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{{See also|Svādhyāya}}{{Short description|Religious movement}} | |||
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2018}} | {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2018}} | ||
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2018}} | {{Use Indian English|date=August 2018}} | ||
{{Hindu philosophy}} | {{Hindu philosophy}} | ||
The '''Swadhyaya Movement''' or '''Swadhyaya Parivara''' started in mid 20th-century in the western states of [[India]], particularly [[Maharashtra]] and [[Gujarat]].<ref name=pankajshah/> Founded by [[Pandurang Shastri Athavale]] (1920-2003), the movement emphasizes self-study ('' | The '''Swadhyaya Movement''' or '''Swadhyaya Parivara''' started in the mid 20th-century in the western states of [[India]], particularly [[Maharashtra]] and [[Gujarat]].<ref name=pankajshah/> Founded by [[Pandurang Shastri Athavale]] (1920-2003), the movement emphasizes self-study (S''wadhyaya''), selfless devotion (''[[Bhakti]]'') and application of Indian scriptures such as the ''[[Upanishads]]'' and ''[[Bhagavad gita|Bhagavad Gita]]'' for spiritual, social and economic liberation.<ref name=pankajshah/><ref name=fisher>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ytOHbLdtSY4C&pg=PA109|title= Swadhyay Movement in Living Religions: An Encyclopaedia of the World's Faiths|author= Mary Pat Fisher|publisher= I.B.Tauris|year= 1996|isbn=1-86064-148-2|page= 109}}</ref> | ||
The movement focuses on the Upanishadic ''[[mahāvākyas]]'' (great teachings) related with Vedic belief that | The movement focuses on the Upanishadic ''[[mahāvākyas]]'' (great teachings) related with Vedic belief that God is within oneself, every human being, all living beings and all of God's creation. It encourages voluntary self-study, self-knowledge, community discourses and action with a responsibility to God in oneself and others.<ref name="Giri2009p1"/> Its temples typically highlight the deities Yogeshwara [[Krishna]], [[Parvati]], [[Ganesha]] and [[Shiva]] in a ''Vriksha Mandir'' ("temple of trees") setting. The sun is considered a deity, [[Surya]]. Prayers are performed in the [[Smarta tradition|Smarta tradition's]] [[Panchayatana puja]] format, attributed to [[Adi Shankara]].<ref name="Kirsch2016p91">{{cite book|author=Thomas G. Kirsch|title=Permutations of Order: Religion and Law as Contested Sovereignties |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BrooDAAAQBAJ |year=2016| publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-08215-6|pages=91–92}}</ref> Community members participate in ''Bhavabhakti'' (emotional devotion to the divine), ''Krutibhakti'' (actional devotion by voluntary service to the divine in all of God's creation), and ''Bhaktipheri'' (devotional travel to meet, work and help the well-being of community partners).<ref name="Giri2009p1"/> The movement members treat all men and women in the organization as a ''Parivara'' (family).<ref name="Giri2009p1">{{cite book|author=Ananta Kumar Giri|title=Self-development and Social Transformations?: The Vision and Practice of the Self-study Mobilization of Swadhyaya|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MG8jj2Xt8-cC |year=2009|publisher=Lexington Books|isbn=978-0-7391-1198-7|pages=1–14}}</ref> | ||
== History == | == History == | ||
Pandurang Shastri Athavale was born in a Maharashtrian Brahmin family in colonial India.<ref>{{cite book|author=Thomas G. Kirsch|title=Permutations of Order: Religion and Law as Contested Sovereignties|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BrooDAAAQBAJ |year=2016|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-08215-6|pages=90–92}}</ref> In the | Pandurang Shastri Athavale was born in a Maharashtrian Brahmin family in colonial India.<ref>{{cite book|author=Thomas G. Kirsch|title=Permutations of Order: Religion and Law as Contested Sovereignties|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BrooDAAAQBAJ |year=2016|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-08215-6|pages=90–92}}</ref> In the 1920s, while he was in his early twenties, Athavale began to deliver discourses on the ''Bhagavad Gita'' in Mumbai, India. He argued that both the liberal welfare-centric approach and socialism were incapable of bridging the gap between the rich and the needy. He rejected charity handouts, arguing that this creates a dependent relationship, attacks human dignity, and robs the recipient's sense of self-worth. He sought another way for liberating oneself spiritually, economically, and socially. He believed that the foundation and values for such a search were in the ancient texts of Hinduism. He began preaching these principles from Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita in his community, particularly in the downtrodden segments of society he called ''Agri, Bagri, and Sagri''.<ref name="Giri2009p1"/><ref name="DalmiaMalinar2003">{{cite book|author=[[Gita Dharampal-Frick]]|editor=[[Vasudha Dalmia]]|others=Angelika Malinar and Martin Christof|title=Charisma and Canon: Essays on the Religious History of the Indian Subcontinent|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QCatPAAACAAJ|year=2003|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-566620-5|pages=274–287}}</ref> This initiative began Athavale's Swadhyaya movement in 1958. His followers call him "Dada" (older brother).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shabdkosh.com |title=dada meaning in Marathi {{!}} dada translation in Marathi |url=https://www.shabdkosh.com/dictionary/english-marathi/dada/dada-meaning-in-marathi |access-date=2025-09-09 |website=SHABDKOSH |language=en}}</ref> | ||
The movement refuses any support or assistance from the state or non-governmental organizations (NGOs), relying entirely on volunteer activity of its members. It | The movement refuses any support or assistance from the state or non-governmental organizations (NGOs), relying entirely on the volunteer activity of its members. It has between 50,000 and 100,000 centres ("kendra" locations) and between 6 and 20 million followers in India, Portugal, USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East.<ref name=fisher/><ref name=pankajshah>{{cite book|title=Brill's Encyclopedia of Hinduism|chapter=Swadhyaya Movement and Pandurang Shastri Athavale|editor1=Knut A. Jacobsen|editor2= Helene Basu|editor3= Angelika Malinar|editor4= Vasudha Narayanan|author=Pankaj Shah|year=2016|doi=10.1163/2212-5019_beh_COM_9000000274}}</ref> | ||
== Etymology == | |||
In standard Classical Sanskrit, ''svādhyāyaḥ'' (Devanāgarī: स्वाध्याय:) means study (''adhyāya'') of the self (''sva''), i.e., self study, or self-development.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/scans/MWScan/2014/web/webtc/servepdf.php?page=1277|title=MW Cologne Scan|website=www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de|access-date=2020-02-13}}</ref> For Athavale and the Pariwar (family), [[Svādhyāya|Swadhyay]] is interpreted as fostering a habit of self-introspection, analyzing one's own self in order to improve.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Unterberger |first1=Betty Miller |last2=Sharma |first2=Rekha R. |date=1990 |title=Shri Pandurang Vaijnath Athavale Shastri and the Swadhyaya Movement in India |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/45193247 |journal=Journal of Third World Studies |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=116–132 |jstor=45193247 |issn=8755-3449}}</ref> The understanding of an in-dwelling God imbibed into Swadhyayees (practitioners of Swadhyay) by Athavale is said to motivate them towards true expression of devotion (Bhakti). | |||
== Theology == | |||
The Swadhyay Movement is founded on the concept of an "Indwelling God" within everything. Thus, within the Swadhyay theology, everything is divine. This belief in the indwelling divine is extended to trees, water, earth, and animals.<ref name=":1" /> The teachers in the Swadhyay Parivar assert that it is not a sect, a cult, a creed, a tradition, an institution, an organization, or even an organized religion. It is believed to be an attitude of the mind. It does not require any membership or vows. It is not initiated to be an agitation or a revolution. Swadhyay is independent of caste, religion, nationality, color, education, and one's status in society. Swadhyay is about individual transformation through spiritual awareness.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Swadhayaya: A Family of Millions |url=http://thedayusa.org/#intro |access-date=2024-06-29 |website=thedayusa.org}}</ref> Swadhyay is the right perspective or vision, which enables one to understand deeper aspects of spirituality and devotion. The basic fundamental thought that Swadhyay emphasizes is the concept of an indwelling God. ‘God dwells within’ i.e, ‘God exists within me and within everyone else’. All are children of the Divine. Hence, Swadhyay establishes the Divine Brotherhood under the Fatherhood of God i.e. ‘the other is not ‘other’, but he is my divine brother.’ The concept of the traditional family is extended to the Divine Family which is understood as a natural extension of the concept of an indwelling God. The very understanding that God resides within me makes me divine and worthy of respect. It also inspires the view that God or divinity is everywhere, present in all living things, and therefore all should be treated with respect and devotion. Thus, the concept of an indwelling God motivates people to care for the welfare of others. | |||
== | == Places of Worship == | ||
=== Tree-Temples === | |||
In | The first tree-temple or ''vrksha mandir'' of the Swadhyay Movement was planted in July 1979 in Kalavad village in Gujarat. This tree-temple of 6,000 trees was cultivated on barren and rocky land.<ref name=":1" /> In July 1993, a "Madhava Vrnda" was created in multiple locations, in which more than 7 million saplings were nurtured over 100 days. Currently, members of Swadhyay have planted at least two dozen tree-temples across Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh. Villagers nurture and visit the tree temples as a spiritual practice.<ref name=":1" /> | ||
Athavale coined phrases such as "Vrksa main Vasudeva" (God in trees) and "Paudhe main Prabhu" (God in plants). Athavale taught his followers that trees could teach humans ethical qualities. Pankaj Jain writes: <blockquote>''Trees develop a fixed bonding with the land. Trees are forever connected with the land that supports them. They grow at one place and provide shelter to others. They are stable and withstand all natural phenomena such as thunderstorms, cold winters, and hot summers with courage and patience. Athavale compared the Hindu god Śiva, who drank poison so that other gods could get nectar, with the trees which intake carbon dioxide so that others can get oxygen. Athavale also preached that the trees provide fruits even to those who throw stones; they provide roots and herbs for medicines, leaves and flowers for sacred rituals, fruits for physical strength, timber for construction, and shelter for travelers.''<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Jain |first=Pankaj |date=2009-01-01 |title=Dharmic Ecology: Perspectives from the Swadhyaya Practitioners |url=https://brill.com/view/journals/wo/13/3/article-p305_4.xml |journal=Worldviews |language=en |volume=13 |issue=3 |pages=305–320 |doi=10.1163/136352409X12535203555795 |issn=1363-5247|url-access=subscription }}</ref></blockquote>Consequently, the practice of cultivating "tree-temples" has grown in the Swadhyay Movement as a place of worship and ecological importance. | |||
=== Hut-Temples === | |||
Hut-temples or ''amrutalayam'' are said to be one of the first experiments of Athavale. The hut-temples were established as a place for villagers to gather regardless of socioeconomic status. They are built with materials such as straw, reeds, and leaves. Because they are built collectively by practitioners within a village, for the village, it is understood as the collective property of the village. <ref>{{Cite journal |last=Unterberger |first=Betty Miller |last2=Sharma |first2=Rekha R. |date=1990 |title=Shri Pandurang Vaijnath Athavale Shastri and the Swadhyaya Movement in India |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/45193247 |journal=Journal of Third World Studies |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=116–132 |issn=8755-3449}}</ref> | |||
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==References== | ==References== | ||
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* ''Vital Connections: Self, Society, God : Perspectives on Swadhyaya'', by Raj Krishan Srivastava. 1998; Weatherhill, {{ISBN|0-8348-0408-5}}. | * ''Vital Connections: Self, Society, God : Perspectives on Swadhyaya'', by Raj Krishan Srivastava. 1998; Weatherhill, {{ISBN|0-8348-0408-5}}. | ||
* "Dharma and Ecology of Hindu Communities: Sustenance and Sustainability", by [[Pankaj Jain]]. 2011; Ashgate, {{ISBN|978-1-4094-0591-7}}. | * "Dharma and Ecology of Hindu Communities: Sustenance and Sustainability", by [[Pankaj Jain]]. 2011; Ashgate, {{ISBN|978-1-4094-0591-7}}. | ||
{{Hindu reform movements}} | {{Hindu reform movements}} | ||
Latest revision as of 08:57, 13 March 2026
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The Swadhyaya Movement or Swadhyaya Parivara started in the mid 20th-century in the western states of India, particularly Maharashtra and Gujarat.[1] Founded by Pandurang Shastri Athavale (1920-2003), the movement emphasizes self-study (Swadhyaya), selfless devotion (Bhakti) and application of Indian scriptures such as the Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita for spiritual, social and economic liberation.[1][2]
The movement focuses on the Upanishadic mahāvākyas (great teachings) related with Vedic belief that God is within oneself, every human being, all living beings and all of God's creation. It encourages voluntary self-study, self-knowledge, community discourses and action with a responsibility to God in oneself and others.[3] Its temples typically highlight the deities Yogeshwara Krishna, Parvati, Ganesha and Shiva in a Vriksha Mandir ("temple of trees") setting. The sun is considered a deity, Surya. Prayers are performed in the Smarta tradition's Panchayatana puja format, attributed to Adi Shankara.[4] Community members participate in Bhavabhakti (emotional devotion to the divine), Krutibhakti (actional devotion by voluntary service to the divine in all of God's creation), and Bhaktipheri (devotional travel to meet, work and help the well-being of community partners).[3] The movement members treat all men and women in the organization as a Parivara (family).[3]
History[edit | edit source]
Pandurang Shastri Athavale was born in a Maharashtrian Brahmin family in colonial India.[5] In the 1920s, while he was in his early twenties, Athavale began to deliver discourses on the Bhagavad Gita in Mumbai, India. He argued that both the liberal welfare-centric approach and socialism were incapable of bridging the gap between the rich and the needy. He rejected charity handouts, arguing that this creates a dependent relationship, attacks human dignity, and robs the recipient's sense of self-worth. He sought another way for liberating oneself spiritually, economically, and socially. He believed that the foundation and values for such a search were in the ancient texts of Hinduism. He began preaching these principles from Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita in his community, particularly in the downtrodden segments of society he called Agri, Bagri, and Sagri.[3][6] This initiative began Athavale's Swadhyaya movement in 1958. His followers call him "Dada" (older brother).[7]
The movement refuses any support or assistance from the state or non-governmental organizations (NGOs), relying entirely on the volunteer activity of its members. It has between 50,000 and 100,000 centres ("kendra" locations) and between 6 and 20 million followers in India, Portugal, USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East.[2][1]
Etymology[edit | edit source]
In standard Classical Sanskrit, svādhyāyaḥ (Devanāgarī: स्वाध्याय:) means study (adhyāya) of the self (sva), i.e., self study, or self-development.[8] For Athavale and the Pariwar (family), Swadhyay is interpreted as fostering a habit of self-introspection, analyzing one's own self in order to improve.[9] The understanding of an in-dwelling God imbibed into Swadhyayees (practitioners of Swadhyay) by Athavale is said to motivate them towards true expression of devotion (Bhakti).
Theology[edit | edit source]
The Swadhyay Movement is founded on the concept of an "Indwelling God" within everything. Thus, within the Swadhyay theology, everything is divine. This belief in the indwelling divine is extended to trees, water, earth, and animals.[10] The teachers in the Swadhyay Parivar assert that it is not a sect, a cult, a creed, a tradition, an institution, an organization, or even an organized religion. It is believed to be an attitude of the mind. It does not require any membership or vows. It is not initiated to be an agitation or a revolution. Swadhyay is independent of caste, religion, nationality, color, education, and one's status in society. Swadhyay is about individual transformation through spiritual awareness.[11] Swadhyay is the right perspective or vision, which enables one to understand deeper aspects of spirituality and devotion. The basic fundamental thought that Swadhyay emphasizes is the concept of an indwelling God. ‘God dwells within’ i.e, ‘God exists within me and within everyone else’. All are children of the Divine. Hence, Swadhyay establishes the Divine Brotherhood under the Fatherhood of God i.e. ‘the other is not ‘other’, but he is my divine brother.’ The concept of the traditional family is extended to the Divine Family which is understood as a natural extension of the concept of an indwelling God. The very understanding that God resides within me makes me divine and worthy of respect. It also inspires the view that God or divinity is everywhere, present in all living things, and therefore all should be treated with respect and devotion. Thus, the concept of an indwelling God motivates people to care for the welfare of others.
Places of Worship[edit | edit source]
Tree-Temples[edit | edit source]
The first tree-temple or vrksha mandir of the Swadhyay Movement was planted in July 1979 in Kalavad village in Gujarat. This tree-temple of 6,000 trees was cultivated on barren and rocky land.[10] In July 1993, a "Madhava Vrnda" was created in multiple locations, in which more than 7 million saplings were nurtured over 100 days. Currently, members of Swadhyay have planted at least two dozen tree-temples across Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh. Villagers nurture and visit the tree temples as a spiritual practice.[10]
Athavale coined phrases such as "Vrksa main Vasudeva" (God in trees) and "Paudhe main Prabhu" (God in plants). Athavale taught his followers that trees could teach humans ethical qualities. Pankaj Jain writes:
Trees develop a fixed bonding with the land. Trees are forever connected with the land that supports them. They grow at one place and provide shelter to others. They are stable and withstand all natural phenomena such as thunderstorms, cold winters, and hot summers with courage and patience. Athavale compared the Hindu god Śiva, who drank poison so that other gods could get nectar, with the trees which intake carbon dioxide so that others can get oxygen. Athavale also preached that the trees provide fruits even to those who throw stones; they provide roots and herbs for medicines, leaves and flowers for sacred rituals, fruits for physical strength, timber for construction, and shelter for travelers.[10]
Consequently, the practice of cultivating "tree-temples" has grown in the Swadhyay Movement as a place of worship and ecological importance.
Hut-Temples[edit | edit source]
Hut-temples or amrutalayam are said to be one of the first experiments of Athavale. The hut-temples were established as a place for villagers to gather regardless of socioeconomic status. They are built with materials such as straw, reeds, and leaves. Because they are built collectively by practitioners within a village, for the village, it is understood as the collective property of the village. [12]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Pankaj Shah (2016). "Swadhyaya Movement and Pandurang Shastri Athavale". In Knut A. Jacobsen; Helene Basu; Angelika Malinar; Vasudha Narayanan (eds.). Brill's Encyclopedia of Hinduism. doi:10.1163/2212-5019_beh_COM_9000000274.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Mary Pat Fisher (1996). Swadhyay Movement in Living Religions: An Encyclopaedia of the World's Faiths. I.B.Tauris. p. 109. ISBN 1-86064-148-2.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Ananta Kumar Giri (2009). Self-development and Social Transformations?: The Vision and Practice of the Self-study Mobilization of Swadhyaya. Lexington Books. pp. 1–14. ISBN 978-0-7391-1198-7.
- ↑ Thomas G. Kirsch (2016). Permutations of Order: Religion and Law as Contested Sovereignties. Routledge. pp. 91–92. ISBN 978-1-317-08215-6.
- ↑ Thomas G. Kirsch (2016). Permutations of Order: Religion and Law as Contested Sovereignties. Routledge. pp. 90–92. ISBN 978-1-317-08215-6.
- ↑ Gita Dharampal-Frick (2003). Vasudha Dalmia (ed.). Charisma and Canon: Essays on the Religious History of the Indian Subcontinent. Angelika Malinar and Martin Christof. Oxford University Press. pp. 274–287. ISBN 978-0-19-566620-5.
- ↑ Shabdkosh.com. "dada meaning in Marathi | dada translation in Marathi". SHABDKOSH. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
- ↑ "MW Cologne Scan". www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
- ↑ Unterberger, Betty Miller; Sharma, Rekha R. (1990). "Shri Pandurang Vaijnath Athavale Shastri and the Swadhyaya Movement in India". Journal of Third World Studies. 7 (1): 116–132. ISSN 8755-3449. JSTOR 45193247.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Jain, Pankaj (1 January 2009). "Dharmic Ecology: Perspectives from the Swadhyaya Practitioners". Worldviews. 13 (3): 305–320. doi:10.1163/136352409X12535203555795. ISSN 1363-5247.
- ↑ "Swadhayaya: A Family of Millions". thedayusa.org. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
- ↑ Unterberger, Betty Miller; Sharma, Rekha R. (1990). "Shri Pandurang Vaijnath Athavale Shastri and the Swadhyaya Movement in India". Journal of Third World Studies. 7 (1): 116–132. ISSN 8755-3449.
Bibliography[edit | edit source]
- Swadhyaya: A Movement Experience in India - August 2003 Visions of Development: Faith-based Initiatives, by Wendy Tyndale. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2006. ISBN 0-7546-5623-3. Page 1.
- Self-Development and Social Transformations?: The Vision and Practice of the Self-Study Mobilization of Swadhyaya, by Ananta Kumar Giri. Lexington Books. 2008. ISBN 0-7391-1198-1.
- Role of the swadhyaya parivar in socioeconomic changes among the tribals of Khedasan: A case study, by Vimal P Shah. Gujarat Institute of Development Research, 1998. ISBN 81-85820-53-8.
- Vital Connections: Self, Society, God : Perspectives on Swadhyaya, by Raj Krishan Srivastava. 1998; Weatherhill, ISBN 0-8348-0408-5.
- "Dharma and Ecology of Hindu Communities: Sustenance and Sustainability", by Pankaj Jain. 2011; Ashgate, ISBN 978-1-4094-0591-7.