THE whole Arya Samaj world is celebrating the 134th foundation day of Arya Samaj on April 10, 2009 with great zeal and fervour. It was on this very day in 1875 that Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati, the great revolutionary, social reformer, reviver of our great Vedic culture founded and gave birth to the Arya Samaj in Bombay at Kakarwadi location in Shri Manik Rao’s Bagicha (garden). As we all know that Maharishi was a great supporter, worshipper, promoter of knowledge and he wanted to dispel all ignorance so that the world may live in the light of learning and knowledge. He was of the firm opinion that ignorance breeds evils like superstition, blind faith, orthodoxy, dogmatism, bigotry and all such evil tendencies that create differences among people and sometimes make them fight with each other. Ignorance was the greatest impediment on the path of progress and also human, mental and spiritual advancement so his aim behind the foundation of Arya Samaj was not to start another religion Swami Ji said “I do not entertain the least idea of founding a new religion or sect. My sole aim is to believe in Truth and help others believe in it, to reject falsehood and help others to do the same.” and to remove the evil practices that were against the Vedas and laws of nature. It was for this reason that he established Arya Samaj as a reform movement, without any distinction of caste and creed, by fighting against the enemies of society viz. “i.e. ignorance, scarcity and injustice and entrusted to it the role of propagating Vedic ideologies.

It was Arya Samaj that strongly advocated the cause of women education and equality of all human beings, and preached against child marriages and also interpreted Dharma in such a way which was purely scientific and acceptable to all human races regardless of their ethnicity.

Arya Samaj produced many great leaders and just to mention a few like Swami Shradhanand who was a great pioneer in the field of Gurukul education and also shuddhi andolan. Mahatma Hansraj who was the founder principal of DAV institutions and who served these institutions as an honorary head for almost 25 years. It is due to his sacrifice that we can hold our head high today. Arya Samaj gave us Lala Lajpat Rai who is popularly known as the Punjab Kesri Lala Lajpat Rai who shook the British Empire to its very roots and paved the path of freedom which we achieved in 1947. Arya Samaj also gave us Pandit Gurudutt Vidyarti who was a renowned Vedic scholar whose book, the terminology of Vedas, was included in the BA level Sanskrit syllabus of the then Oxford University, England.

The foundation of Arya Samaj marks a turning point in the world history, it was a landmark in the history of human civilization and also it freed the humanity from the darkness of ignorance and defused the light of knowledge. The whole world is indebted to Maharishi Dayanand and Arya Samaj in many ways especially in the sphere of knowledge, reasoning, scientific approach to religion and elimination of superstitions. Maharishi Dayanand and later on Arya Samaj and scholars associated with Arya Samaj focused their attention on the Vedas as the only and the sole source of pure knowledge transmitted to humanity direct from God through the four Rishis in the beginning of the creation.

The Principles of the Arya Samaj
1. God is the primary cause of all Spiritual and Physical Sciences and of everything known through their means. 2. God is Existent, Intelligent and Blissful. He is Formless, Beginningless, Incomparable, the Support and Lord of all, Omniscient, Imperishable, Immortal, Fearless, Eternal, Holy, and the Creator of the Universe. To Him alone worship is due. 3. The Vedas are the scriptures of all true knowledge. It is the duty of all Aryas to read them, hear them being read and recite them to others.

4. One should always be prepared to accept truth and reject untruth. 5. All action should be performed in conformity with Dharma (righteousness), that is, after due consideration of the right and wrong. 6. To do good to the whole world is the main objective of the Arya Samaj, that is, to improve the physical, spiritual and social well-being of all mankind. 7. All people should be treated with love, fairness and due regard for their merit. 8. One should always promote knowledge and dispel ignorance. 9. One should not only be content with one’s own welfare, but should look for it in the welfare of others also. 10. One should be bound in following altruistic, social rules, while all should be free in following the rules of individual welfare.
Pandit Suresh Sugrim