Prarthana Samaj

Prarthana Samaj, or "Prayer Society" in Sanskrit, is a movement for religious and social reform in Maharashtra based on previous reform movements and traditions of Maharashtra. The direct predecessor of the Prarthana Samaj in Mumbai was the Paramahamsa Sabha, a secret society for the furtherance of liberal ideas formed in 1849 by Ram Balkrishna Jaykar and others in Mumbai. It was secret in order to avoid the wrath of the powerful and orthodox elements of society. Meetings were for discussion, the singing of hymns, and the sharing of a communal meal prepared by a low-caste cook. Members ate bread baked by Christians and drank water brought by Moslems [ [http://philtar.ucsm.ac.uk/encyclopedia/hindu/devot/prarth.html "Prarthana Samaj", PHILTAR, St. Martin's College.] ] .

Religious Reform

Like the parallel Brahmo Samaj of Bengal, the Prarnatha Samaj represented an Indian response to European liberalism, including the ideals of rational or theistic belief and social reform. The Prarthana Samaj(ists) are followers of the great religious tradition of the Maratha Sant Mat like Namdev, Tukaram and Ramdas(the guru of Shivaji). The Brahmo Samaj founders examined many world religions including ancient Vedic texts which subsequently were not accepted to be infallible or divine. Although the adherents of Prarthana Samaj were devoted theists, they also do not regard the Vedas as divine or infallible. They drew their nourishment from the Hindu scriptures and used the hymns of the old Marathi "poet-saints" in their prayers [ [http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:irodjet93LMJ:www.ibiblio.org/jainism/database/ARTICLE/rajendra.doc+%22prarthana+samaj%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=22&gl=us B. N. Luniya, "Rajendra Suri: A Reformer and Revivalist".] ] . Their ideas trace back to the devotional poems of the Vitthalas [ [http://philtar.ucsm.ac.uk/encyclopedia/hindu/devot/vitt.html Vitthalas (Varkari Panth), PHILTAR, St. Martin's College.] ] as part of the Vaishnava bhakti devotional movements of the thirteenth century in southern Maharashtra [ [http://philtar.ucsm.ac.uk/encyclopedia/hindu/devot/prarth.html "Prarthana Samaj", PHILTAR, St. Martin's College.] ] . The Marathi poets had inspired a movement of resistance to the Mughals. But, beyond religious concerns, the primary focus of the Prarnatha Samaj was on social and cultural reform.

Social Reform

Prarthana Samaj critically examined the relations between contemporary social and cultural systems and religious beliefs and gave priority to social reform as compared with the political changes already initiated by the British government. Their comprehensive reform movement has led many impressive projects of cultural change and social reform in Western India, such as the improvement of the lot of women and depressed classes, an end to the caste system, abolition of child marriages and infanticide, educational opportunites for women, and remarriage of widows. Its success was guided by Sir Ramakrishna Gopal Bhandarkar, a noted Sanskrit scholar, Dr. Atmaram Pandurang, Narayan Chandavarkar, and Justice Mahadev Govinda Ranade. Ranade emphasized that "the reformer must attempt to deal with the whole man and not to carry out reform on one side only". "The social organism in India," according to Ranade, "shows a growth which should not be ignored and cannot be forcibly suppressed." Later Prarthana Samaj, in Pune, continued the reforms of the caste system and untouchability. Maharshi Vithal Ramji Shinde championed the complete eradication of caste and untouchability. He founded the first depressed classes mission.

See also

* History of Maharashtra, Social Reform Movements
* Marathi literature
* Hindu Renaissance
* Hindu reform movements

Literature

* Suresh K. Sharma and Usha Sharma, "Cultural and Religious Heritage of India," vol. VIII: "Cultural and Religious Reform Movements," New Delhi, Mittal, (2004) ISBN 81-7099-955-3.

References