Arya Samaj

Jay · Freshman Member Joined: 11 Jul 2006 Posts: 11

Hello,

What is the difference between the Arya Samaj and Hinduism? Are the two mutually exclusive, or are they the same thing?

-Jay

Prabhat · Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2006 4:12 am Post subject:

Explain Hinduism.

Shishya · Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2006 5:08 pm Post subject:

Namaste Jay and Prabhat,

Good point, Prabhat. Hinduism is a very tough 'religion' to define - which makes it all the more difficult to contrast it with Vaidika Dharma.

However, I think there is at least one main point which is easiest to identify as distinguishing Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma) from the Arya Samaj (Vaidika Dharma): Belief in the Vedas.

Of course, both Sanatans and Aryas profess belief in the Vedas, but only the Aryas do so consequently and consistently. They do not accept other works next to the Vedas as being of a superior order - as do the Sanatans with their Puranas. For this reason, Sanatans are often rightly calles Pauranics - for they place more belief in the Puranas than in the Vedas themselves.

In this vein of thought, Pauranic Hinduism is not compatible with the teachings of Vaidika Dharma. True, they share much in the way of common beliefs, but their differences are too great to be ignored.

For example, Pauranics often believe in a multitude of gods and goddesses. The Arya Samaj believes in only one God with an infinite number of attributes. This is the original teaching of the Vedas and all true Shastras.

There are other important points, but as the Arya Samaj is a society which upholds Vaidika Dharma above all else, I think this the most important one.
_________________
Namaste,

Shishya
ॐ

ॐ सह नावतु । सह तौ भुनक्तु । सह वीर्यं करवावहै । तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै ॥
"Together may we be protected. Together may we be profited. Together may we do a hero's work. May we learn intelligently. May we never hate one another."
-Brihadaranyaka & Taittiriya Upanishads

Prabhat · Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2006 8:36 pm Post subject:

so how come they say. that the gods and so al al written in de Vedas Confused

that means they read it differend than the Arya's.
_________________
Namaste,
Prabhat

Shishya · Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2006 9:07 pm Post subject:

Namaste Prabhat,

The most popular commentator on the Vedas among the Pauranics is Madhava Sayana, who - due to the influences of his time - interpreted everything in a literal and materialistic fashion. This posioned not only the minds of the authors of several of the Puranas, but also the minds of the westerners that came to India to translate the Vedas in the 18th and 19th centuries.

There is a very important chapter of B. C. Singh's book, Life and Teachings of Swami Dayanand Saraswati, which studies this issue in great depth. Particularly interesting is the section on Madhava Sayana. There it is explained how the Pauranics arrive at the conclusions they do regarding the Vedas, as well as how Swamiji showed the flaws in their argumentation. It is very highly recommended.
_________________
Namaste,

Shishya
ॐ

ॐ सह नावतु । सह तौ भुनक्तु । सह वीर्यं करवावहै । तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै ॥
"Together may we be protected. Together may we be profited. Together may we do a hero's work. May we learn intelligently. May we never hate one another."
-Brihadaranyaka & Taittiriya Upanishads

Prabhat · Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2006 9:21 pm Post subject:

heavy stuf.

and stil i cant believe that people in India and outside stil believe thats this is the true religion. did you ever think about it that there are so many people who's religion is sanatan. and that people in the west get confused about it, so many gods.

if people start practisc Vaidikh, than no one would stop it. and i think we wil had a lot of with people in it olso.
_________________
Namaste,
Prabhat

Shyena · Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 8:03 am Post subject:

The thing is....
they take the line
'puraanas and itihasa form the fifth veda'
and manipulate it to their desire....

Shishya · Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 3:26 pm Post subject:

There are even some who claim that Puranas, like the Bhagavatam Purana, are superior to the Vedas. Shocked

_________________
Namaste,

Shishya
ॐ

ॐ सह नावतु । सह तौ भुनक्तु । सह वीर्यं करवावहै । तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै ॥
"Together may we be protected. Together may we be profited. Together may we do a hero's work. May we learn intelligently. May we never hate one another."
-Brihadaranyaka & Taittiriya Upanishads

Prabhat · Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 12:52 am Post subject:

Shyena · Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 4:59 am Post subject:

I remember reading it in satyarth prakash.....
Dayananda explains that they are two in the five names given to the brahmanas [dont ask me what they are, i can't recall that part..]

Prabhat · Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 5:03 am Post subject:

i heard there are 6 vedas. 2 are stolen by the germans. thats why they could make the long distand bom.

but if it is true, Only Gods know.

namaste.
_________________
Namaste,
Prabhat

Shyena · Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 5:18 am Post subject:

Prabhat, you sound like the pauraaniks!

Prabhat · Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 5:56 am Post subject:

Shishya · Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 4:10 pm Post subject:

Namaste PD and Prabhat,

The notion of the 'fifth Veda' is mostly based upon Chhaandogya Upanishad 7.1.2:

rigvedam bhagavao adhyemi yajurvedam saamavedam aatharvanam chaturtham itihaasa puraanam panchamam...

"Blessed One, I know the Rig Veda, the Yajur Veda, the Saama Veda, and the Atharva Veda fourth, the Itihaasas and Puranaas fifth..."

Pauranics claim this as supporting the notion that the Puranas should be considered as the 'fifth Veda', when in fact it is simply a listing of the fields of knowledge aqcuired by the speaker. He goes on to say:

"...I know grammar, the ancestral rites, arithmetic, portents, discernment, disputation, ethics, etymology, theology (lit.: brahmavidyaa, 'knowledge of God'), metaphysics (lit.: bhuutavidyaa, 'knowledge of the elements'), governance (lit.:kshatravidyaa, 'knowledge of rulers'), astronomy (lit.: nakshatravidyaa, 'knowledge of the constellations'), and the company of the wise (lit.: sarpadevajanavidyaa, 'knowledge of the wise ones who wander the earth')."

If the whole passage is quoted, it becomes clear that the individual is simply listing off the fields of knowledge he has studied. This is no 'proof' that the Puranas are actually to be considered equal to the Vedas.

Besides, such a claim ignores several other facts:

-This is written in a Upanishad and not in the Vedas themselves.
-This is one individual speaking about his personal experience/opinion.
-The title 'fifth Veda' has been given to a number of disciplines as a matter of courtesy throughout time. This is simply to designate their importance to the people and not their inherent value in relation to the Vedas.
_________________
Namaste,

Shishya
ॐ

ॐ सह नावतु । सह तौ भुनक्तु । सह वीर्यं करवावहै । तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै ॥
"Together may we be protected. Together may we be profited. Together may we do a hero's work. May we learn intelligently. May we never hate one another."
-Brihadaranyaka & Taittiriya Upanishads

Shyena · Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 12:39 am Post subject:

Just one thing - "Sanatana dharma" is not vedanta-pauraanik dharma. They consider puraanas for layman, advaitin and mostly smarthic (god can be perceived as you wish, but is otherwise formless) - i'm a sanatana dharmic with lots of arya samajik beliefs...

Shishya · Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 1:11 am Post subject:

Namaste PD,

That's a good point, PD. I am usually not careful enough in making that distinction. It is not fair to lump everyone under one heading such as 'Pauranic', for it certainly does not fit for all. When I say 'Pauranic', I usually think of a sect such as the Gaudiya Vaishnavas - and that is by no means an accurate picture to have of Sanatans. Thanks for pointing that out. Wink

_________________
Namaste,

Shishya
ॐ

ॐ सह नावतु । सह तौ भुनक्तु । सह वीर्यं करवावहै । तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै ॥
"Together may we be protected. Together may we be profited. Together may we do a hero's work. May we learn intelligently. May we never hate one another."
-Brihadaranyaka & Taittiriya Upanishads

Shyena · Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 1:12 am Post subject:

Gaudiya vaishnavs! They dont even follow the gita properly which says one should perform all the vedic rituals or even chant the gayatri mantra!

Shishya · Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 1:34 am Post subject:

Namaste PD,

Laughing

Try telling them that!
_________________
Namaste,

Shishya
ॐ

ॐ सह नावतु । सह तौ भुनक्तु । सह वीर्यं करवावहै । तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै ॥
"Together may we be protected. Together may we be profited. Together may we do a hero's work. May we learn intelligently. May we never hate one another."
-Brihadaranyaka & Taittiriya Upanishads

Jay · Freshman Member Joined: 11 Jul 2006 Posts: 11

Wow, I see my question has sparked quite a response. Thanks, everyone.

So, this is what I have gathered so far:

The Arya Samaj practices and promotes the vedic religion, the oldest (original) form of religiosity known to man - in other words, the original, universal spirituality of humanity.

Hinduism, on the other hand, practices a form of religion derived from the Vedas, but which has (partly) strayed from the truth of the Vedas by incorperating non-Vedic elements such as polytheism, idol worship, incarnations of god, etc.

Does that pretty much sum things up?

Thanks,

-Jay

Prabhat · Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 2:19 am Post subject:

Namaste Jay,

in headline this is the truth Wink

but i dont think promot is a good word choice, by speaking abouth it in groups, its better to reach to people who is intrested in the Vedas. that makes them more currious and ask more questions.
_________________
Namaste,
Prabhat

Jay · Freshman Member Joined: 11 Jul 2006 Posts: 11

Well, I think there is a difference between 'promoting' and 'preaching'. I didn't want to say 'preaching', for the very reason that Prabhat mentioned. Wink

Shyena · Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 4:22 pm Post subject:

Shyena · Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 4:34 pm Post subject:

Prabhat · Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 6:25 pm Post subject: