswat by name, Swamee and scholar of unusual
attainments, has preached and travelled through
India much after the fashion of the apostles of Chris
tianty and has founded society sect called the
Arya SaInaj, the Society of Aryans From sort
prospectus published by the society and from the
explanations have received from MIR. Hurrychund
Chintamon, Of Bombay, who is leading member Of
the society, able to state very exactly the views
of the Arya Samaj so far they formulated by
creed.
CURIOUS CREED.
Acknowledging, as l said, the yedas only as abso.
lutte authority the Arya Samaj accept expostions
of the Vedas and Aryan history the Brahmanas,
beginning with the Shatapatka; the six Angas. begin
ming with the Shiksha; the four Upavedas, the six
Darshanas and the 127 lectures on the Vedas called
Shakkas the Branches. Members must offer
'adoration prayers and devotions to God with
out second" The Sansharas religious ceremo-
nies of the ancient Brahmans observed after the
vedc rites The object OF the society is declared to
be elevate the temporal and spiritual Of the
people of the country and to strive for the good
oil humanity. Ana the document mentioned sayS:-
..The religion that stand the test of logical
maxms after important examination. %
propounded by the yedas. will be strictly
practised by tie members of this Samaj. No
other religion can be deemed authentic" There
is curious division of members into two
sections-the members in the second apparently
occupying position not unlike that of person
admitted to the Methodist Church on probation.
And there are also, among the members. certain
ascecs who devote their lives to the study of their
religion, is the in every sect of Hindoos.
Mutual love is incucated in the rules of the society,"
and party spirit, insolence, anger ''and such other
vices are denounced Aside from these specifca-
tions the rules mainly relate to the formation and
the management of the society. many rules being
laid down with regard TO ceremonias, contributions
&c.. which, however vital they in Hndoos
view. seem mere outward observances to the materi-
alistic mind of American.
l have obtained however, from Mr.. Chintamon,
who is author well as the political agent of the
Guicowar Mulhar Rao, Maharajah Of Baroda. fuller
exposition of the religious views of the Arya Samaj.
though / shall be able to do ii scant justice within
the limits of newspaper letter. 1t seems at
first almost a worship of self, but being
analyzed il appears to be subtle study of the
spiritual formation of man with view to assimilat-
ing il thoroughly with the nature of man. There is
wide latitude of individual opinion allowed--indeed
any lettering OF thought on point not absolutely
tolerated
Hindoo scholar. Many of the members believe
thoroughly, indeed all Hindoos do, far as can
learn in the p possibility % o, ae,r and they declare It
tions and training, they declare, becomes almost
nipotent.
NEW YoRKERs INTERESTED.
Mr.. Chintamon tells me also that the Arya Samaj
has formed n sort of coalition with the Theosophca
Society ot New York as the views of the two
sidered to be in many points identical. This society
is the one which some time ago crenated the Baron
de Palm, q worthy and eccentric gentleman, who
society has lately changed considerably you have
probably been Informed of the coalition before
this The Arya Samai. formed on this plan
aud with these beliefs, IN to-day power in India
il consists Oh branch sanaies in different towns and
cities, all being parts of the principal samaj The
first branch founded in Bombay in 1873, and
there is now "A total membership-so 1 am assured
of over two millions. among whom are not few Of
the rajahs and niaharajals in differert provinces
These branch samaies hold religious meetings every
Sunday, at which hymns are sung. Nedic read
and explained and lectures some religious or
scientific subject delivered by the rsndits among
the members They propose the establishment OF
schools for boys and separate schools tor ,.ris,
newspaper and. in tue of time, university
s % which to he conducted in the interests OF this
revival the Neic religion. Inccd not explain thai all
Bral,mans claim that their religion was first laid
down in the Vedas. the antiquity ot which Is 80 great
as to nnd no place in Jewish chronology. And
need not explain, either, that Indian and European
,ransa,i,n Of tn" bae sacred %rtiuss The prevalent
nHranfs oi hos the true nsa meaning ,a sa no
watts principal arguments and in one OF his
many published tracts which lies before me he
illustrates this Ignorance By quoting seven transa-
lions of asince Neic from the works OF Sayafa,
Professor Wilson. Lsnglois. Stephenson. Bentley,
Roth and Boenson: Certainly no one would Imagine
from reading tile trznsations that any two of them
we're derived from the same source. ''lf scholars
diner like this. tasks Dya Nand saraswat. "how can
any one of them pretend TO be right q
ATTACKING THE BhAHhAS PRfEsTHooD.
Taking this ground, he attacks the whole fabric
of Brahman religion ~ propounded by the Brahnian
priesthood aud declares that the Nedas teach pure,
simple and reasonable religion, utterly unlike that
which Is taught by the priesthood.
ur.llv IA. ask k.l Al III
he has for claiming to be better versed in vcdic
scholarship than others. and his reply to this Ques-
ton is at least plausible. 1t would need the word of
a profouudcr scholar than l to determine its
truth lie says that the leading scholars of
India aud Europe among whom ho quotes
ColebroOke, Bopp. turnout Schlogc Wilson,
Max Muller and Rajendra Lall Mtra) have only gone
back INTO the subject rs far as the time of sayana
IL s.l. aLI.4 L..