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vol. title: Vol Four of The Theosophical Society of The Arya Samaj of Arya-wart vol. period: Sept 1878 – Sept 1879 pages in vol.: 350 |
< Indian Theism. (continued from page 8-261) >
but very soon discovering that it landed him in a mere compromise, he determined to take an independent course of his own.
In 1868 he founded a purely Theistic church, purified from all taint of Vedāntism, called the Brāhma-Samāj of India (or sometimes the Progressive Brāhma-Samāj). The new place of worship (Mandir) was opened in August, 1869. Of course he denounced all Brāhmanical practices—such as wearing the sacred thread—and after his return from a very successful tour in England in 1870 (where he excited great interest by numerous addresses and speeches) set himself earnestly to the work of social reform. It was principally through his energetic advocacy that the native marriage act, legalizing the Brāhma marriage ceremony, and fixing the minimum age of the bride at fourteen, passed into law on March 19th, 1872.
Unhappily Keshab Chandra Sen, like other great men, has his weak moments, marked by acts of unaccountable indiscretion and inconsistency.
The other day he unguardedly gave his consent to the marriage of his daughter, before she was fourteen, to the young Mahā-rāja of Kuch Behār, said to be a promising adherent of the Brāhma school of Theists. This brought down upon him innumerable protests, and justly exposed him to the charge of disloyalty to his own principles. The marriage actually took place (though without idolatrous rites on the bride’s side), and has led to a serious schism. A large number of Mr. Sen’s followers have left him, and founded a new Theistic church, called the Sādhārana-Brāhma-Samāj, or Catholic Church of the One God. This new church aims at Catholicity, and a more thorough ecclesiastical organization.
Certainly some bond of united action is needed between the Theistic churches of India, now numbering 120, and scattered everywhere throughout the country. One of these, the Arya-Samāj, of which Pandit Syāmajī Krishna-varma is a member, is endeavouring, under the leadership of Dayānanda, to establish a pure monotheistic creed on the basis of the four Vedas and the Is’a Upanishad (included in the Yajur Veda).
Its first article of religion is as follows:—“The four texts of the Vedas shall be received and regarded as containing within themselves all that is necessary to constitute them a primary or principal authority in all matters relating to human conduct; and the Brāhmanas, beginning with the Satapatha; the six Angas, or the limbs of the Vedas, beginning with S’ikshā; the four Upavedas, the six Dars’anas or Schools of Philosophy, and the 1,130 schools of Vedic teaching (s’ākhās*), shall be accepted as exponents of the meaning of the Vedas, as well as of the history of the Aryas. So far as these shall concur with the views of the Vedas, they shall be considered as a secondary authority.”
Its fourteenth article is:—“Adoration, prayer, and devotion shall be offered to one God only, abstracted from all idea of shape and form, and without any second, as embodied in the Vedas.”
And surely we may well hold out the right hand of fellowship to these Indian Protestants, who are banding themselves together in opposition to the hideous idolatry everywhere rampant in India, and doing battle manfully with superstition and fanaticism. I am glad to hear that Mr. Rivington, of this University, is now engaged in amicable discussion with Mr. Sen and the Progressive Theists of Calcutta, taking his stand with them on the common platform of the Unity of God. His success in preaching and lecturing has been quite unprecedented.
We may be quite sure that these Theistic churches of India are doing Christian work, though they may not have adopted all the dogmas of Christianity. As to Pandit Syāmajī Krishna-varma, I trust that in three years’ time he will return to his own country with a mind enlarged and character elevated by contact with English thought and feeling, and so become a centre of influence for good, and a potent instrument for the diffusion of enlightened ideas among his own people.
* That is “branches.” Of these there are one thousand for the Sāma-veda, one hundred for the Yajur-veda, twenty-one for the Rig-veda, and nine for the Atharva-veda.
The Theosophist.—We have received a copy of the prospectus of this journal which is to be issued monthly by the leaders of the Theosophist society now in Bombay. The journal will contain twenty pages royal quarto and is to be conducted, it appears, by some of the most erudite Eastern scholars. The following extract from the prospectus shows the line of policy the journal means to follow:—
The Theosophist will abstain from all political discussions, such being entirely outside the limits of its plan. The social, mental and moral conditions of the present generation as compared with those of their ancestors offer however, an ample field for intelligent criticism, and will receive attention. The paper will always cordially support and ask European and American sympathy for every effort by the native governments, as well as Europeans, to spread education, introduce useful arts and better the condition of the native population. To this end, it will lay before its Eastern subscribers the latest news about important discoveries, improvement and inventions.
Besides articles on science, literature, and art it is to contain extracts from old Vedic manuscripts and their translations. From the names given of those who are to contribute to the journal it may be expected to come out in the best style possible. The yearly subscription is most reasonable and within the bounds of all, rich and poor if they be inclined to subscribe to it. We wish every success to our coming brother.
We have received the Prospectus of a new Journal to be started in Bombay, and to be entitled The Theosophist. It is to be the organ mainly of the Theosophical Society, some of whose officers have been in the this country during the past few months and have attracted considerable interest from some classes of our community. It is plain from the Prospectus that the task which the founders of the Journal are going to undertake is one of no ordinary difficulty; while it is also manifest that all Hindus at all events ought to take special interest in the attempt which promises to give a new explanation of their old traditions. Whether and how far that attempt will succeed it is premature just yet to say. But this we can now say that the spirit of sympathy which the Prospectus evinces with those hoary traditions which the Journal will essay to interpret anew is the true spirit in which the work must be undertaken. The tendency shown hitherto by some inquirers into our ancient “myths and superstitions,” of looking at them with a certain bias—Christian or other—is quite inconsistent with the scientific pursuit of truth. On the other hand, we own, we see dangers also in the opposite course, which is dictated by a stubborn desire to rationalise every old institution. We venture to think that Pandit Dayanand, whom the Prospectus announces as one principal contributor to the forth-coming Journal, has often erred in this latter way. It sould be the aim of the writers for the Theosophist to avoid alike the Scylla of abusing everything as absurd and the Charybdis of praising up everything as the acme of scientific knowledge. We know of some, besides Dayanand Svami, who have endeavoured to read all the discoveries of modern science in the primitive utterances of the Vedic poets. Sometimes there may possibly be some basis for such speculations; but very often, we are convinced, there is no such basis at all. We give this bit of friendly advice, if we may so say, to our friends, because we think, the danger pointed out by us to be a very real one, while it is only by avoiding that as well as the opposite danger, that their work will become of substantial value. We sympathise with a good deal of what is said in this Prospectus particularly with the remarks on that superiority which members of the ruling class affect over native scholars even in Sanskrit and kindred subjects. We are afraid that such things must exist to a greater or less extent under foreign rule. Still the attempt to minimise its extent, if properly carried out, is entitled to our warm sympathy. We wish the new Journal every success.
Editor's notes
- ↑ The Theosophist... by unknown author, Native Opinion, Sunday, July 20, 1879
- ↑ We have received the Prospectus... by unknown author, Subodhpatrika, Bombay, July 20, 1879. The printed masthead’s right edge is covered by the illustration.
- ↑ Uncaptioned illustration of two figures in a theatre box. by unknown author