Swami Dayanand Saraswat

In 1876, Dayanand Saraswati, a famous Hindu religious leader, and Vedic scholar was the first Indian to speak out in support of India’s independence from British control. He was a very intellectual and sensible individual who was well ahead of his time. He was a firm believer in the Vedic heritage and condemned idol worship and the ceremonies that were prevalent during the period. 

Aims Of Dayanand Saraswati

Dayanand Saraswati aimed to wean Indians away from pointless rituals and direct them towards authentic Vedic beliefs as a scholar of Vedic lore and Sanskrit. Even as a child, he was drawn to abstinence and left home when his parents attempted to organize his wedding with a girl of their choosing. 

Childhood And Adolescence

He was born in Gujarat, India, as Mool Shankar to Karshanji Tiwari and Yashodabai. His family belonged to the Brahmin caste. His dad, a tax officer, was wealthy and well-connected. His family was well-off, so he enjoyed a pleasant upbringing. His dad was a devout follower of Lord Shiva, and he had his children worship him and fast. He was taught the Vedas and Sanskrit as a child. The loss of his younger sister was among the events in his youth that caused him to reflect on the meaning of life. His parents, disturbed by the concerns their boy had begun to ask, attempted to marry him off. Mool Shankar, as a young man, understood that the family situation was not for him and fled away from home. 

Later In Life

After his little sister died, he wandered around as an ascetic, looking for answers to his concerns about birth and death. From 1845 through 1869, he traveled throughout India in search of the “truth.” He went to temples, met yogis, and even stayed in Himalayan retreats. But nobody could provide him with the answers he sought. When he arrived in Mathura one day, he finally discovered what he was looking for. He met Swami Virajanand Dandeesha and then became his disciple there. Virajanand offered the young man vital advice, telling him to put away all of his textbooks and seek wisdom immediately from the Vedas. 

He finished his Vedic study under the supervision of his master, who also requested him to disseminate Vedic information among the masses, as the ordinary man was drifting away from authentic Vedic knowledge and becoming engaged in useless rituals. When it was time for Mool Shankar to depart the ashram, Swami Virajanand named him Rishi Dayanand. Dayanand promised his instructor and teacher that he would dedicate his life to spreading the Vedic teachings. 

Establishment Of The Arya Samaj

Dayanand established the Arya Samaj in Bombay in April 1875 and pledged to his Guruji. It was a socio-cultural organization that aspired to improve society by making people aware of authentic Vedic knowledge. It was founded with the motto “Krinvanto Vishvam Aryam” (Build this earth noble). The Arya Samaj was founded on 10 principles that were founded in the Vedic but were separate from Hinduism’s prevailing practices at the time. Dayanand did not seek to start a new religion; rather, he sought to restore the principles of the old Vedas. 

Arya Samaj upholds the Vedas’ infallibility, the belief systems of karma (the accumulated effect of past deeds) and ahimsa (the process of death and rebirth), the propriety of the cow, the significance of the shastras (individual sacraments), the efficacy of Vedic supplication to the fire, and social reform programs. It has worked to promote female literacy and intercaste marriage; it has erected missions, orphanages, and widows’ homes; it has established a network of schools and colleges, and it has provided famine relief and medical assistance. It was an essential role in the development of Indian nationalism from the outset. However, it has been condemned for being extremely dogmatic and militant, as well as for displaying hostile hostility toward both Christians and Muslims.

Personal History And Legacy 

Dayanand had been fascinated by asceticism since he was a child, and as a teenager, he wandered away from home in quest of the truth. He was an outspoken individual who valiantly fought against society’s ills and was vociferous in his condemnation of pointless religious traditions. As a result, many people have turned against him as well attempted to murder him. On September 29, 1883, he was given a cup of contaminated milk by his own kitchen; the chef had been paid to kill him. The swami was in excruciating pain for a month before departing for his heavenly dwelling on October 30, 1883. 

Conclusion

We have understood Swami Dayanand Saraswat and other topics in the study material of Swami Dayanand Saraswat.

 He was a devout Hindu who converted the Vedas from Vedic Sanskrit to Sanskrit and Hindi so the ordinary man could read them. As a visionary, he advocated for the universality of all human rights, regardless of gender, religion, or socioeconomic background. Among his most significant contributions to humanity was the establishment of the Arya Samaj, a social-economic organization that promoted real Vedic learning and advocated for social upliftment.