Arya Prathinidhi Sabha &
Arya Samaj of Melbourne Est. 2007 · Melbourne

About the Arya Samaj of Melbourne

Who we are, the great Rishi whose teachings inspire us, and the principles that guide everything we do.

Who we are

A society of noble and benevolent people

The Arya Prathinidhi Sabha & Arya Samaj of Melbourne (APSASM), commonly known as the Arya Samaj of Melbourne (ASM), is a small group of people committed, voluntarily, to promoting the teachings of the Vedas to the best of their ability. The word Arya means a noble and benevolent person, Prathinidhi means representative, Sabha means organisation and Samaj means society — so our name means an organisation representing noble and benevolent people through a society of noble and benevolent people.

APSASM was started by its founding president and Purohit, Pt. Prashant Kumar Sharma, in November 2007, and was registered and incorporated on 16 December 2008. The Samaj believes in, and works towards, the reform of society in accordance with Dharma. We strive to oppose the evils and malpractices of society and encourage our members to display noble conduct in everyday life.

Our purpose is embodied in the sixth principle of the Arya Samaj — to do good to the whole world, that is, to promote the physical, spiritual and social good of everyone. The pursuit of Satya (truth) is the imperative quality of every member, practised to the best of their ability.

“He alone can fitly be called a man who, being strong, protects the weak.” — Maharishi Swami Dayanand Saraswati
Portrait of Maharishi Swami Dayanand Saraswati
Maharishi Swami Dayanand Saraswati (1824–1883)
Our inspiration

Maharishi Swami Dayanand Saraswati

Born in 1824 in Tankara, Gujarat, Maharishi Dayanand renounced worldly life as a young man in search of truth, studying for years under his guru, Swami Virjanand. On 7 April 1875 he founded the Arya Samaj — a movement calling humanity back to the Vedas as the source of all true knowledge.

Through his great work, the Satyarth Prakash (The Light of Truth), he opposed superstition, idol worship, discrimination by birth and the suppression of women, and championed education, reason and the universal brotherhood of humanity. He passed away in 1883, leaving a movement that continues worldwide today.

“I have only brought before my people the light of the Vedic wisdom which had been hidden during the centuries of India’s thraldom.” — Maharishi Swami Dayanand Saraswati
The foundation

The Ten Principles of the Arya Samaj

Formulated by Maharishi Dayanand, these ten principles guide the belief and conduct of every Arya.

  1. God is the efficient cause of all true knowledge and of all that is known through knowledge.
  2. God is existent, intelligent and blissful. He is formless, omniscient, just, merciful, unborn, endless, unchangeable, beginningless, unequalled, the support and master of all, omnipresent, immanent, unaging, immortal, fearless, eternal and holy, and the maker of all. He alone is worthy of being worshipped.
  3. The Vedas are the scriptures of all true knowledge. It is the paramount duty of all Aryas to read them, teach them, recite them and to hear them being read.
  4. One should always be ready to accept truth and to renounce untruth.
  5. All acts should be performed in accordance with Dharma — that is, after deliberating on what is right and what is wrong.
  6. The prime object of the Arya Samaj is to do good to the whole world, that is, to promote the physical, spiritual and social good of everyone.
  7. Our conduct towards all should be guided by love, righteousness and justice.
  8. We should dispel ignorance (Avidya) and promote knowledge (Vidya).
  9. No one should be content with promoting their own good only; on the contrary, one should look for one’s good in promoting the good of all.
  10. One should regard oneself as bound to follow the rules of society that promote the well-being of all, while in matters of individual welfare everyone should be free.
Our objectives

The purpose of the Samaj

As set out in our constitution, the purpose of the Samaj shall be:

  1. To propagate the ten principles of the Arya Samaj as propounded by Maharishi Swami Dayanand Saraswati.
  2. To impart and promote the study of the Vedas, Vedangas, ancient Sanskrit and other literature, science and industry.
  3. To obtain the services of Vedic preachers.
  4. To assist orphans and the poor.
  5. To promote the physical, moral and social good of everyone.
  6. To organise the preaching of the Vedas.
  7. To promote and direct meetings of members for their development in accordance with Vedic teachings.
  8. To safeguard the present and future interests of the Arya Samaj with respect to humanity.
  9. To do all things that are incidental or conducive to the attainment of any of the objects of the Samaj.
Walk the path with us

Learn, reflect and serve

Join our Satsang and study programs, or become a member of the Samaj.

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