MY BELIEFS AND DIS-BELIEFS
-Maharishi Swami Dayanand
(From ‘Light of Truth’ English translation of ‘Satyarth Prakash’ by Pandit Gangaprasad Upadhayayay)
The Sanatan Dharam or Eternal Religion is that set of universal doctrines belonging to all countries and all men, which were accepted in the past, are being accepted in the present, and shall be accepted in future by everybody and which are impossible to go against. Wise men never conform with anything promulgated by those who are ignorant or misled by teachings of a particular faith. All persons should accept as their beliefs only those principles which are inculcated by men of profound learning, that is, the persons who think the truth, speak the truth and do the truth and are philanthropic and impartial. Similarly, their disbelief should consist of those things which such persons reject as unworthy of acceptance. I declare before all right thinking people that I believe in all those things (God et cetra) which are accepted by the Vedaas and other true scriptures and which have been the beliefs of all persons from Brahma down to the sage Jaimini. My beliefs are only those, which should be uniformly acceptable to all men in all ages. I have no intention, whatsoever, to introduce a new thing or to begin a new religion. My wish is to accept and to ask others to accept what is truth and to reject and to ask others to reject what is untruth. Had I been partial, I would have clung to anyone of the faiths prevalent in the Aryavartt. But, neither I accept the demerits of different faiths whether Indian or alien, nor reject what is good in them. In fact, it does not behove a man to do so. Only he is entitled to be called ‘man’, who thinks and looks upon the happiness, unhappiness, loss and profit of other men as his own, who is not afraid of a strong man if he is unjust, and fears a virtuous man even though he is weak. Not only this, He should, always, try to support the case of the virtuous people, even if, they are helpless, weak and untalented, and to discourage, suppress and even destroy the wicked, even if, he is the mightiest sovereign of the whole world and very clever. That is, he should spare no pains to make the wicked weak and the virtuous strong. To achieve this end, he should bear all sufferings and even sacrifice his life, but he should not quit his duty. Here, I quote a few verses of Bhartrihari and others in the support of my statement:-
Let diplomats condemn or praise; let prosperity come or go; let death come this very moment or after ages; the brave do not remove their steps from the path of justice.
-भरतृहरि
Righteousness should never be forsaken either through lust or fear or greed, even when, there be chance of saving one’s life by forsaking it. Righteousness is permanent; pain and pleasure are fleeting. The soul is immortal while means of living are changeful.
-महाभारत
Virtue is the only friend as it accompanies one, even after death. All else is destroyed along with the body.
-मनु-स्मृति
Truth triumphs, not falsehood. The learned men always follow the path of truth. That is the highway of truth whereby, sages, who have left no desires unfulfilled, go.
There is no religion greater than truth. There is no sin greater than falsehood. There is no knowledge better than truth. Therefore, man should follow truth.
-उपनिषद
All persons should follow the saying of these great men.
Now, I briefly describe MY BELIEFS AND DISBELIEFS, the details of which have been discussed at length in this book. The book is named as ‘Satyath Prakash’; this book is written in Hindi and this is English translation of the words of Maharishi Swami Dayananda.
1. God- His names are Brahm, Paramaatman et cetra. Existence, consciousness and bliss are His characteristics. His attributes, activities and nature are holy. He is omniscient, merciful, just, creator, maintainer and dissolver of the whole universe, the fruit –giver of the actions of all the souls with strict justice. This is my conception of God.
2. The Four Vedaas- The Knowledge contained in the vedaas was revealed by God, in the beginning of the human life. This refers to, only the mantra-portions of the books named as vedaas. I regard them infallible and of primary authority. They are authority in themselves and do not depend upon other books for their authoritativeness, just as the Sun or a lamp is self-luminous as well as the light-giver of the earth et cetra; so are the four Vedaas.
The Brahmanas of the four Vedaas, six angas (limbs), six upaangas– (by-limbs), four up-vedaas (auxiliary Vedaas) and 1,127 Vedic branches (offshoots) are the lectures or compositions of the sages such as Brahma, on the basis of the teachings of the Vedaas. I look upon them as secondary authority. That is, they are reliable only so far as they are consistent with the Vedaas. I do not accept the authority of any passage in them which might be against the Vedaas.
3. Righteousness or Dharam is the name of unprejudiced, just way of living, for example, truthfulness et cetra, which might not be against the order of God and the Vedaas. Similarly, unrighteousness (adharam) is prejudiced and unjust way of living, for example, falsehood et cetra, disobedience of God and insurgence against the Vedaas.
4. The soul is a finite and eternal entity, that is, uncreated and immortal, whose attributes are desire, aversion, pleasure, knowledge, that is consciousness et cetra.
5. The soul and God are distinct in their nature and characteristics. But, they are one through the relation of pervasion and similarity. Just as corporeal substance was never separable, nor is separable, nor shall ever be separable from ether; and yet it never was, nor is, nor shall be identical with it; similarly God is the pervader, the soul the pervaded; God- the worshipable, the soul- the worshiper; God- the Father, the soul- the son etcetra et cetra.
Translator-Swami Dayananda is against the doctrine that the soul is identical with Brahma or can attain to Brahma-hood after salvation. The soul was never God, nor can it ever be God. The soul is worshiper and God is the object of worship. The soul is the son and God- the Father. Distinct and yet related and inseparable – this is Swami Dayanand’s conception of soul and God. He is against both Shankaracharya’s doctrine of the identity of the soul and God and Ramaanuja’s doctrine that the soul is only a mode of God.
6. There are three beiginning-less (uncreated) categories- God, the souls, material radica, that is, the root-cause of the universe. They are three eternals. The attributes, functions and nature of the eternals are also eternal.
7. Cyclic Eternality. The substance, quality or action produced by conjunction cease to exist after dis-junction. But, the ‘potentiality of the objects’, which are brought about this conjunction is eternal in them. It means that these objects will again conjoin and disjoin. I believe in cyclic eternality of these.
8. Creation means the organized conjunction of separate substances into various forms.
9. The purpose of creation is the realization of God’s creative attributes, functions, and nature. Suppose, one asks, “what is eye for?” The answer is, “For seeing”. Similarly God’s creative power finds its fulfillment in the creation of the universe. The enjoyment by the souls of the fruits of their actions is also its object.
Translator-Swami Dayanand here meets two objections:
(1) Why does God bother with the creation of the world?
(2) What is the good of creating the world?
10. The universe has a creator. The creator is the above-described God. It is quite evident from the design of the creation. The inert substances have no power to come intelligently together and produce desired substance such as seed et cetra. This shows that there must be some creator of the universe.
11. Bondage is due to some cause. That is, ignorance has some cause. Sinful actions, worship of objects other than God, ignorance et cetra et cetra, are the things which are productive of pain. They are called ‘bondage’ because we have to suffer against our will.
12. Emancipation is the release from all sorts of pain, an unrestricted movement in all-pervading God and His universe. The enjoyment of the bliss of salvation is limited to a fixed period of time. The released soul has again to come into universe after expiry of that period.
Translator-Swami Dayanand does not agree with the teachers of other religions, who say that once released is forever released. Their motto is that what begins must come to an end. Only beginning-less things are endless. There is no such thing as one-banked river. The salvation begins. Therefore, it must end too.
13. The means of salvation are God’s Communion, that is, practice of Yoga, righteous living, acquisition of knowledge with Brahmacharya (sexual purity), the association with men of learning, true knowledge, right thinking, and labour.
14. Arth- Prosperity is that which is acquired by righteousness. That which is got by evil ways is anarth or undesirable.
15. Kaam (happiness) is a production of righteousness and prosperity.
16. I believe in the varnaas and ashramas (four classes of the human society and four stages of a man’s life) on the basis of the capacity to acquire certain qualifications and to perform certain actions.
17. The Rajaa (literally the shining one) or king is the one, who shines by virtue of his noble qualities, noble actions and noble disposition, who administers justice without any prejudice, who treats the subjects like a father, and who is ever engaged in the effort to improve the condition and increase the happiness of the people, as father does of his children.
18. The Prajaa (subjects) is that populace, which equips itself with noble qualifications, noble actions and noble temperaments; which follows the just rules of conduct without any prejudice, which looks to the welfare of the king and the country, which is free from rebellious tendencies and looks upon the ruler like a son to his father.
19. He is a Judge who, after due thinking, abandons the untruth and embraces the truth, who suppresses the unjust, and upholds, the just; and who aims at the welfare of all as of his own. This is my conception of a “judge”, that is, administrator of Justice.
Translator- I have translated, the word ‘Nyayakaari’ as ‘Judge’ and not ‘Just’, as to me, it appears that the author had in mind the person who administers justice. Item No. 17 is the ‘ruler’; Item No. 18 is ‘the ruled’. Therefore, item No. 19 is obviously the Judge.
20. I understand by the term deva, men of learning; by asura the uneducated; by raakshas the sinners; and by pishaacha the unclean.
Translator- It refutes the commonplace belief that the devas, that is, gods, the asuraas, that is, anti gods, the rakshasas, that is, demons and the pishaachas, that is, genie are superhuman beings.
21. Deva-puja is according to my beliefs, the reverence shown to men of learning, mother, father, preceptor, guest, just ruler, virtuous people, a wife loyal to her husband, and a husband true to his wife. Anything contrary to this is the worship of anti-gods. The person of the aforesaid is worthy of homage (reverence) and the insentient idols are altogether unworthy of worship.
Translator- Condemns idolatory of all types and holds noble men superior to idols.
22. Instruction is that which is conducive to learning, civility, righteousness, and sense-control and which frees men from the blemish of ignorance et cetra.
23. The puraanas- The books called Brahmanas such as Aitareya et cetra, which are composed by Brahmaa et cetra. I call Puraanas (ancient lores), Itihaasa (tradition), Kalp (Ceremonials), Gaathaa (history), Naraasansi (biographical treaties). I do not consider the Bhaagavat (and other so called 18 Puraanas) as true Puraanas.
24. Tirth- (literally ford) is that which helps in crossing the ocean of misery. It consists of all good actions such as truthfulness, learning, goods company, the practice of the eight stages of Yoga such as Yam, diligence, promulgation of education et cetra. I do not look upon pieces of water or places of pilgrimage as tirthaas.
Translator- it refutes the belief that visits paid to sacred places such as Jagannath Puri or bath in scared rivers or tanks, for example, the Ganges or Pushkar are means of salvation. Moral life and not rituals or superstitions, is the means of salvation. It upholds the sovereignty of moral living over meaningless conventions.
25. Purusharth or Effort is superior to destiny or fate, because it is effort that determines destiny. An effort well-made leads to success and lack of effort spoils everything. Therefore, effort is superior to destiny.
Translator- It denounces the fatalism of the Hindus
26. I regard that ‘man’ as excellent who treats all persons like his own self at the time of happiness, sorrow, loss or profit according to their rank and position. Contrary to this is bad.
27. Samsakaaa (literally purification, technically purificatory ceremonies) is that which improves the condition of the body, the mind and the soul. There are sixteen samskaaras beginning with niseka (impregnation) and ending in the cremation of the dead body. It is everybody’s duty to perform these samskaaras. But, nothing should be done for the dead after cremation.
Translator- This refers to the ceremonials done for the well-being of the dead souls manes.
28. Yajna is a term covering all the actions done for showing reverence to the men of learning, all scientific inventions and their application , all chemical processes, all educational activities and charities, all performances of Agnihotra, Homa et ceta, for the purification of air, rain, water, herbs, et cetra., for increase of human happiness, I regard Yajnaas as excellent things.
Translator- it refutes two extreme views:-
(1) Homaa et cetra are useless ceremonials and should be given up.
(2) Homaa et cetra are the alpha and omega of religion and salvation depends exclusively on them. Swami Dayananda means that the word yajnaa means all good action.
29. Arya means excellent man. Dasyu means a wicked man. I take these words in this sense only.
Translator- it refutes the prevalent belief that ‘Aryas’ were a particular race or tribe who conquered the aborigines and named them ‘dasyus’ or slaves. Swami Dayanand holds that all goods men, of whatever race, tribe or country, are ‘aryas’ and all wicked men are dasyus.
30. Aryavartt is the name of the country (India) because the Aryas have been living here from the beginning of the universe. It is bounded on the north by the Himalayaas, on the south by the Vindhyaa, on the west by the river Ataka and on the east by the river Brahamputraa. The country lying within these boundaries is called the Aryavartt and its permanent inhabitants are known as Aryas.
Translator- Based on ancient geography.
31. The Achaarya or preceptor is he, who is the teacher of the Vedic lore, with all its auxiliaries, who helps in living a right way of life and forsaking the wrong way.
32. A Shishya– pupil or disciple is he, who is capable of receiving a true instruction and knowledge, who is righteous, who has love for acquisition of knowledge, and who behaves to the satisfaction of the preceptor.
33. The word guru is applicable to mother and father. He is also called guru who helps in embracing truth and renouncing untruth.
34. Purohita or Priest is he, who is the well wisher of the sacrificer and preacher of truth.
Translator- Yajnaa or sacrifice according to Swami Dayanand, does not convey the idea of slaughtering an animal at the altar of a god. Sacrifice means “Homa’ and sacrificer is the householder, who invites the priest to perform ‘Homa’ at his house.
35. Upadhyayay is he, who teaches any branch of the Vedaas.
36. Shishtaachaar or Culturedness consists of the acceptance of truth and abandonment of untruth after righteously having practiced Bramacharya and studied and ascertained what is truth and what is untruth with the help of the eight proofs, perception, et cetra. Those, who follow this are called Shishtaas or gentlemen or cultured.
Translator- Shishta means the chosen, Aachaar means conduct.
Shishtaachaar, therefore, means the conduct of the selected few. Ordinarily, the words used in the sense of gentlemanliness or even etiquette.
Swami Dayanand mentions the basis of etiquettes as distinguished from the mere form.
37. I accept the validity of eight proofs, for example, perception et cetra.
38. Apt or adept is he, who speaks the correct thing, is righteous and tries for the well being of all.
39. Examination is of five kinds. Firstly, compatibility with the attributes, functions and nature of God and Vedic science; secondly (conformability with one or all of) the eight proofs, perception et cetra; thirdly, (in accordance with) the laws of nature, fourthly, behaviour of the adepts; fifthly the nature of one’s own self. These are five ways in which we can examine what truth is and what is untruth, in order to accept truth and reject untruth.
40. Philanthropy or benevolence is that whereby ill conduct and miseries of men may be removed and good-conduct and happiness may be promulgated.
41. The soul is free in (doing) its actions but dependent on the laws of God in the enjoyment of their fruit. Similarly, God is free in doing all righteous acts.
42. Swarg or Heavan is the enjoyment of special kind of happiness and the acquisition of the material, which is conducive to such happiness.
43. Narka or Hell is the special kind of pain or the presence of that material, which produces that pain.
Translator- In common parlance ‘swarg’ means ‘heaven’ and ‘Nark’ means ‘hell’, that is, two particular regions which contain extreme kinds of happiness and sufferings. In religious books. ‘Heaven’ has been depicted as a place where all sorts of enjoyments can be procured and ‘hell’, a place where horror reigns supreme. Swami Dayanand denounces the regional conception of heaven and hell. According to him. Swarg and nark are two conditions of the soul.
44. Birth is the coming of the soul into a corporeal body. It is of three kinds, previous birth, present birth and the next birth.
45. Birth is the conjunction of the soul with the body and death, their dis-junction.
46. Marriage is the lawful and declared voluntary acceptance of the hand of the woman by the man and of the man by the woman.
47. Niyog is the act of procreation, allowed in special circumstances with a secondary husband or secondary wife, either, when one of the married couple dies or is rendered incapable of begetting children on account of impotency or incurable disease. A man is allowed to perform Niyog with a woman of his own varn or higher varn and a woman with a man of her own varn or higher varn.
48. Stuti or appreciation consists of describing, hearing or intuiting the qualities. Its aim is acquisition of knowing and devotion.
49. Praarthanaa or prayer means asking God for a thing (which a soul can get from its connection with God) after one has tried one’s best. Its aim is freedom from pride et cetra.
50. Upaasanaa or communion means to make one’s qualities, functions and temperaments pure by, keeping in view, the attributes, functions and nature of God as a model, to realize by means of Yoga, that- God is all-pervading. He is with us and we are with Him. Its aim is the progress of spiritual knowledge.
51. Saguna-nirguna stuti – Attributive and non-attributive appreciation means to say that such and such attributes there are in God and such and such attributes are not in God. Similarly, Sagun and Nirgun praarthanaa (attributive and non-attributive prayer) means to pray to God for the possession of certain qualities, and for the riddance of certain failings. Sagun and Nirgun upaasanaa (attributive and non-attributive communion) means to look upon God as possessor of all good qualities and free from all blemishes and to surrender oneself altogether to God and to His will.
This is a brief enumeration of my personal beliefs. A fuller treatment of them has been given in this book (the Satyarath Prakash) under proper heads and also in the Rigvedaadibhashyabhumikaa-“Commentary on the Rig and other Vedaas.” and other books. Whatever is acceptable to all is also acceptable to me, for example, everybody admits that truthfulness is a good thing. So do I. But I do not approve of the mutual differences that have sprung up between different religions. It is those different religions or different votaries who, by emphasizing differences have made man the enemy of man. I wish and I try that these differences may be removed. May the grace of Almighty God and cooperation of the men of learning and piety help in the promulgation of these principles on the whole of the globe, so that all persons may obtain the fourfold boon of righteousness, prosperity, happiness and salvation and may lead a happy and progressive life.
So much is sufficient for the wise.
Translator- The English reader will find it difficult to understand the sense underlying the 51st belief. The words ‘sagun’ and ‘nirgun’ are very common in India and there is a good deal of misconception about them. Literally, Sagun means with attributes (Sa means with, gunaa means attributes and Nirgun means without attributes or empty of attributes (Nir means Not, gunaa means attributes). But in common parlance Sagun worship means corporeal and Nirgun incorporeal. Thus Sagun worship means the worship of incarnations of God through idols and Nirgun worship means the contemplation of God as an invisible and incorporeal being, Swami Dayananda controverts this view. He does not believe in the incarnations of God, he gives his own meanings to the words sagun and nirgun, which are more compatible with the etymological meanings of the words. The Sanskrit word ‘Gunaa’ never means body. You can conceive of an object as having certain attributes. This is sagun conception. For instance, water is cold or fluid. Here coldness and fluidity are two attributes which reside in water. You can also conceive of an object as devoid of certain attributes. This is nirguna conception. For instance, water is neither hot nor solid. Here, heat and solidity are two attributes which are denied in water. The complete appreciation of an object requires both saguna and nirguna (attributive and not-attributive) conception. For further explanation see chapter VII of the book ‘Light of Truth’ English translation of ‘Satyartha Prakash’.
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