At the heart of the movement lay a profound religious reorientation: a strict monotheism that affirmed one formless, universal God and firmly rejected idol worship, elaborate ritualism, and priestly mediation. Religious life was to be grounded in reason, conscience, and a universal moral law rather than in unquestioned adherence to scripture or inherited custom. This outlook encouraged a rational, ethical spirituality that opposed superstition, blind faith, and the belief in any religious text as infallible divine revelation. In this way, devotion was reimagined as an inner, reflective discipline rather than an external performance of rites.

Flowing from this spiritual vision was a far-reaching social critique. The movement opposed the caste system and untouchability, seeking to abolish caste distinctions in both religious and social life and to promote greater equality and social mixing. It stood firmly against practices such as sati, child marriage, and polygamy, while advocating widow remarriage and more companionate, monogamous forms of marriage, including inter-caste unions. Women’s education and broader gender equality were treated not as peripheral concerns but as integral to a just and spiritually healthy society.

Education and intellectual renewal formed another crucial strand of its reformist agenda. Modern, often Western-style education—especially in science, rational thought, and ethics—was promoted alongside Indian learning, and new institutions were established to make such education more widely available. This educational project encouraged free inquiry, critical thinking, and the production of reformist literature, thereby challenging entrenched orthodoxies. At the same time, there was an effort to integrate Western scientific knowledge with Indian philosophical reflection and to foster a richer cultural life through the development of regional language and literature.

Ethical and civic concerns were woven throughout these reforms. Moral character, social service, and personal responsibility were presented as central expressions of genuine spirituality, not as secondary virtues. The movement advocated social and economic modernization, support for indigenous industries, and a broader cultural renaissance, all within a framework of social justice and human dignity. By seeking gradual changes in laws and institutions in harmony with these values, it aimed to reshape religious life and society alike along more rational, humane, and spiritually coherent lines.