Satyarth Prakash: Opening Notes

The Satyarth Prakash (The light of Truth) is the masterpiece of Swami Dayanand Saraswati. Some call it as Magnum Opus. No doubt, it is a great literary undertaking, as the lexicographic contents denote. But I go a step further. The lexicon (Oxford) says, Magnum, a bottle containing a certain quantity of wine. But as the great writer of this masterpiece Swami Dayanand was a symbol of ultimate morality and spiritualism and was a sage of standing, he never touched a drop of wine. And so his present work does not contain any such alcoholic impact. But one thing is undoubtedly true about it. This great, book (Satyarth Prakash) is, indeed, and encyclopedia of the various contemporary social religious and political currents cross-currents and movements going on at the time of the writer’s life. To go it further, the writer has not spared the past events and guiding philosophies, which has polluted the human mind and deteriorated the man’s quest for true knowledge and right way of life.

When one analyzes this work from this angle, we have witnessed that this great masterwork(Satyarth Prakash) of Swami Dayanand Saraswati positively made or brought revolution in the socio-political fabric not only of the Indians but of the whole mankind. It created a new flutter and awakening in the society, that made the various thinkers and followers and scholars of different faiths and sects to make drastic changes in their concepts, beliefs and interpretations contained in their Books of Faith. No doubt, much more crusading spirit was witnessed among the readers of this book who hailed from different races, communities and groups. The word Magnum, therefore, has no parallel like that in the context of this work.

Its repeated study, research and investigation have greatly contributed to the thinking of humankind, since it was written by the author, more than a hundred years ago.

The liberal angle which motivated the writer is summed up by him in the introduction, where he unfailingly disclaimed to start a new sect or religion and laid his firm faith in the oneness of human society. The introduction has Swami’s following words:

“………..there is not the remotest idea to hurt the feelings of any person either directly or indirectly but on the contrary, the book proposes that men should distinguish truth from falsehood. Thus alone can the human race steadily advance on the path of happiness, since none but the preaching of truth is the cause of the improvement of the human family.”

Such a selfless exposition by the writer has found a distinct position for this author in the world literature of this kind. The English translation of his book was rendered by Dr. Chiranjiva Bharadwaja in the last century. It enjoys greater popularity and has already run into a number of reprints.

The Sabha has brought it out to meet the great and persistent demand and as a present on the sacred occasion of Swami Dayanand’s Nirvan (Death) Centenary which being celebrated all over the world this year, under the Sabha’s aegis.

Satyarth Prakash means the Light of Truth. In fact, it is a Light House in the ocean of knowledge, where human mind can anchor at safe point during the turmoil and tempest. That way, this book has weightage over other works numbering……… written by the Swami during his life time.

Ram Gopal Shalwale

President.

June 1984

Sarvadeshik Arya Pratinidhi Sabha

Dayanand Bhavan, Ramlita Ground

New Delhi -11002 (India)