Swami Satyabhakta (Hindi: स्वामी सत्यभक्त, born as Darbarilal; 10 November 1899 – 10 December 1998) was an Indian scholar, philosopher, reformer and the founder of Satya Samaj.[2]

Swami Satyabhakta
Personal
Born(1899-11-10)10 November 1899
Died10 December 1998(1998-12-10) (aged 99)
ReligionHinduism
Philosophysyncretic and rationalistic
Religious career
GuruShiksha-Guru Ganeshprasad Varni
Literary worksManav Dharmashastra (1951) etc.
HonorsNyayacharya, Swami
Quotation

"भाई पढ़ले यह संसार, खुला हुआ है महा शास्त्र, यह शास्त्रों का आधार"[1]

Early life edit

Born Mulchanda at Shahpur, Sagar, he moved to Damoh to his aunt's house after the death of his mother at age 4, where he was renamed Darbarilal. He met Ganeshprasad Varni at Damoh and influenced by him, he joined the pathshala established by Varniji at Sagar. At age 19, he graduated with the title Nyayatirth and became a teacher at Sdyavad Vdyalaya at Varanasi for a year. He then moved to Seoni and then Indore, where he developed his rationalistic principles.

In 1923, he became a reformer.[3] He lived in Bombay during 1926-1936, where he edited Jain Jagat and Jain Prakash. He started writing a series of articles that were later compiled into Jain Dharma Samiksha.[4] He eventually moved to Wardha in 1936 and established his Ashrama there.

Works edit

He was a prolific author. His writings include Buddhahridayam,[5] Jain Dharma Mimansa,[6] Mahavira Ka Antahsthal,[7] Manav Bhasha,[8] Meri Africa Yatra,[9] Anmol Patra[10] etc. Swamiji worked hard to evolve in 1945-46 the new language which swamiji called Manav Bhasa of which grammar is complete and having no exceptions and very simple and can be learn in a month. "Aditi" of Sri Aurobindo Ashram wrote four pages about Manavbhasha. Swamiji compare Manavbhasha with Esperanto another language by Zamenhof a Polish Eye Surgen in 1887 and a book named Esperanto verses Manav Bhasha was published in 1971.

His early work was published as Darbarilal Nyayatirtha (as an orthodox Jain scholar) Darbarilal Satyabhakta during the transitional period. He contested against Zakir Husain in the 1967 Indian presidential election but failed to win any votes.[11]

He composed a complete library of texts include three volumes of Satyamrita or Manava Dharmashastra. They include Drishti Kanda, a text on philosophy; Achara Kanda, a treatise on conduct of advanced individuals, analogous to Jain Acharnaga; and Vyavahara Kanda, on which is analogous to Dharma Shastra of Manu or Shravakacharas in the Jain tradition. He also composed a set of prayers towards Satyar deities, published as Satya Sangita. He wrote a text Nirativada on social economics, that advocated an economic system that avoids the extremes of Marxism and Capitalism. His Vivaha Paddhati formulates a new form of marriage based on the traditional ceremony.[12]

Satya Samaj edit

The religious/philosophical movement Satya Samaj founded by him in 1934 and is active in several regions of India [13][14] and UK.[15] Satya Samaj organizes yearly conventions.[16]

Swami Satyabhakta established a Satya Mandir temple at Vardha with a new pantheon that includes Lord Satya (truth) as the father and Goddess Ahimsa (non-violence) as the mother.[17] While her right hand in the abhaya mudra, she hold a club in her left hand, symbolising that bravery is needed to preserve peace. The altar also has 8 images of the prophets belonging to various religious traditions, including Zoroaster and Karl Marx.[18]

Influence edit

He was an early rationalistic syncretic philosopher. Osho has described meeting him and discussing on establishing a new religious order[19] While he was in Bombay, he was a friend of both Nathuram Premi and Sukhlal Sanghvi known for their open minded perspective.[20]

Footnotes edit

  1. ^ अखण्ड ज्योति 1967 नवम्बर
  2. ^ In The Mirror Of My Memories, Life Of Pandit Nathu Ram Premi: Scholar And Social Reformer, by Pandit Sukhlal Sanghvi, Jain Jagaran ke Agraduta, Bharatiya Jnanapitha, 1952, p. 267-268
  3. ^ Sadhu Satyasnehi, Sankshipt Jivan Parichaya, 1999
  4. ^ Jain Dharma Samiksha, 1958
  5. ^ Buddhahridayam, Siddayya, Shaik, Satyabhakta, Darbarilal,1967
  6. ^ Jain Dharma Mimansa, Darbarilal Satyabhakt, Satya Samaj Granthamala, Bombay, 1936
  7. ^ Mahavira Ka Antahsthal, Satyashram Wardha, 1943
  8. ^ Hindī Vyākaraṇa Kā Itihāsa, Ananta Caudharī, Bihāra Hindī Grantha Akādemī, 1972
  9. ^ Yātrā-Sāhitya Kā Udbhava Aura Vikāsa, Surendra Māthura, Sāhitya Prakāśana,1962
  10. ^ Hindī Kā Patra-Sāhitya, Kamala Puñjānī Kr̥shṇā Pradarsa, 1983
  11. ^ "PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION FROM 1952 TO 1997" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  12. ^ Atma Katha, Swami Satya Bhakta, Satyashrama, Dec. 1940, p. 288-291
  13. ^ Satya Samaj Prayag, Samaj Sudharak: Raja Rammohan Rai, Lalbahadur Singh Chauhan, Atmaram & Sons, p.95
  14. ^ सत्याश्रम सत्य समाज के कुलाचार्य, Dainik Bhaskar, August 2010, http://www4.bhaskar.com/article/MP-OTH-1517233-2331525.html[permanent dead link]
  15. ^ Sarvdesic Satya Samaj UK, http://www.satyasamajuk.com
  16. ^ सत्य समाज का राष्ट्रीय कार्यकारिणी सम्मेलन Bhaskar News Network, Mar 13, 2017
  17. ^ इनके मंदिर में विराजते हैं निराले भगवान, रोहित उपाध्याय, Nav Bharat Times, 08 Oct 2020
  18. ^ Satyar Satya Mandir, Swami Satyabhakta, 7/12/1948
  19. ^ स्‍वर्णिम बचपन, मैं एक आदमी को जानता हूं...वे है स्‍वामी सत्य भक्त, http://oshosatsang.org/category/%E0%A4%AC%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8-%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%80-%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80-%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%87/
  20. ^ In The Mirror Of My Memories, Life Of Pandit Nathu Ram Premi: Scholar And Social Reformer, by Pandit Sukhlal Sanghvi, Jain Jagaran ke Agraduta, Bharatiya Jnanapitha, 1952, p. 267-268

External links edit