Swami Dayanand and Monotheism

Dr Vivek Arya

Dr. Koenraad Elst published an article on Monotheism and its relation to Swami Dayanand and he has assumed the Swami Dayanand derived term monotheism from the Vedas due to impact of Christianity and Islam. He writes...

Is there a Vedic monotheism? The occasion for this paper on monotheism and its presence or absence in Hinduism is an upsurge in the Arya Samaj long-standing campaign to convince Hindus of the superiority and Vedic basis of monotheism.

Unfortunately, in its opposition to the predatory religions of Islam and Christianity, it interiorized some of their beliefs and attitudes. Foremost among these was the assumption that monotheism, the belief in a single God annex the condemnation of all worship offered to any being but Him, is the supreme form of religion. Hence, the Arya Samaj decreed that the Vedic religion had always been monotheistic, so that Islamic and Christian missionaries had nothing to teach the Vedic’s about the true religion of the One God. If Hinduism now seemed like the polytheistic religion par excellence, this was partly due to post-Vedic degenerative developments and partly to textual misinterpretation of the seemingly numerous god-names in the Vedas.

In reality, or so the Arya Samaj claimed, these many gods were only different faces of the One God.

This monotheistic reinterpretation of the Vedas could be excused as a tactical device useful in the Arya Samaj main struggle, viz. against the predatory monotheistic religions.[i]

The belief of Dr. Koenraad Elst on monotheism of Swami Dayananda is not a new term. In past various authors especially Christian missionaries have assumed similar views about Swami Dayanand and monotheism. Most of authors have just copied the same point without the proper analysis of the subject.[ii]

I will like to explain this copy-paste by quoting example of Mr. John Campbell Oman’s [iii]interesting book “Cults, Customs and Superstitions of India”. Apart from Mr Oman [iv], many English authors have published books[v] relating to India. Whether what they have embodied in these volumes is wholly true and nothing but true or their verdicts are to be accepted at once as gospel truths, a critical and unprejudiced student of history alone can judge. Some of the authors have no courage to wipe the dust of prejudice from their eyes and have obliged to draw hasty conclusions and wrong inferences. Such writings have done more harm than good.

The writer has devoted one chapter to Arya Samaj in his book. The writer observes that the theistic reforms now agitating India bear the unmistakable stamp of Christian influence and of Western political and social ideas and principles.

1. Perhaps this may be true of the Brahmo samaj[vi] but to say that the Arya Samaj is the product of Christian influence and English political ideas reminds me one of some grand old lady who attributed the dawning of the day to the crowing of the particular cock reared by her.

2. Swami Dayanand the reviver of the Vedas was not familiar with the English language[vii] so this assumption that Swami ji studied western indologists and established his Vedic beliefs after drawing inspiration from west can never be proved.

3. The principle of sociology enunciated by Swami Dayanand[viii] are essentially Vedic in character and purely classical in character. The system of polity advocated by him is based entirely upon Manu and other smritikars. The system of philosophy and ethics is the system preached and practised by Kanada and Kapila. Everywhere whether he speaks of the system of education or of the laws of society, he quotes freely from Patanjali, Gautama and Manu and never Miller or Spenser of other western scholar.

4. Swami Dayanand condemned idolatry [ix] and upheld the worship of one god, not because Christianity held similar beliefs but because it was the only rational form of worship sanctioned by the Vedas and the Upanishads.

5. Even the ten principals of the Arya Samaj do not bear the unmistakable stamp of Christian influence. The tenth principle –“in matters which affect the general social well being one ought to discard all differences and not allow his individuality to interfere but in strictly personal matters every one may have his own way.”  Is derived from the Vedic mantra “स्वस्ति पन्थामनुचरेम सूर्यचन्द्रमसाविव”- The Rig Veda.

6. Mr Oman relying upon the observations of Professor Maxmuller and Monier Williams find many inconsistencies[x] in the Vedic Hymns and is inclined and unwilling to accept that the Vedas treat of Monotheism. How can anyone ignore the straightforward meaning of Vedic mantra speaking of One God or Monotheism?

I am quoting here few mantras speaking about Monotheism in the Vedas.

Yajurveda 40.1: 

This entire world is embedded within and managed by the One and Only One Ishwar. Never dare do any injustice or desire riches through unjust means. Instead follow the righteous path and enjoy His bliss. After all He alone is source of all bliss!

Rigveda 10.48.1: 

Ishwar alone is omnipresent and manager of entire universe. He alone provides victory and eternal cause of world. All souls should look up only to Him in same manner as children look up to their Father. He alone provides for our sustenance and bliss.

Rigveda 10.48.5:

Ishwar enlightens the entire world. He is undefeated and undying. He is the creator of the world. All souls should seek bliss through seeking knowledge and acting thereupon. They should never shun the friendship of Ishwar.

Rigveda 10.49.1:

Ishwar alone provides true knowledge to truth seekers. He alone is promoter of knowledge and motivates virtuous people into noble actions to seek bliss. He alone is the creator and manager of the world. Hence never worship anyone else except one and only Ishwar.

Yajurveda 13.4[xi]

There is one and only One Creator and Maintainer of the entire world. He alone is sustaining the earth, sky and other heavenly bodies. He is Bliss Himself! He alone deserves to be worshipped by us.

Atharvaveda 13.4.16-21[xii]

He is neither two, nor three, nor four, nor five, nor six, nor seven, nor eight, nor nine, nor ten. He is, on contrary, One and Only One. There is no Ishwar except Him. All devtas reside within Him and are controlled by Him. So He alone should be worshipped, none else.

Atharvaveda 10.7.38

Ishwar alone is greatest and worth being worshipped. He is the source of all knowledge and activities.

Yajurveda 32.11

Ishwar resides at each point in universe. No space is devoid of Him. He is self-sustaining and does not need help of any agent, angel, prophet or incarnation to perform His duties. The soul which is able to realize this One and only One Ishwar achieves Him and enjoys unconditional ultimate bliss or Moksha. 

The wrong interpretation by Mr. Oman are being copy pasted by multiple authors without understanding the fact that  Monotheism concept of Swami Dayanand is based entirely on the Vedas. Mr Elst will certainly understand his misguided belief by unbiased analysis of the Vedic commentary of The Vedas by Swami Dayanand and will not repeat the same mistakes as done by his predecessors. If Mr. Elst considers Arya Samaj as Militant, it is only in self-defense and if it is national, it first tries to raise the spirituality fallen race of Indians and ultimately claims to be an international movement destined to bring peace and harmony to the whole human race.[xiii]

I will conclude my article by a famous quote by Freedom fighter Bipin Chandra Pal that

“Analyzing in his memoirs the reasons for the failure of the Brahmo Samaj in Punjab Bipin Chandra Pal[xiv] felt that it lacked:

A direct message of monotheism on the authority of the Vedas, because such a message would place the modern Hindu religion on the same plane as Christianity or Islam, and it was this more perhaps than any spiritual need that moved the youthful intelligentsia of the Punjab in those days. The Brahmo Samaj by its universalism and particularly by its open appreciation of Christian ethics and piety did not meet this need of the Punjabee mind. This is why the message of the movement of Pandit Dayananda has such large, if not almost universal acceptance of the intellectual classes of the Punjabee Hindu.”

[i] Hindus and Monotheism an Essay by Dr. Koenraad Elst

[ii] The Religion of the Rigveda edited by Hervey De Witt Griswold, Religion caste and politics in India by Christophe Jaffrelot

[iii] Mr Oman was formerly Professor of Natural science at the government college, Lahore

[iv] Mr Oman is also author of The Brahmans, Theists and Muslims of India and The Mystics, Ascetics and Saints of India.

[v] Maxmuller, MacDonald’s, Nevinsons, Chirols, Mayo etc.

[vi] Brahmo samaj was founded by Raja Rammohan Rai. He was open critic of Christian missionaries and praised Upanishads. Later on Keshwa Chandra Sen headed Brahmo samaj who openly praised Christianity and considered teachings of bible superior to the Vedic philosophy.

[vii] None of the Biographies of Swami Dayanand speaks about his familiarity with the English language in his studentship age.

[viii] Swami Dayanand considered the holy books as Arsh (based on Vedas and its commentaries) and Anarsh (Manmade books not in accordance with the Vedas). The source of Swami Ji wisdom was Arsh books by Ancient seers.

[ix]  “N Tasya Pratima Asti” is famous mantra from Vedas which clearly speaks that God is not representation by any Form.

[x] Swami Dayanand reached the conclusion that the Vedas are the voice of God and devoid of any inconsistencies as concluded by Western indologists. He even concluded in his famous work Rigvedadibhashyabhumika or The Introduction to the Commentary of the Vedas that the western scholars like Maxmuller are hardly incapable of understanding the deep meanings of the Vedic mantras as knowledge of Sanskrit language is in primary stage.

[xi] Griffith also accepts God as one in this mantra - In the beginning rose Hiranyagarbha, born Only Lord of all created being. He fixed and holdeth up this earth and heaven. Worship we Ka the God with our oblation.

[xii] Griffith also accepts God as one in this mantra - To him who knoweth this God as simple and one. Neither second, nor third, nor yet fourth is he called; He is called neither fifth, nor sixth, nor yet seventh, He is called neither eighth, nor ninth, nor yet tenth. He watcheth over creatures, all that breatheth and that breatheth not. This conquering might hath entered him. He is the sole, the simple One, the One alone, in him these Deities become simple and one.

[xiii] The Vedic magazine by Acharya Ramdeva, ed.1915

[xiv] Religion caste and politics in India by Christophe Jaffrelot