Adyar Gopal Parivar
An extended family of Adyar Gopal
Adyar Gopal Parivar Society
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Sathyartha Prakasha - Page 1

My commentary on "Sathyartha Prakasha" book of Swami Dayananda Saraswathi

Dr. Mohan G. Shenoy - 18/03/2021

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          The Swami begins the book and the first chapter (Prathama Samollasa) with a Manthra from Thytheriopanishad. He does not begin with a traditional ’Mangalam' declaration, such as ‘Om Ganeshaya Namah'. He says he follows the tradition of ancient scriptures which begin their treatises with the words ‘Atha’ and ‘Om’ only.

In the Manthra the Swami begins this book, viz., “Om Shanno Mithraha …’ God is mentioned by multiple names: Mithra, Varuna, Aryama, Indra, Brihaspathi, Vishnu, Urukrama, Brahma and Vaayu. But the Swami has written that the meaning of all the names in the Manthra to be only Om. And that Om stands for its three constituents viz., A, U and Ma.

Each of Om constituents represents multiple meanings such as A for Virat, Agni, Vishva, etc. From U we mean Hiranyagarbha, Vaayu, Thaijas, etc. From Ma we understand Eeshwara, Adithya, Praajna, etc. The Swami further says that all these names refer to Parameshwar only. With this the Swami stresses that there is only one God and not many different gods. He refers to this one God as Parameshwara.
The Swami recognized the Upanishads as equal to Vedas. And. that the Vedas and Upanishads are the true scriptures of Hinduism. He considered the Puraanas and many similar books which were written later to be inconsistent with Vedas and Upanishads. He considered  epic Ramayana and epic Mahabhaaratha to be historical books and Rama and Krishna to be only great men and not Gods.

Puraanas, epic Ramayana and epic Mahabhaaratha  were written much later and they contained false narratives and therefore their contents are not all true Hindu scriptures.

The Swami gives 100 names of God that one comes across in not only Vedas and Upanishads but also in subsequent Hindu scriptures. But the Swami says that they are not different gods but refer to one God Parameshwara. Puraanas give stories of Vishnu, Brahma, Shiva, Ganesha, Lakshmi, Parvathi, Saraswathi, etc., as individual gods. But the Swami says that the stories given in the Puraanas are fiction, and not to be relied upon. He says, "All these names are descriptive terms of one God in different contexts."
Also, the Swami gives many Pramanas (evidences) to say that the Vedas were transmitted to four earliest scholars, viz. Agni, Vaayu, Adithya directly by Parameshwara and Angira soon after He made them knowledgeable of Sanskrit language. Since the Vedas were heard from Parameshwara, they are called Shruthis (shruthi means heard). All those scriptures that appeared later such as the Upanieshads, Vedangas, Brahmanas, etc., till the books of Vyas Muni are reliable. Those that appeared later such as the Puraanas could not be accepted as valid because they contain numerous false and fictitious narratives.
A child is fortunate if its parents and teachers are good folks. A child learns and gains knowledge from its parents and teachers. Parents who are healthy both before and after Garbhadaana (conception) will get healthy children.

From the 5th day after menstruation and until 16th day (counting from the day menstruation started), is the appropriate period for Rithudaana (intercourse). Avoiding Ekaadashi and Thrayodashi there are 12 nights available every month for Rithudaana.

Intercourse is best avoided during other nights than these and for one year after a period is missed and pregnancy is confirmed. The would-be-mother should eat healthy food and a little more than usual since another individual is also growing in her womb and shares what she eats.
The Swami goes on to explain how a mother after birth of a child can maintain her body like it was before delivery and look like a girl. (1) The baby may be fed mother’s breast milk only for 6 days from birth, after which a Daadi should feed the child. A Daadi is a woman who delivered a baby at about the same time and seeks to earn some money by offering her extra milk to another baby. She breastfeeds both babies; her own and the customer's.

(2) Any drug, application of which prevents milk production should be used to stop breasts from enlarging due to milk production, either by local application to the nipples or orally administered. (3) The woman suffers body weakness after delivery and therefore a Daadi feeding the baby takes the strain off the woman.

The Swami believed in Athma or soul and in rebirth. He supported preparation of Certificate of birth with or without a Horoscope chart showing position of various planets and stars at the time of birth. But he opposed the practice of predicting the future life of the baby based on the concept of planets and stars influencing the life course of the new-born child.

The Swami condemns the unscrupulous men and women in the garb of wise people and mislead the innocent parents by making untrue predictions based on the position of stars and planets at the birth of their baby. Those who are ignorant are made to spend a lot of money on measures to pacify the stars and planets and save the child from their alleged adverse effects.
The book Sathyartha Prakash was published in Vikram samvath 1933 (1877 AD). By then the new British System of schools had not been popular yet. The teaching method recommended by the Swami in the book was fit for then prevailing practices.

The kind of schools the Swami envisaged were to some extent like the present military schools in which a student is taught not only ABCD but also how to be a soldier. The teacher or his assistant lives with the students and instructs them how to dress, eat, exercise, sleep, wash, brush teeth, take bath, etc., and in Swami's schools the syllabus propoesed is 70% Vedas, Upanishads, Smrithis such as Manusmrithi and ancient scriptures that stress on prayers, Agnihothra  (fire sacrifices) and on celibacy. It can be estimated that Swami's school is a monastery and not a modern school.
Yet some of the suggestions are relevant even today, such as the schools must admit every boy or girl between the ages 6 and 24 years regardless of their caste and that the government must punish the parents or guardians of those children who for no proper reason were kept away from school.

Most of the schools in those days were run by one single teacher who was also the owner, executor, director, principal and teaching all subjects in his own individual style. The government had no control over either the syllabus or the teacher.
Examinations were optional and conducted separately at exclusive testing institutions for different subjects. The student can opt for getting tested in one or more subjects at these so-called Ghatikasthana (test center).

Like Hindu schools (Pathashala) there were schools (monasteries) belonging to Mohammadens, Christians, Pharsees, Jains, Buddhists Sikhs, etc. Among Hindus there were schools run by Brahmosamaj, Prarthana Samaj, Basava Samaj, Goswamis, Bhakti groups, Vaishnavas, Shaivas, Krishna worshippers, Rama Worshippers, etc. Among Mohammadans, there were Madrasas and Maqtabs for Sunni sects, for Shia sects, for Ahmedi sect, for B' hai sect, etc. Among Christians, there were seminaries of Catholic and Protestant groups. In the South there were schools for Orthodox Christians and for Syrian sects.

But by 1890 the British government had propagated  their schools for all students with a style proposed by one Lord Macaulay in 1835.
The Swami gives his method of teaching as follows: In the beginning perform the Upanayana ritual for both girls and boys before leaving home. The parents are not permitted to meet their wards but only contact the teacher for any purpose. The students do not meet or talk to anyone of opposite sex till the end of education.

The curriculum begins as stated in Panini's Shiksha and Kalpa. Ashtadhyayi Suthras are taught first. After Ashtadhyayi Mahabhashya is taken up for study. The language of medium of instruction is Sanskrit regardless of student’s mother tongue. Both Ashtadhayi and Mahabhashya are taught repeatedly for 3 years by which the study of grammar is completed.

The Swami says that the books used in some schools such as Saraswatha Chandrika, Mugdhabodha, Kaumudi, Shekar, Manorama, Vrattha Rathnakar and Amarakosha are a waste of time. Sheeghrabodha and Muhurtha Chinthamani are also not good books. Among the poetic books, Raghuvamsha, Nayikabheda, Kuvalayananda, Maagha, Kiratharjuniya are giving wrong details. Dharma Sindhu, Vratharka, Tarka Sangraha, Jagadeeshi, Hatahpradeepika, Sankhya Tatvakaumudi, Yoga Vasishtya, Panchadashee are also books containing incorrect information.

Among Sanskrit Medical books Shranghdhara is rejected. In some new editions of Manusmriti there are a few Shlokas that are incorrect. All Tanthra books, all later Puraanas, Upapuraanas, non-Sanskrit Ramayana by Tulasidas, Rukmini Mangala, etc., are all fake creations. They are best not used in teaching students.

The Swami says that the true Puraana is that found in the four Brahmanas such as Aithareya, Shathapatha, Sama and Gopatha, in which there are Puraana, Ithihasa, Kalpa, Gatha and Naaravamshisi. These are the five names given to the different subjects found in Brahmana books. All the eighteen Puraanas such as Bhagavatha are all figments of imagination of
their authors and do not represent Hinduism.
Then begins the study of the six Vedangas viz., Purva Mimamsa, Vaisheshika, Nyaya, Yoga, Sankhya and Vedantha. Along with the Vedangas either before, during or after them the Upanishads viz., Eesha, Keyna, Katha, Prashna, Mundaka, Mandookya, Vaisheshika, Thaitheria, Chandogya and Brahadaranyaka should be taught. This process will take another two years.
In the next four years the students are taught the four Brahmanas viz., Aithareya, Shathapatha, Sama and Gopatha, and lastly the four Vedas.

Studies do not end here but continue with Health sciences, Archery, Military science, Administrative science, Arts such as Sculpture, drawing, painting, music, dance, etc. I would add in present period, studies such as Construction industry like Architecture, building, etc. Also Manufacturing, engineering, computer science, electronics, Astronomy. Archaeology, Medical studies such as Anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology, Pathology, Internal Medicine, Surgery and Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Not all of this for one student. Each student can take up a study that would help him take up a career he likes.

The teachers and students must keep away from learning about stars and planets foretelling the future such as by horoscopes and zodiacs, and determining auspicious days and time as in Astrology.

Books by Jaimini Muni, Vyasa Muni, Kanada Muni, Gauthama Muni, Vatsayana Muni, Patanjali Muni, Kapila Muni, Bhaguri Muni, Bhodhayana Muni, etc. are all acceptable for study.

CONTINUED IN RIGHT COLUMN
EXAMINATIONS

Examinations were optional and conducted separately at exclusive testing institutions for different subjects. The student can opt for getting tested in one or more subjects at these so-called Ghatikasthana (test center).

Like Hindu schools (Pathashala) there were schools (monasteries) belonging to Mohammadens, Christians, Pharsees, Jains, Buddhists Sikhs, etc. Among Hindus there were schools run by Brahmosamaj, Prarthana Samaj, Basava Samaj, Goswamis, Bhakti groups, Vaishnavas, Shaivas, Krishna worshippers, Rama Worshippers, etc.

Among Mohammadans, there were Madrasas and Maqtabs for Sunni sects, Shia sects, Ahmedi sect B' hai sect, etc. Among Christians, there were seminaries of Catholic and Protestant groups.

In the South there were schools for Orthodox Christians and for Syrian sects.

But by 1890 the British government had propagated their schools for all students with a style proposed by one Lord Macaulay in 1835 in his “Macaulay’s Minute.” For a long time Persian language was the language used by rulers in Delhi. But in 1835 English replaced Persian as the official language.

After learning Sanskrit grammar, the teacher should turn to Nighantu of Yaska and Niruktha. Then teach Chandograntha of Pingalacharya to make students learn meters and verses. By this knowledge the students will be able to compose Manthras and poems.

Next the curriculum has Manusmriti, Valmiki Ramayana and Vidura Neethi from Udyoga parva in Mahabharatha. This can be done in one year.
The students must keep away from Kusanga (bad company); must reject liquor, prostitutes, child marriage, staying awake till late night or sleeping long hours, idolatry, wearing symbols on forehead, observing Ekadashi, Thrayodashi fast, going on theertha yathra to Kashi, believing that japa and namasmaran of Rama, Krishna, Narayana, Bhagavathi, Durga, Ganesha, Shiva, etc., will erase Papa (bad Karmas) and breaking the vow of celibacy before completion of studies.

CHAPTER 3 CONTINUED FROM LEFT

METHODS OF TEACHING CONTINUED

CHAPTER 3

METHODS OF TEACHING

       Swami Dayananda Saraswathi had absolute belief in existence of God. In 1875-77 when he wrote this book, India was a colony of the British. Rajasthan state (Central India) where he lived most of the time consisted of multiple princely states such as Mewad and Marwad. He got support from the Indian princes of these states to freely propagate his beliefs.

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

EDUCATION

Meaning translated by Mohan Shenoy into English: Those who do not understand, accept or contemplate the One who has divine characteristics, the One in whom Earth and Sun are present, the One who is spread like the sky, the One who is Parameshwara (greatest of all) and God to all other gods, are the ones who are atheists and always drown in sorrows (dhukha). Therefore by knowing Him all men will be happy.
 Mohan Shenoy's opinion: This Manthra gives out a corollary that in those ancient periods when these Vedas came into existence, there were men who were atheists and who did not accept Vedic God and also those who did not contemplate (do dhyaana) him. Also these other men who did not accept Vedic God had their own concepts of God differenet from Vedic God. They said that those who did not believe in their God were atheists and drowned in sorrow. Additionally they said that such people went to hell.

KNOW YOUR GOD

WATCH THESE YOUTUBE VIDEOS OF SWAMI DAYANANDA SARASWATHI

Part 1

Part 2

Swami Dayananda Saraswathi had absolute belief in existence of God. In 1875-77 when he wrote this book, India was a colony of the British. Rajasthan state (Central India) where he lived most of the time consisted of multiple princely states such as Mewad and Marwad. He got support from the Indian princes of these states to freely propagate his beliefs.

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