Written by Sulaiman Razvi
As everyone knows, Arya Samaj emerged as an extremist sect of Hinduism. It’s founder Mulshankar (Dayanand Saraswati) criticized all religions of the world, He used abhorrent words against other religious personalities and religions. No doubt he was an ignorant, mannerless, uncultured person. He used to live naked, and was addicted to cannabis. So what can we expect from a person who used to write under the influence of cannabis. He was full of hatred and spew venom probably because he understood his Vedas very well which are hostile to other religions, refers to non-Vedic followers as Barbarians, Demons and even calls for their destruction. In his book Satyarth Prakash he acknowledged the fact that Jains were persecuted by Hindus in ancient India, so instead of apologizing to them Mulshankar made derogatory remarks against Jain scriptures. A popular personality of Arya Samaj Lala Lajpat Rai writes about Arya Samaj,
“The Arya Samaj is militant, not only externally ― i.e., in its attitude towards other religions ― but it is equally militant internally”
Now let’s have a look at what Mulshankar wrote about Jainism and Buddhism,
”such as feeding the priest in order to satisfy the spirits of the dead, a most dreadful religion, called Jainism or Buddhism, that reviled the Vedas and the Shaastras, sprang up into existence. It is related that in this very country there was a certain king of Gorakhpur who performed a sacrifice in which these popes officiated. His beloved queen died during an act of sexual intercourse with a horse as required in such a sacrifice.”- Satyarth Prakash, by Dayanand Saraswati, page 343-344, Tr. Chiranjiva Bhardwaja
It is important to note that, here Mulshankar is trying to mock Jainism with the Horse Sacrifice when sex with horse is a Vedic ritual called Ashvamedha Yajna clearly sanctioned by Vedas, Puranas, and Brahmanas.
”A. ~ Learned men should mark how stupid the Jain scriptures are.”- Satyarth Prakash, by Dayanand Saraswati, page 545, Tr. Chiranjiva Bhardwaja.
‘‘What a nice trap have the Jainees set to attract fools who would like nothing better than to be placed in the way of attaining salvation without having to do (righteous) deeds. We do not think that there exists a religion more idiotic than this.”- Satyarth Prakash, by Dayanand Saraswati, page 559, Tr. Chiranjiva Bhardwaja.
”All the rest of their teachings are absurd to thoroughly incredible extent. In order to discuss all the stupid things written in the Jain books such a large number of books will have to be written that it would be impossible to go through them all in a life-time.”-Satyarth Prakash, by Dayanand Saraswati, page 585, Tr. Chiranjiva Bhardwaja.
”If the worship of the senses and the mind (i.e., becoming a slave to them) is held to be the means of attaining, what difference is there, then, between the Buddhists and the sensualists? When the Buddhists did not escape being slaves to the senses, how could they ever attain salvation? People who are slaves to their senses can never have an idea of what salvation really is. What a wonderful progress have hey (i.e., the Buddhists)made in ignorance? They have really no equal in this respect. It is certain that this is the result of their opposing the Veda and God…These people have come to believe in such stupid things by rejecting the Veda and God.”- Satyarth Prakash, by Dayanand Saraswati, page 517-18, Tr. Chiranjiva Bhardwaja
Mulshankar also blames Jainism for the origin of idol worship in India,
Q. – With whom did idol worship originate?
A. ~It originated with the Jainees.
Q. – Why did the Jainees start idol worship?
A. ~They did it out of their ignorance.
Q. – The Jainees contend that when one looks at an idol which is symbolical of deep meditation and peaceful repose, one’s soul is illumined by these spiritual influences.
A. ~ The soul is possessed of consciousness, while idol is dead and inert. Do you mean to say that the soul should also lose its consciousness and become lifeless like the idol. Idol worship is a fraud. The Jaiinees were the authors of this mode of worship. Their beliefs will be examined in the 12th Chapter.” Satyarth Prakash, Ch 11, page 370, by Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Tr. Chiranjiva Bhardwaja
