|
Courtesy : Arya Samaj Mississauga architectural design
WHAT IS
“ARYA SAMAJ”
AND
WHAT DOES IT STAND FOR
Arya
Samaj consists of two words which have special significance.
The word “Arya”
implies a person who is
noble, knows the
difference between right and wrong, keeps an open mind and is ever
ready to accept the truth. These are
the characteristics of being
truly “Noble”.
The word “Samaj” means a group which collectively
functions in the interests of social and spiritual uplift
of society. Thus
Arya Samaj
constitutes a body which raises
the social and religious
awareness amongst individuals
and helps
them become noble.
Swami Dayanand Saraswati (1824-1883) established the first
“Arya Samaj” in April 1875 in
Bombay
(Mumbai)
and later in
Lahore
then in
British
India
. Swami
Dayanand was a progressive social and religious reformer.
His entire
focus was based upon
“power of ideas and ideals”. Swamai
Ji started Sanskrit schools in many places to teach the language without
which the spread of Vedic knowledge would not be possible. He established
orphanages for the benefit of deprived children. He was a great votary of
women’s education, which was non-existent in
India
during his time. He
firmly believed that social progress is not
possible without imparting education to women. Thus, establishing
schools for girls became the main focus for Arya Samaj organizations all
over
India
. Swami Dayanand
pointed to the dire need for a thorough study and research of ancient Indian
literary works to weed out all
“interpolations” that
had crept into our sacred
books because of
foreign rules over
India
for more than a thousand years. He preached
India’s independence from British rule and promoted Hindi as
the national language of the country. Swami Dayanand translated RigVeda with
Adhibhautik (worldly), Adhiatmik (Spiritual), and Adhidaivik (Divine)
interpretations. He wrote a book called “The Light of Truth”. Among the
other books that Swami Dayanand wrote is “Sanskar Vidhi” which provides a
uniform standardized structure for the performance of sixteen (16)
“Sanskaras” from birth to death including the format for daily and periodic
prayers and Havan/Satsang.
Swami Dayanand believed
in human equality and disapproved the birth-based caste system,
untouchability, child marriage, and preventing widows from remarriage or a
normal social life. Swami Dayanand firmly believed that through education people
can be taught, for their spiritual uplift, to rise above the basics and
understand the true nature and characteristics of God Almighty.
Click
here to read more
Contact Information
- Telephone
- 203-329-2414
- FAX
- Postal address
- 328 DEN ROAD, STAMFORD, CT 06903
- Electronic mail
-
| 
