A Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism Klaus K Klostermaie

27 asceticism
Artha-ÿästra
(‘the science of acquiring wealth
[and power]’)
A class of writings dealing with economics
and politics. One such work, the
Kauflilïya Ärtha-ÿästra, ascribed to the
time of the MAURYAS, has been preserved
and widely studied.
Arunäcala (‘Red mountain’)
A large hill in South India sacred to
Ÿiva, next to Tiruvannamalai, an
ancient place of pilgrimage. It became
well known through RAMANA MAHARÆI
who went there as a young boy and
established an ashram that attracted
many devotees from India and abroad.
Äryans (from ärya, ‘noble’)
The self-designation of the Vedic people
as distinct from the anärya, the unfree
and the tribals. Their rules were called
ärya dharma; acting contrary to these
was anärya, ‘ignoble’.
Äryabhaflfla (fifth century CE)
The earliest known Indian mathematician
and astronomer, author of the
famous Äryabhaflflïya and the Äryasiddhänta.
He is also reputed to have introduced
the decimal-place value system.
Ärya Samäj
(‘Äryan Society’)
A reform movement founded in Bombay
in 1875 by Swami DÄYÄNANDA
SARASVATÏ (1824–83) from Morvi
(Gujarat). Däyänanda considered popular
puräæic Hinduism a corruption of
the Vedic tradition and wanted Hindus
to return to the original Vedic DHARMA.
He abolished all PÜJÄs and all devotional
paraphernalia, reintroduced the
Vedic fire sacrifice (AGNIHOTRA) and
aimed at re-converting Indian Muslims
and Christians to (reformed) Hinduism.
The basic teachings of Däyänanda
Sarasvatï are contained in his Satyärtha
Prakäÿa (Splendour of the True
Meaning (of the Veda), or ‘Light of
Truth’), the rituals are laid down in his
Pañca-mahä-yajña-vidhi and the domestic
rites are described in the Saskäravidhi.
The VEDA alone is accepted as
unconditionally true. He wished to
make the Veda available to everyone,
including women and people from low
CASTES. Engagement on behalf of society
at large and improvement of living conditions
was also central to early Ärya
Samäj practice.
The Ärya Samäj established schools
following the traditional GURUKULA system
with SANSKRIT as medium of
instruction and traditional subjects as
content. The Ärya Samäj split into two
branches, one of which aimed at offering
modern English medium instruction.
There are numerous DAV (Dayananda
Anglo Vedic) colleges in India. Some
members of the Ärya Samäj also became
instrumental in the establishment of
Hindu nationalist organizations that are
working for a transformation of India
into a Hindu state, such as the RSS
(RÄÆTØÏYA SVAYAMSEVAK SANGH), the
JANA SANGH party (later merged into the
JÄNATÄ PARTY and into the BJP
(BHÄRATÏYA JÄNATÄ PARTY), the VIŸVA
HINDÜ PARIÆAD and others.
Today the Ärya Samäj has centres in
all cities and towns of India and in
many cities abroad and claims a membership
of over a million.
asat (‘non-being’)
A condition of non-differentiation,
assumed to exist before creation.
asceticism
Hindus were famous from antiquity for
their asceticism. Ascetic practices
(TAPAS) were assumed to create powers
that are irresistible. Self-control and
observation of a strict regimen were
part of general ethics. A Hindu was