Ārya-Samāj

The Ārya-Samāj , which means in Sanskrit “Aryan company”, indicates a reforming movement of the Hindouisme initiated to Bombay at the 19th century.

Its founder Dayananda Sarasvati (of its true name Mula Shankar) (1824-1883) was resulting from a family of Brahmane S of the Kathiavar. It while seeing, during one is taken care in a temple shivaïte, the rats to devour the offerings which it started to wonder about the reality of the divinities hindouists. It is made Sâdhu at the twenty years age and carries out a life of wandering ascetic. It meets its Gurû with Mathura, this one will teach to him the “hidden direction” of the Veda.

From there, its religious thought is set up. It will transform into acts with the foundation of Ārya-Samāj in 1875 and the simultaneous publication of a proclamation the Satyārtha Prakash (where Illumination of the True Direction ) where it violently tackles different the sects hindouists and the foreign religions, and affirms without turning that the hindouism polytheist is in contradiction with the “absolute Monothéisme” of Veda, the multitude of divinities who are referred there being only representations of the natural forces.

Obviously, the radicality of its opinions will prevent the movement from reaching the popular layers but will have a certain impact on the Pandit S and the well-read men of Hindi language .

Ārya-Samāj will be spread mainly with the Panjâb and will diversify in several subsidiary companies (targeting precise bodies of the company: young people, women,… etc), charitable organizations, publishers and structures educational (of which the famous Gurukula of Haridwar).

See too

External bond

Congress of Ārya-Samāj with the U.S.A

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