ARYALUR

[s. 71] : A town of the Tri chino pol i district, S. India; station of the SPG, opened in 1825; has 13 native workers, 6 preaching places, 4 village schools, and 320 native communicants. ARYA SOMAJ This body is one of several societies or organized bodies of Hindus which admit the spiritual and moral degradation of the people and seek to introduce reform. It originated in Northern India, and while it has made some growth in Central India, its chief strength is in the Punjab. It is far more antagonistic to Christianity than the Brahmo Somaj. Such antagonism is demanded by the appeal which it makes to the patriotism of Hindus, as exemplified in its watchword of “India for the Indians. In its view that man is a traitor to India who accepts Christianity. This political quality in its aims doubtle explains in some degree the vigor seen in the Arya Somaj. Its religious ideas also contain elements of strength. It teaches that God is one God, the Creator of all things, and the kindly Well-wisher of all His creatures, who, however, has never revealed Himself by incarnation. This monotheistic teaching it claims to find in the four Vedas, which alone, by the way, it accepts out of all the Hindu religious literature. Religion, according to the Arya Somaj, consists of obedience to God, study of the Vedas, contentment with one’s lot, and the practise of truth and justice toward all men. The doctrine of the transmigration of souls is the true eschatology,: dently borrowed from Christianity and the higher (d) Its doctrine sentiment which it has created, in respect to caste is a virtual arraignment of the It (e) entire Indian cultus and civilization, strikes a blow at the all-prevailing pe imism of India in ascribing benevolence of design to the supreme and personal creator of all things. In this respect it approaches very nearly to the Christian view and to that of Plato and Aristotle. (/) See Christian Mi ions. ARORAI. for it rights all wrongs and at the same time a ures, in time, the salvation of all from the condition commonly called Hell. Some remarks on details will better show the bearings of its curious creed: (a) Its testimony for the monotheism of the Vedas is clear and explicit. (6) It is inconsistent in adopting the schools of philosophy in general terms, at the same time that it differs from some of them so widely in its positive theism and in its theory of creation, (c) Its humane elements in respect to woman and child-marriage are evi- It is le gro ly anthropomorphic and more spiritual than the old Hindu faith in its conception of heaven and hell, which it looks upon, not as places, but as characters and conditions; on. the same principle, caste is character and not an accident of birth, {g) It is elevated in its ethical standards, and it gives to ethics a godward side. Obedience to God is one of its foremost require(h) Its denial of all incarnations of deity ments, is a two-edged sword, which strikes at both; Hinduism and Christiantiy. It is so far in accord with Islam, (i) Tho it approves of Yoga or asceticism in theory, yet its definition of true religion is as practical as that of the apostle James. It embraces the cardinal virtues of life, both active and pa ive such as contentment, repre ion of the pa ions, the return of good iot evil, knowledge of the Vedas, obedience to God, and truthfulne and just dealings toward all men. (j) Its positively mi ionary character is in sympathy with Buddhism and Christianity, rather than with Hinduism, (k) Its advocacy of — female education is a proof that it has caught the spirit of Christian lands. In no one feature does the Arya Somaj strike more deeply at the root of Hinduism its policy old than in with respect to women. (1) It apparently attempts a compromise between true theism and the prevailing pantheism. It inspheres the human soul in the infinite soul, and apparently expects its absorption into deity; yet it speaks of the soul as a real entity, and maintains its free will, and therefore its moral responsibility, (m) Its doctrine of transmigration is exceedingly plausible. No better reasons could be given for such a theory of eschatology. The relation of the Arya Somaj to Christianity and to Western thought is unique and full of interest. It is exceedingly hostile to Christian propagandism, and yet it is a far more efficient handmaid of Christianity than was the Brahmo Somaj in its most palmy days. It is more efficient, because its attitude toward all Hindus is more conciliatory, and therefore more persuasive and influential. It is le radical as to changes in doctrine, and yet not one more step radical with respect to those great social movements which Christianity is striving to promote. Moreover, the Arya Somaj is a real ally of Christianity against the various current phases of Western infidelity. It takes the side of truth against the agnosticism of Huxley and Herbert Spencer. It is strongly theistic. It believes in Arya Soniaj Asiatics an intelligent and omnipotent First Cause, and a It maintains benevreal creation of the world. olence of design in the creation and government of the world, which Tyndall and Darwin reject. It is in advance of Max MuUer in the doctrine of a preternatural revelation of God to man. It brings all virtue and philanthropy within the domain of religion, and is a rebuke to all those who would dispense with God in the government It challenges all forms of of human affairs. pe imism, ancient or modern. Eastern or West•ern, and maintains that the one God of the universe is wise and good, and therefore worthy of all reverence and love. Neverthele , while modern Aryanism is in some sense an ally of Christian civilization, it must not be forgotten that it is more or le of the nature of an entrenchment of e ential Hindu The more nearly it counterfeits the truth ism. of God and shuns disgusting rites, the more plausIt considers that it has ible does it become. adjusted itself to modern science and progre , Christian mis:and needs no further change..’sionaries must bear in mind the fact that the Arya Somaj is an aggre ive and bitter enemy of It hopes to bar the extension of the teachings of Jesus Christ in India, just as it hopes to check Islam, or to overthrow the degrading superstitions of popular Hinduism. In order better to attack Christianity it is borrowing from Western scoffers at the Bible a logic and a vocabulary and from the mi ionaries, a carefully proven theory of the uses of school, pulpit and pre for purposes of propaganda. Its ’Christianity. enmity to Christian teachings is deliberate and permanent. This enmity might be a source of dread to the mi ionary, were not the Arya Somaj fatally weak in risking its whole system upon the untenable claim that the four Vedas teach a pure mono Because of this weakne which must theism. some time be revealed, this active organization will serve its day, holding what light it has before the people, and then it will fall because it has no stable foundation. 72