15 Feb 2022 Swami Dayanand Saraswati
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The period of 19th century in India is considered to be the time of socio-religious renaissance. During this period there were many great social reformers who gave a new direction to the then society and whose relevance remains even today. Among these, the name of Swami Dayanand Saraswati is taken very prominently.
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He not only carried forward the immediate socio-religious movement, but also played an important role in awakening Indian nationalism.
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Swami Dayanand Saraswati was born on 12 February 1824 in Tankara, Gujarat. His father’s name was Amba Shankar Tiwari and mother’s name was Yashodabai.
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Swami Dayanand Saraswati’s guru was Virjanand Swami. At the age of 21, Swami Dayanand Saraswati chose the path of Sanyas and after that started serving the country and society.
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Hypocrisy and idolatry were rampant in 19th century India. Along with this, many other social evils were also present in the society at that time.
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After taking initiation from Guru Virjanand, Swami Dayanand Saraswati started propagating the Vedic scriptures. During this, while traveling all over India, he started raising his voice against the evils prevalent in the immediate society.
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He not only vehemently opposed child marriage and Sati, but also awakened people for widow remarriage and women’s education.
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Swami Dayanand Saraswati encouraged inter-caste marriages and tried to bring people of all religions together, rejecting social division on the basis of sect and varna. He greatly supported equality in the society.
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Swamiji studied the original texts of all religions and openly opposed the evils present in them. He opposed whatever he found wrong; whether it is in Christianity, in Muslim religion or even in Sanatan Dharma itself.
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Opponent of idol worship Swami Dayanand Saraswati believed in monotheism. He said that if heaven could be attained by bathing in the Ganges, shaving the head and rubbing the ash, then the fish, sheep and donkey would be the first officers of heaven.
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Swami Dayanand Saraswati considered the knowledge contained in the Vedas above all, authentic and irrefutable. Keeping this importance of the Vedas in mind, he gave the slogan ‘Return to the Vedas’.
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Along with this, he formed the Arya Samaj in 1875 in order to establish a reformist and progressive society. self
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Swami Dayanand Saraswati composed the texts Rigvedadi Bhashya-Bhumika, Granth Vedabhashya and Satyarth Prakash to propagate his ideas. Satyarth Prakash became very popular in this.
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Swami Dayanand Saraswati, playing a leading role in the promotion of Indian nationalism, strongly advocated that “foreign rule is not acceptable in any form.
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It is worth mentioning that the credit of awakening the most important word ‘Swarajya’ in the Indian freedom struggle goes to Swami Dayanand Saraswati. Which was later carried forward by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and gave the slogan “Swarajya is my birth right”.
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It is believed that the thoughts of Swami Dayanand Saraswati acted as a source of inspiration in the Revolt of 1857. Due to this the British government got angry with them and as a result a conspiracy was hatched in which they were killed by poisoning.
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Thus Swami Dayanand Saraswati, the forerunner of Indian renaissance and nationalism, departed from this world forever, but his ideas were carried forward by the leaders of the Indian independence movement and he continues to guide the Indian society even today.
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