Talk:Swami Dayananda Saraswati

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[edit] Dayananda Saraswati

This article needs to be a redirect page, directing to a disambig, which can differentiate between the 2 men, Swami Dayananda and Dayananda Saraswati (they are both swami's named Dayananda Saraswati). (Sam Spade | talk | contributions) 21:53, 28 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Done. Arundhati bakshi 20:48, 24 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Hindutva and the Arya Samaj

In reference to the passage:

Dayananda and his Arya Samaj provide the ideological underpinnings of the Hindutva movement of the 20th century...

I think this leads one to draw the conclusion that Dayananda was the 'father' of the Hindutva movement and that the Arya Samaj is a Hindutva organization. (!) Regardless that the claim is sourced, it's about as accurate (and as loaded) as saying "Wagner provided the emotional and aesthetical climate necessary for the rise of National Socialism in early 20th century Germany". Ruthven's book(let) should be taken for what it is, A Very Short Introduction. Connecting the 'elevation of the Vedas' to 'nationalism' is a leap, and his reading of the 'myth of the Aryavartic kings' is simply wrong, based more on what he (and Hindutva leaders) wants to see in it rather than what's actually there. Besides, he isn't exactly famous for taking a NPoV ['Islamofascism', etc.]. (And I noticed that one particular user made sure this reference got spread around in every possible place relating to Dayananda...) It may be the case that members of the Arya Samaj are also members of Hindutva groups, but the Arya Samaj as an organization is most certainly not. The passage as it reads now borders on an association fallacy. Therefore, I think the statement should be adjusted to something like:

The ideology of Dayananda has been used to support the Hindutva movement of the 20th century.

...which I think is fair to both those for and against Dayananda.Varoon Arya 02:10, 4 April 2007 (UTC)

I ran across an author which flatly contradicts the claim of Ruthven. Here is a peer review of her work:
The author (Olga V. Mezentseva) puts in doubt the view that Dayananda's teaching were the embrio of the ideology of "Hindu communalism". Dayananda subjected to criticism (from rationalistic positions) the four religious systems: Puranism (this was his term for traditional Hinduism), Jainism, Christianity ans Islam seeking to demonstrate the discrepancy of their theory and practice with the norms of morality, the principles of logical reasoning and information and findings constituting scientific knowledge. He proceeded from the assumption that his teaching were God's word "correctly understood", originally set forth in the Vedas but later subjected to significant distortions. Although criticisms of Islam occupied an insignificant place in his constructs the very intention of exposing "weak points" in religious systems in conditions of a multiconfessional country was fraught with certain complication. Nevertheless, it would be wrong to tie up the name of Dayananda with the idea of superiority of the Hindu on the basis of which the ideology of communalism was developed later. Speaking of the "Aryan community" in ancient times the reformer repeated, in reverse, the Christian thesis that "there exist neither a Hellene, nor an Israelite" implying that the "Aryan world" comprised all collectives of the ancient world irrespective of race. His attempt to rationally demonstrate the verity of a particular teaching served as a warning to subsequent generations of reformers. (Re: Olga V. Mezentseva, A World of Vedic Truths: The Life and Teaching of Swami Dayananda)
Mezentseva's work is based on an actual examination of the works of Dayananda, and not 20th century Hinduvta interpretations of the same. I will be looking for the book itself so it can be quoted, but I think this is already enough to give a solid counter-point to Ruthven and would like to include it in the near future.Varoon Arya 14:01, 4 April 2007 (UTC)
>I found the reference material for the book. The original title is Mir vediiskikh istin: Zhizn i uchenie Svami Daiianandy, O. V Mezentseva, IFRAN (1994); ISBN-10: 502017548X; ISBN-13: 978-5020175488 (Also, in case you're interested, Ms. Mezentseva is a member of the Soviet Institute of Philosophy.)Varoon Arya 21:32, 4 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] WikiProject class rating

This article was automatically assessed because at least one WikiProject had rated the article as start, and the rating on other projects was brought up to start class. BetacommandBot 19:59, 9 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Random Anon. Comment

"SWAMI DAYANANDA WAS FIRST TO GAVE THE CONCEPT OF "SWARAJ""

I took this out of the article, as it borders on vandalism. However, the point is worthy of discussion and possible inclusion if true. Aryaman (☼) 13:10, 7 January 2008 (UTC)