Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding Brahmo Samaj?
- 1.It opposed idolatry.
- 2.It denied the need for a priestly class for interpreting the religious texts.
- 3.It popularized the doctrine that the Vedas are infallible.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) 1 and 2 only
Statements 1 and 2 are correct and statement 3 is wrong, so the answer is (b). The Brahmo Samaj, founded by Raja Rammohan Roy in 1828, rejected image worship and the ritual hold of the priestly class. It did not accept the Vedas as infallible.
- ✓ 1. The Samaj forbade idol-worship and discarded meaningless rites and rituals. It stood for the worship of one formless God.
- ✓ 2. Rammohan Roy condemned the priestly class. He held that the principal ancient Hindu texts themselves preached monotheism, the worship of one God, so believers did not need priests to interpret them. He translated the Upanishads into Bengali so people could read them directly.
- ✗ 3. The Brahmo Samaj did not accept the authority of the Vedas and had no faith in avatars. The doctrine that the Vedas are infallible was championed by Dayananda Saraswati's Arya Samaj, not by the Brahmo Samaj.
Remember · Brahmo Samaj (1828, Rammohan Roy): monotheism, against idolatry and priestly ritualism, no acceptance of Vedic authority. Arya Samaj (1875, Dayananda): Vedas infallible.
Sources
- NIOS Secondary Course, Indian Culture and Heritage, Ch 10: Religious Reform Movements in Modern India ↗ · reference work “The Brahmo Samaj was an important organization of religious reforms. It forbade idol-worship and discarded meaningless rites and rituals. … He condemned the priestly class for encouraging these practices. He opined that all the principal ancient texts of the Hindus preached monotheism or worship of one God.”
- Britannica: Brahmo Samaj ↗ · reference work “The Brahmo Samaj does not accept the authority of the Vedas , has no faith in avatars (incarnations)”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2012, General Studies Paper I. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 25 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·
