Brief History:—Pandit Shivnath Shastri in the opening article of this book has dwelt upon the origin and progress of the “Brahma Samaj of India” Page 13, Part I. Babu Satyendranath Tagore in his preface to his translation of his father’s autobiography thus notea the later development of this Samaj, Page XVII:—
“The last stage of Keshub’s theological development is that represented by the formulation of the New Dispensation. In 1881 Keshub proclaimed this Dispensation, which besides a number of rites and ceremonies adopted from our own and other systems of religion. emphasizes the fundamental unity of all religions. Its creed as propounded by its founder is shortly:—
The Harmony of all scriptures and all saints and all sects.
The Harmony of Season and Faith, of Devotion and Duty, of Yoga and Bhakti.
The Church of Universal Brotherhood. No caste or sectarianism.
The following is an extract from the creed of the New Dispensation as set forth in the “Navsanhita:”—
‘I accept and revere the Scriptures, so far as they are records of the wisdom and devotion and piety of inspired geniuses, and of the dealings of God’s providence in the salvation of nations, of which record the spirit in of the God, but the letter man’s.
I accept and revere the world’s prophets and saints as far as they embody and reflect the different elements of divincharacter, and set forth the higher ideals of life for the instruction and sanctification of the world.
‘My creed is the science of God which enlighteneth all. My gospel is the love of God which saveth all. My heaven is the life in God which is accessible to all. My church is that invisible kingdom of God, in which is all truth, all love, and all holiness.”
Calcutta. Estd. 15th May 1878.
(3) Sadharan Brahma Samaj. 2II, Cornwallis Street, Calcutta.
The Sadharan Brahmo Samaj (Universal Theistic Church ) is an organization, not local, but having mofussil samajes affiliated to or associated with it and members all over India and if possible outside.
President:—Principal Herambchandra Maitra, m.a.
Secretary:—Babu Ramanand Chatterji, M.A.
Asst. Secretaries:—Babus Anandcharan Sen, B.A., Narendranath Bose, m.a.,b.l. and Nibaranchandra Ray, m.a.
Treasurer:—Dr. Pran Krishna Acharya, m.a., m.b.
Members:—More than 800. There is an immensely large number of Brahmas who though belonging to the Samaj are not enlisted as members.
Meetings:—Divine Services on Sunday mornings and evenings; Lectures in connection with the Students’ Weekly Service, Theological Society, Sangat Sabha, Brahma Bandhu Sabha, Sunday Moral Training Classes. Divine Service is held every day in the Sadhanashram. Services are usually conducted in Bengalee and lectures in Bengalee and English.
Mandir:—The spacious Prayer Hall was consecrated on 22nd January 1981.
Missionaries:—Ordained—Pandit Sivnath Sastri, M. A., Babus Nagendranath Chatterji, Navadwip Chandra Das, Sashibhusan Bose, Nilmani Chakrawarti, Kashichandra Goshal, Gurudas Chakravarti, Hemchandra Sarkar, m.a., Bhai Prakash Dev, Babus Kaliprasanna Bose, and Kedarnath Kalavi on probation.
The following workers of the Sadhanashram of the Samaj though not ordained missionaries, do mission work—Babus Jaysankar Roy, Amritlal Gupta, Adinath Chatterji, Satischandra Chakrawarti, m.a., Hemrendranath Dutt.
Organs:- (1) Indian Messenger, a weekly in English. Rs. 4 a year. Editor—Mr. Hemchandra Sarkar, m. a., 16, Raghunath Chatterji Street, Calcutta.
(2) Tattwa Kaumudi, a fortnightly in Bengali. Rs. 3, a year. Editor—Babu Lalitmohan Das, M. A., 82/1 Harrison Road, Calcutta.
(3) A pictorial monthly paper for children, published by the Sunday Moral Training School, Rs. 1-8 a year. Editor— Baboo Hemchandra Sarkar, M.A.
Subscription:—Every member has to pay to the Samaj a minimum subscription of Re 1 a year. If a member fails to pay his subscription for two years the executive committee may strike off his name.
Celebrations:—The Samaj celebrates its foundation day on the 15th of May (1878) everywhere; but the principle Utsav is celebrated during the month of Magh the 11th of Magh (January 23rd or 24th being the day on which the Brbma Samaj was founded by Rajah Ram Mohan Rai). Besides it celebrates the Bengali New Year’s day Utsav on the 1st Baisak and the Bhadrotsav on the 6th Bhadra being the day of introduction of public worship of God by Raja Ram Mohan Roy. The usual items of the proceedings are:—Divine Services, lectures, singing processions, preaching excursions, conferences, readings from religious books and prayers, alms givings, love feasts, garden and evening parties, children’s gatherings, anniversaries of the different institutions of the Samaj and the Annual Meeting of the Samaj.