A powerful movement on similar lines as Brahmo Samaj under the leadership of Dayanand Saraswati was started in 1875. He was a sannyasi (renouncer) who believed in the infallible authority of the Vedas. Dayanand advocated the doctrine of karma and reincarnation, and emphasized the ideals of brahmacharya (chastity) and sanyasa. One Shivratri day when Dayanand Saraswati was just 14 yrs old, near the diety of Lord Shiva, his father asked him to recite `Om Namah Shivaya` constantly all night. While he followed his fathers instructions, he was aghast on the sight of a mouse playfully mounting the phallus symbol of Lord Shiva and taking away offerings place before the diety. He then thought to himself " What is this God who could not protect himself from the impertinence of such a little creature?" He woke his father and the priest and pointed out the helplessness of the diety. They argued with him, but to no effect.The boy left for home breaking his fast.

The air was thickening with the missionary propaganda that idol worship was mere stone-worship and that only the half-civilised barbarians indulged in it. He began to analyse the problem and stealthily left his house and began practicing yoga. He met one Sanayasi named Brijanand who initiated him to preach the Vedic truths avoiding Puranic practices of idol worship. Dayanand did not know English, so he established rapport with the elite who had no English education. Brahmo Samaj was confined to English-educated classes. Therefore dayanand could not win over the Brahnmo Samaj leaders to his point of view. He also approached Prarthana Samaj leaders in Ahmedabad, but could not win them over also. Reason being both of these movements could not accept the infallibility of the Vedas or the transmigration of the souls.

Dayanand then founded his Arya Samaj on 10th April 1875 at Mumbai. He translated Vedas, wrote his `Magnus Opus Satratha Prakash`. He gathered a large number of followers in Punjab.Under the influence of Christian missionary propaganda, it had become a fashion with these new reformers to denounce castes to derecognise the superiority of the Brahamanas and to look upon idol worship. Inter-caste marriage was recognised Minimum age of marriage was fixed at 16 for girls and 25 for boys. Arya Samaj upholds the sanctity of the cow, Samakars, oblations to fire, and social reform, including the education of women.

The main thrust of Arya Samaj was however at Shuddhi.He advocated the return of converted Christians and Muslims to their original faith, namely the Hindu.This attracted wide attention amongst all sections of Hindus, but ti was strongly resesnted by Muslims. Arya Samajists also advocated the spread of English education. Dayanand Anglo-Vedic college at Lahore under the principalship of Lala Hansaraj became a foremost agency to preach this godpel of Independence.

The two other Brahmo and Prarthana Samaj, were founded in Vedas, yet they lacked that militancy of Arya Samaj and were movements politically leaning on the British rule. Arya Samajists insisted on fighting Christianity and Islam with their own weapons. Dayanand and other Arya Samajists insisted on emphasing that the Vedas and other ancient literature of ours had been much more inspiring than the borrowed thoughts from Europefor more liberal thoughta or for more purer religion. Dayananda Saraswati`s strong advocacy of the vedic infallibillity turned the tide against the then current submissive approach of the English educated elite.

The 10 Principles of the Arya Samaj
1.God is the original source of all true knowledge and all that is known by the physical and spiritual sciences.
2. God is Existent, Intelligent and Blissful. He is Formless, Almighty, Just, Merciful, Unborn, Infinite, Unchallengeable, Beginningless, Incomparable, the Support and Lord of All, Omniscient, Imperishable, Immortal, Fearless, Eternal, Holy and the Maker of the Universe. To God alone is worship due.
3. The Vedas are the scriptures of true knowledge. It is the duty of all noble individuals to read them, to hear them being read and to recite them to others.
4. One should always be ready to accept truth and give up untruth.
5. One`s actions should always be performed in conformity with Dharma (righteousness), i.e., after due consideration of right and wrong.
6. The primary aim of the Arya Samaj is to advance the good of all, i.e., to promote physical, spiritual and social well-being.
7. One`s dealings should always be regulated by love and due justice in accordance with the dictates of Dharma.
8. One should aim at dispelling ignorance and promoting knowledge.
9. One should see one`s own greatest welfare as residing in the welfare of others.
10. One should regard oneself as being under the restriction of the altruistic rulings of society, while one should be free in matters of individual welfare.

Out of these ten, the first three principles are seen as comprising the doctrinal core of the Arya Samaj, as they summarize the member`s beliefs in regards to God, the nature of Divinity and the authority of the Vedas. The remaining seven principles reflect the reformative ambitions of the Samaj in regards to both the individual and society at large. However, nothing beyond these 10 Principles has any binding force on any member of the Arya Samaj. For this reason, the early Samaj proved to be attractive to individuals belonging to various religious communities, and enjoyed a notable degree of support from segments of the Hindu, Sikh and Muslim populations of Indian society.

Drawing what are seen to be the logical conclusions from these principles, the Arya Samaj also unequivocally condemns practices such as polytheism, idolatry, iconolatry, animal sacrifice, ancestor worship, pilgrimage, priestcraft, the belief in avatars or incarnations of God, the hereditary caste system, untouchability and child marriage on the grounds that all these lack Vedic sanction.

The Arya Samaj and the Theosophical Society
Initial Relationship
In 1877, a meeting occurred in America between some leading members of the Theosophical Society, founded in 1875, and Mulji Thakarshi, an individual who had played an instrumental role in the establishment of the Bombay Arya Samaj that same year. During the course of the exchange, it became clear that the two societies held many views in common, and efforts were undertaken to bring their respective leaders into closer contact. As a result, correspondence began between Henry Steel Olcott, one of the co-founders of the New York Theosophical Society, and Harish Chandra Chintamani, the then acting president of the Bombay Arya Samaj.

At the suggestion of Chintamani, Olcott composed a letter addressed to Swami Dayanand dated the 18th of February, 1878. Unwilling to wait for what they were led to believe would be a positive response, the heads of the Theosophical Society decided to go ahead with their plans to recast their organization as a branch of the Arya Samaj. On the 22nd of May, 1878, the Theosophical Society was renamed `The Theosophical Society of the Arya Samaj of Aryavarta` and Swami Dayanand was announced as its director in chief.

Reconsideration and Reorganization
This unilateral move on the part of the Theosophists, however, eventually proved to be grossly miscalculated. While Olcott`s open profession of faith in the Vedas was positively received and publicly praised by Swami Dayanand on more than one occasion, when he came to learn of the details of the tenets held by the Theosophists, including their belief in ghosts, mediumistic abilities, miracles and other occult matters, the Swami, taking up the role of teacher, was quick to admonish Olcott for what he termed `humbuggery` and `superstition` unbefitting of a seeker of truth.

The Theosophists, however, were unwilling to give up their faith in these matters, and the gulf which had always existed between the two societies suddenly became apparent to all involved. Therefore, in September of 1878, the Theosophical Society was reverted to its former status as an independent organization. However, a second organization was simultaneously formed and given the now familiar name `The Theosophical Society of the Arya Samaj of Aryavarta`. It was agreed that membership of the new society, which itself was to remain a common branch of both the Theosophical Society and the Arya Samaj, would be open to any persons who wished to remain associated with both societies.

Irreconcilable Differences
This tentative solution, however, proved incapable of bridging the growing divide. Between 1879 and 1881, the founders of the Theosophical Society, Henry Olcott and Helena Blavatsky, paid Swami Dayanand several visits while touring India. Through the course of their discussions and correspondence, it became clear that the differences between the two societies were not, as previously assumed, limited to relatively minor issues, but in fact extended to what the Swami viewed as central tenets of the Vedic Religion. The main point of contention was in regards to the nature of God.

While the Theosophists asserted that the highest Divinity is an impersonal Principle, Swami Dayanand maintained that the Vedas and their allied literature clearly teach that God is a personal Being - in his words, "the Personification of Being, Knowledge and Bliss". Thus, the line dividing the two organizations was clearly identified and neither party saw themselves in need of reconsidering their views. Therefore, on the 28th of March, 1882, Swami Dayanand announced that the Arya Samaj had officially cut off all ties with the Theosophical Society.

It has been stated that many of the difficulties and subsequent hostilities which arose between the Theosophical Society and the Arya Samaj were due to an unfortunate combination of personal intrigue and poor translations. Both parties have claimed to have been misrepresented on several occasions and members of each have accused the other of being responsible for the failure of the undertaking. Regardless, the theological and ideological differences between the Theosophical Society and the Arya Samaj persist to this day.