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DAYANAND SARASWATI
Dayanand Saraswati was born Moolshankar, to a pious tehsildar in
Morbi, Gujarat, on 12 February 1824. At a very early age, he
mastered the four Vedas. At the age of 14, he spent Mahashivaratri
in prayer and fasting, anxious for the promised revelation.
Disappointed when no such thing happened, Moolshankar vowed to seek
the Lord and get answers to his questions.
At 22, he left home and traversed Gujarat. One fine morning, by
the river Narmada, Moolshankar took the vows of ascetism. Thus was
born Dayanand Saraswati.
Dayanand's education continued as he travelled through Gujarat. He
mastered ascetic meditation, the various systems of yoga, and
Sanskrit grammar and literature. The questions of life, death,
pain, pleasure, penance and moksha plagued him incessantly.
In the mid-19th century, India had degenerated into splintered
kingdoms, with a population ignorant and superstitious. The spirit
of religion enshrined in the Vedas was lost in the prevailing
chaos. Dayanand vowed to restore the Vedas to their position of
pre-eminence in Hindu culture. He gave religious sermons which
relied on his keen intellect, reason, steadfastness, fearlessness
and knowledge. Dayanand also antagonized people with his scathing
attacks on the religious mores of the time.
The essence of Swami Dayanand's philosophy is contained in the
Sathyartha Prakash. In it is the distilled core of Vedic thought
and the way of life as prescribed by the Vedas.
When Dayanand launched his crusade against the evils in the
society, organizations like the Brahmo Samaj and the Prarthana
Samaj were already active. Swami Dayanand established the Arya
Samaj in 1875 as he understood the value of these organizations in
guiding a people's destiny.
His contribution to education in modern India has been
unparalleled. Dayanand Anglo Vaidic schools (DAVs) exist
throughout India. Hospitals, libraries and community halls
established by his followers continue to serve the population.
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