WHY SHOULD ‘SATYARTH PRAKASH’ BE STUDIED?

‘Satyarth Prakash’ is the master piece of the writings of Maharishi Swami Dayanand, who founded the institution named ’Arya Samaj’. Swami Dayanand was the first person in the modern era, who advocated the questioning spirit to know a thing, as he realized the importance of logic in imbibing the spirit of a thing. In this direction, we must find out the logical answers to the questions- why did Swamiji write this book? what was the need to write this book? For obtaining answers to such questions, we must look at the background of making of this great master-piece. Around, christian year 1,850, when Swamiji left his home and went from one place to another in order to quench his thirst for ‘truth’, two major events took place in the international arena. First event was the immediate success in England of the theory of ‘socialism’ propounded by Karlmarx. Second event was invitation to Professor Maxmuller by the University of Oxford for translation of Rigved in English towards facilitation of spread of Christianity in India. Indians had great respect for their sacred books-the vedaas. Englishmen wanted someone to find out the shortcomings of the scriptures named vedaas so that by telling out the shortcomings, faith of the Indians over their sacred vedaas could be crumbled and teachings of the Christianity could be placed in the gap, so generated.

Karlmarx wanted this world to bring forth an institution, wherein there is total lack of favourtism of any sort. He wanted such an institution not to have any link, whatsoever, with God and religion. Karlmarx was of the view that it is because of God and religion that there is no equality in society. As such, Karlmarx and his followers wanted to make a society where there is no God or His representative, no religion, no sacred book and the like. This was the first school of thought.

Unlike Karlmarx, Maxmuller was not a communist but a staunch Christian. Though, he liked Sanskrit, he did not have love for vedic culture. He did not find anything in whole of the vedic literature, which could be called better than the teachings of the Christianity.  He translated Rigved in English for fulfilling his objective of spread of Christianity in India. He wanted to bring out the shortcomings of the vedaas so that Indians could know that vedic culture did not have anything worthwhile. The reason behind invitation of Professor Maxmuller by British Government for translation of Rigved in English was to increase the political effect of Englishmen in India and thereby to establish roots of the British Empire in India. This was the second school of thought of that time.

Beside these two schools of thoughts, certain people of India, were trying for the spread of Islam by criticizing the Hindu religion. Though, some Hindus tried to give replies to these criticisms, they didn’t have a solid base to defend their philosophy. Also, at that time, western culture started penetrating Indian society at a good speed. Inventions of steam engine, rail, telegram et cetra affected Indian life-style greatly.

In such backgrounds, Swami Dayanand entered the field. Swami Dayanand did not take birth in Europe, He did not know languages like English, Urdu, Phaarsi et cetra. He had all his education in Sanskrit language. At that time, Sanskrit was considered a dead language and its study was done by the fellows, out of some sort of attachment towards this language without any thought of progressiveness. After coming of Islamic emperors, people of India started studying ‘Arabi’ and ‘Phaarsi’, as all the government work was carried in these languages. Deep study of Sanskrit literature was restricted to very limited centres. General public of India had lost its link with Sanskrit language. This language was resorted to only while carrying out certain religious rituals like marriage, cremation et cetra. After great austerities of almost twenty years, Swami Dayanand realized that it was ‘vedic dharam’ only, which could conquer the onslaughts of ‘Communism’, ‘Christianity’ and ‘Islam’ by bringing forth the truth of vedaas before the Indian society.

Though, Christianity advanced in India because of wrong translation of Rigved done by Maxmuller but, its spread was hurdled a lot by the truths of the vedaas. Arya Samaj, which was founded by Swami Dayanand with the objective of spread of teachings of the vedaas told the people that it is possible to do away with ‘God’ but, it is not possible to leave God and be moral at the same time.

MAKING OF ‘SATYARTH PRAKASH’

‘Satayarth Prakash’ is a great book written by Swami Dayanand in Hindi, to pen down his thoughts. Writing of this book in Hindi, when mother tongue of Swami Dayanand was Gujrati language, too, had an objective. Swami Dayanand was native of a small state of India named Gujrat. Despite existence of many regional languages, three fourth people of India can understand Hindi. Had this book been written in a regional language, not many people could have been benefited by its thoughts. For Hindi language, Swami Dayanand used the term ‘Arya language’. This term helped a lot in increasing the stature of this language. Previously, Swami Dayanand did not know Hindi. When Mr. Keshav of Brahamosamaj requested Swami Dayanand to use people’s language to reach out to them, Swami Dayanand, considering appropriateness of this suggestion, penned down his thoughts in the book ‘Satayarth Prakash’ in Hindi.

Though, this book contains explanation to many philosophical truths, it remains very very beneficial for general people too. This book consists of two parts. In the first part, besides giving logical explanation to many general beliefs of the Hindus, many philosophical truths regarding behaviour of man from inception of his life till end have been given. In the second part, it has been shown that how many religions or sects or beliefs, which exist in this country whether they have originated in this country or abroad are away from logic. In the end, swamiji has mentioned his beliefs and dis-beliefs. In the introduction to this book, swamiji has written, “My very objective of writing this book is to bring forth real meanings of the true and false things. Truth means to speak, write and believe all the objects as they are, that is, to establish true things as ‘true’ and false things as ‘false’. A biased person concentrates himself in establishing false things of his own religion or sect or belief to be true and true things of another religion or sect or belief to be false. As such, a biased person can never know the truth. It is the duty of the learned fellows to bring forth the truth before the public through their speeches and writings. After that, it is upto the general public to grasp the truth out of that in accordance with their intellects. Every soul is capable of knowing the truth and untruth but because of his stubbornness, un-knowledge and prejudice towards his particular beliefs, he fails to accept the truth and bends towards falsehood. Such things are absent in this book. Since, true teachings are the only source for development of mankind, this book contains only those things, knowing of which can enable a person to accept the truth and to leave the untruth. The purpose of this work is not to hurt or harm anyone.”

In the first part of this book, that is, in the first ten chapters, swamiji has advocated different vedic principles. From second to fifth chapters, swamiji explained as to how vedic principles relate to man’s development from his birth till death. In the second part of this book, which comprises four chapters, swamiji has given a bird’s eye view of the principles of other religions or sects or beliefs, which are different from vedic dharam but exist in India. Hindu dharma is a mixture of unlike-things. When we talk of Hindu dharma, we do not mean specific principles. As such, it is very difficult, rather, impossible to define it, logically. It does not have one worship-able deity, one method of worshiping, uniform rituals and uniform principles. Both animal killer and animal-saviour get fitted within the ambit of Hindu dharma. No doubt, such a plight is because of the un-knowledge (opposite of knowledge) of the principles enshrined in the vedaas. Now, somehow, the natives of this country are called ‘Hindus’. This book aims at telling of the true dharma of mankind as per vedaas. Though, the truth of the vedaas is not for any particular race or creed but people of this country, who believed the words of the vedaas to be their dharma for lakhs of years, needed this truth to be unveiled. Because of spread of unpopularity of vedaas among masses, there developed many sects with in the Hindu religion, having their beliefs opposite to those of vedaas. In the eleventh chapter of this book, swamiji has shown that how these sects are away from truth. In the twelfth chapter of this book, swamiji took up the religions namely Charvak, Jainism and Budhism, which, though, originated in this country, but were against the vedic principles. In the thirteenth and fourteenth chapters of this book, swamiji analysed, in brief, Christianity and Islam respectively. Both of these religions exist in India. The purpose of criticising these religions was to show how these religions are away from truth. Swamiji believed that these religions could flourish only because of un-knowledge of the real nature of dharam.