Prime Minister Narendra Modi joins the celebration of Swami Dayanand Sarswati’s birth anniversary and gives tribute to the Socio-spiritual leader and social reformer of the 19th century most famous as the founder of the socio-spiritual reform organization Arya Samaj. The Swami and his Guru Swami Virajanand along with the fellow Swamis provided inspiration to Nanaheb Peshva, Rani Lakshmibai, Ajimullah Khan, Tatya Tope, Kunwar Singh, Raja of Jagdishpur and many others to get geared up for the 1857 Independence movement way back in 1855.PM Modi throws light on the first War of Independence
of 1857 and subsequent birth of Arya Samaj in 1875. In 2025, the Arya Samaj is to celebrate the 150 th year of its foundation world over. India and Indians do remember Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Indira Gandhi on 31 October but unfortunately, they almost forget Swami who died on 30-31 October 1883 following an assignation attempt at Ajmer. Even, his birthplace in Gujarat is yet to be declared Teerth-Bhoomi!
Swami Dayanand was born on 12 February 1824 in Tankara in the western Indian state of Gujarat as Moolshankar Trivedi. At a time when Hinduism was divided between the various schools of philosophy and theology, Swami Dayanand went straight back to the Vedas , as he considered them the most authoritative repository of knowledge and truth spoken in the "Words of God." In order to re-energize Vedic knowledge and reawaken Hindu awareness of the four Vedas - Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, and Atharva Veda - Swami Dayanand wrote and published a number of religious books, primary among them being Satyartha Prakash, Rig-Vedaadi, Bhasya-Bhoomika, and Sanskar Vidhi. Swami Dayanand's main message - 'Back to the Vedas' - formed the bedrock of all his thoughts and actions. In fact, he spent a lifetime preaching against many Hindu customs and traditions that were meaningless and oppressive, according to him. These included practices such as idol worship and polytheism, and such social stigma as casteism and untouchability, child marriage and forced widowhood, which were prevalent in the 19th century. In his magnum opus “Satyarth Prakash”, he also targeted the blind faith and obscurantism of other faiths as well.
Swami showed the people how going back to the roots of their faith - the Vedas - they can improve their lot as well as the social, political, and economic conditions of the then India. While he had millions of followers, he also attracted many a detractor and enemy. As the legend goes, he was poisoned many times by orthodox Hindus, and one such attempt proved fatal and he succumbed to death in 1883. What he left behind was one of the greatest and most revolutionary organizations, the Arya Samaj . Swami Dayanand founded the Hindu reform organization called Arya Samaj on April 7, 1875 in Mumbai and also created its 10 principles which are quite distinct from Hinduism, yet based on the Vedas. As he said in “Satyarth Prakash”, he wanted to have true development of humankind by the acceptance of the Supreme truth and rejection of falsehood through analytical thinking.
According to the official version of the Arya Samaj, Today, it is a global organization that teaches the true Vedic religion, which is at the core of Hinduism. The Arya Samaj is also engaged in voluntary activities, especially in the areas of education, and has opened numerous schools and colleges across India based on its universal values. The Arya Samaj community is prevalent in many countries around the world including Australia, Bali, Canada, Fiji, Guyana, Indonesia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Kenya, Singapore, South Africa, Surinam, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, UK, and the United States. Although Swami Dayanand Sarswati was never really involved in politics directly, his political observations were the source of inspiration for a number of political leaders during India's struggle for independence. For instance, he was the first to give the call for 'Swarajya' as 'India for Indians'. Later it was taken up by Lokmanya Tilak. One of his most influential works is the book “Satyarth Prakash”, which contributed to the Indian independence movement. His followers included Swami Shraddhanand, Madam Bhikaji Cama, Sri Aurobindo, Lala Lajpatrai, Shyamji Krishna Verma, V.D.Savarkar, S. Radhakrishnan.
The Swami brought about a complete overhaul of the education system by introducing Anglo-Vedic schools to offer students an updated curriculum, imparting both the knowledge of the Vedas, and contemporary English education. His logical, scientific and critical analysis of faiths like Christianity and Islam as well as Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism opened the eyes of many. He voiced his opinions against idolatry and the pointless emphasis on empty ritualism, and stood against man-made dictates such as caste by birth and women exclusion from reading Vedas.
Common to the likes of him -- due to his strong preachings against fanatic Hinduism -- Swami had many enemies. September 29, 1883 -- on the auspicious occasion of Diwali -- the Maharaja of Jodhpur, Jaswant Singh II, invited Maharishi to his palace to seek his blessings. Dayanand offended the court dancer. She conspired with the cook who mixed pieces of glass in the Guru's milk. He suffered excruciating pain, but forgave the cook involved in the deed before he succumbed to death the next day.
Box 10 Principles of the Arya Samaj
God is the efficient cause of all true knowledge and all that is known through knowledge.
God is existent, intelligent and blissful. He is formless, omniscient, just, merciful, unborn, endless,
unchangeable, beginning-less, unequalled, the support of all, the master of all, omnipresent, immanent,
un-aging, immortal, fearless, eternal and holy, and the maker of all. He alone is worthy of being
worshiped.
The Vedas are the scriptures of all true knowledge. It is the paramount duty of all Aryas to read them,
teach them, recite them and to hear them being read.
One should always be ready to accept truth and to renounce untruth.
All acts should be performed in accordance with Dharma that is, after deliberating what is right and
wrong.
The prime object of the Arya Samaj is to do good to the world, that is, to promote physical, spiritual and
social good of everyone.
Our conduct towards all should be guided by love, righteousness and justice.
We should dispel Avidya (ignorance) and promote Vidya (knowledge).
No one should be content with promoting his/her good only; on the contrary, one should look for his/her
good in promoting the good of all.
One should regard oneself under restriction to follow the rules of society calculated to promote the well
being of all, while in following the rules of individual welfare all should be free.
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(The writer is a Socio-political Historian. E-mail: [email protected] )
