Arya
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- This article is about the Sanskrit term Arya. For the English term Aryan, see Aryan. For linguistic uses, see Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Iranian languages and Indo-European languages. For Arya in the Inheritance trilogy, see Arya Dröttningu. For Arya (South Indian Film Actor) see Arya
Arya (árya-) is a Sanskrit term used by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains. It means "master, noble, lord" or can refer to any kshatriya. In Avestan, the cognate word is an n-stem, airyan-. In Persian language, Arya primarily means "noble" and is a common first name, and is also a spiritual term in Zoroastrianism.
The honorific term -ji (which is used for example in Gandhiji), is derived from Arya (through the Pali aya or aja and Apabhramsa aje).
Aryans were the kshatriya tribes mentioned in the Rig Veda. Initially it only referred to the kings and warriors and later started being used by priests and others. See Aryan for a detailed discussion of the term's origin and etymology.
The important Sanskrit lexicon Amarakosha (ca. 450 AD) defines Aryan as: "An Arya is one who hails from a noble family, of gentle behavior and demeanor, good-natured and of righteous conduct. (mahakula kulinarya sabhya sajjana sadhavah.)"
Arya is also a term that has been used by Indians to refer to themselves. The Sanskrit texts use the word Arya (not Hindu) for Indians. The more common term Hindu (from Sindhu-river), on the other hand, was first used by foreigners to designate Indians. Central and North India was at one time called Aryavarta ("land of Aryas"). Vivekananda remarked: "...it is the Hindus who have all along called themselves Aryas. Whether of pure or mixed blood, the Hindus are Aryas; there it rests." (Vivekananda, Complete Works vol.5)
Aryasanga is the name of a Buddhist philosopher and author ([1]), and Aryabhata is the name of an Indian mathematician.
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Religious and spiritual uses
The term Arya is often used in Hindu, Zoroastrian, Buddhist, and Jain texts. In the Indian spiritual context it can be applied to Rishis or to someone who has mastered the four noble truths and entered upon the spiritual path. The religions of India are sometimes called collectively "Arya Dharma," a term that includes the religions that originated in India (e.g. Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma), Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism).
In the Avesta of Zoroastrianism it is used to describe members of an ethnic group and contrasts with other groups named in the text and with those who are considered "non-Arya." (Encyclopedia Iranica, p. 681)
According to Swami Vivekananda, "A child materially born is not an Aryan; the child born in spirituality is an Aryan.” He further elaborated, referring to the Manu Smriti: "Says our great law-giver, Manu, giving the definition of an Aryan, "He is the Aryan, who is born through prayer". Every child not born through prayer is illegitimate, according to the great law-giver. The child must be prayed for. Those children that come with curses, that slip into the world, just in a moment of inadvertence, because that could not be prevented - what can we expect of such progeny?..."(Swami Vivekananda, Complete Works vol.8)
The term Arya is used 36 times in 34 hymns in the Rig Veda. According to Talageri (2000, The Rig Veda-A historical analysis) "the particular Vedic Aryans of the Rigveda were one section among these Purus, who called themselves Bharatas." Thus it is possible, according to Talageri, that at one point of time Arya did refer to a specific tribe.
The word Arya is also often used in Jainism. The word occurs frequently in the Jain text Pannavanasutta. Swami Dayananda founded the religious organisation Arya Samaj in 1875.
Buddhism
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The word Arya is very frequently used in Buddhist texts. Buddhist texts refer to this term much more often than do Hindu or Jain texts. Buddha's Dharma and Vinaya is the ariyassa dhammavinayo. The four noble truths are called the Arya Satyani (Sanskrit: catvAri-Arya-satyAni, Pali: cattari Arya sachchani), the noble eightfold path is called the Aryamarga (Arya-ashtANgika-mArga, in Pali:Ariyamagga). Buddhists themselves are called ariyapuggalas (Arya persons). In Buddhist texts, the Aryas are those who have the Buddhist "sila" virtue and are following the Buddhist path. Those who despise Buddhism are often called "Anaryas".
In Chinese Buddhist texts, Arya is translated as "sheng", while in Japanese texts the term is translated as "sei".
The spiritual character of the use of the term Arya in Buddhist texts can also be seen in the Mahavibhasa and in the Yogacarabhumi. The Mahavibhasa (Taisho 1545, vol. xxvii, 401c29-402a12, 402b5-6, and 402a27-b6) states that only the noble ones (Aryas) realize all four of the four noble truths (aryasatya) and that only a noble wisdom understands them fully. The same text also describes the Aryas as the ones who "have understood and realized about the [truth of] suffering, [impermanence, emptiness, and no-self]" and who "understand things as they are". (Deshpande/ Gomez in Bronkhorst & Deshpande 1999). In another text, the Yogacarabhumi (Taisho 1579, vol. xx, 364b10-15), the Aryas are described as being free from the viparyasas (misconceptions).
Several Buddhist texts show that the "Aryan path" was taught to everybody, including the Aryas, Dasyus, Devas, Gandharvas and Asuras. The Bhaisajyavastu (from the Mulasarvastivadavinaya) describes a story of Buddha teaching his Dharma to the four guardian gods (Maharajas) of the four directions. In this story, the guardians of the east (Dhrtarastra) and the south ((Virudhaka) are aryajatiya (Aryas) who speak Sanskrit, while the guardians of the west (Virupaksa) and the north (Vaisravana) are dasyujatiya (Dasyus) who speak Dasyu languages. In order to teach his Dharma, Buddha has to deliver his discourse in Aryan and Dasyu languages. This story describes that Buddha taught his Dharma to the Aryas and Dasyus alike. The Karandavyuha (a Mahayana sutra) describes how Avalokitesvara taught the Arya Dharma to the Asuras, Yaksas and Raksasas.
Arya in the Epics
Arya and Anarya are primarily used in the moral sense in the Hindu Epics. People are usually called Arya or Anarya based on their behaviour.
Ramayana
In the Ramayana, the term Arya can also apply to Raksasas or to Ravana, if their behaviour was "Aryan". In several instances, the Vanaras and Raksasas call themselves Arya. The monkey king Surgriva is called an Arya (Ram: 505102712) and he also speaks of his brother Valin as an Arya (Ram: 402402434). In another instance in the Ramayana, Ravana regards himself and his ministers as Aryas (Ram: 600600512).
In the Ramayana (202901512) Rama describes a Suta as Arya and the Raksasa Indrajit even calls Rama an Anarya (Ramayana: 607502112).
The Ramayana describes Rama as: arya sarva samascaiva sadaiva priyadarsanah "Arya, who worked for the equality of all and was dear to everyone."
Mahabharata
In the Mahabharata, the terms Arya or Anarya are often applied to people according to their behaviour. Duhsasana, who tried to disrobe Draupadi in the Kaurava court, is called an "Anarya" (Mbh:0020600253). Vidura, the son of a Dasi born from Vyasa, was the only person in the assembly whose behaviour is called "Arya", because he was the only one who openly protested when Draupadi was being disrobed by Duhsasana. The Pandavas called themselves "Anarya" in the Mahabharata (0071670471) when they killed Drona trough deception.
According to the Mahabharata, a person's behaviour (and not wealth or learning) determines if he can be called an Arya (Mbh: tasyam samsadi sarvasyam ksatttaram pujayamy aham/ vrttena hi bhavaty aryo na dhanena na vidyaya. 0050880521). (Deshpande/ Gomez in Bronkhorst & Deshpande 1999).
References
- Bhaisajavasta in Mulasarvastivadavinaavastu. In Gilgit Mansuscripts, Vol. III, Part I. Edited by Nalinaksha Dutt. The Kashmir Series of Texts & Studies, No. LXXI (E). 1947. Srinagar: Research Departement.
- J. Bronkhorst and M.M. Deshpande. 1999. Aryan and Non-Aryan in South Asia. Ann Arbor, University of Michigan Press.
- Bryant, Edwin: The Quest for the Origins of Vedic Culture. 2001. Oxford University Press.ISBN 0195137779
- Elst, Koenraad Update on the Aryan Invasion Debate. 1999. ISBN 8186471774 [2], [3]
- Karandavyuha. In Mahayanasturasamgraha. Edited by P.L. Vaidya. Parts I-II. Buddhist Sanskrit Texts, Nos. 17 and 18. 1961 and 1964 Darbhanga: The Mithila Institue.
- Mahabharata. The electronic text of the B.O.R.I. Critical Edition, prepared by Muneo Tokunaga.
- Ramayana. Electronic version of the Baroda Critical Edition, prepared by Muneo Tokunaga.
- Sethna, K.D. 1992. The Problem of Aryan Origins. New Delhi: Aditya Prakashan.
- Trautmann, Thomas R. 1997, Aryans and British India. Berkeley: University of California Press.
External links
- 'Arya': Its Significance (Aurobindo in 'Arya', September 1914)nl:Heilige (boeddhisme)