Swami Dayananda Saraswati was a wandering monk from Gujarat who called Hindus "back to the Vedas". Rejecting idol worship, caste by birth and child marriage, and championing the education of women and the Vedic heritage, he founded the Arya Samaj in 1875 — one of the most influential reform movements of modern India.
Life
- 1824Born Mool Shankar at Tankara, in present-day Gujarat.
- c. 1838Keeping a Shivaratri vigil, sees a mouse running over the image of Shiva and begins to question idol worship.
- 1846Leaves home to become a renunciant.
- 1860–63Studies with the blind scholar Swami Virajananda at Mathura.
- 1875Founds the Arya Samaj in Bombay on 10 April and publishes "Satyarth Prakash".
- 1877The Arya Samaj spreads to Lahore and across Punjab.
- 1883Dies at Ajmer on 30 October, after falling ill, reportedly from poisoning.
Back to the Vedas
Dayananda held the four Vedas to be the sole authority of dharma and rejected later accretions — idol worship, the Puranic mythology, caste determined by birth, and priestly monopoly. He argued for varna by merit, the right of all, including women and those outside the higher castes, to study the Vedas, widow remarriage, and an end to child marriage. He also promoted Hindi as a common language and shuddhi, the welcoming back of those who had left Hindu society.
Legacy
After his death, the Arya Samaj built a vast network of Dayanand Anglo-Vedic (DAV) schools and colleges and Gurukuls. It shaped many freedom fighters, among them Lala Lajpat Rai, Swami Shraddhananda and Bhagat Singh's family.
Criticism and debate
The later chapters of "Satyarth Prakash" sharply criticise Christianity, Islam, Jainism and other traditions, as well as many Hindu sects; these passages caused controversy in his time and since. Orthodox Hindus, for their part, rejected his dismissal of image worship and the Puranas.
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Frequently asked questions
When was the Arya Samaj founded?
On 10 April 1875 in Bombay, by Swami Dayananda Saraswati.
What is Satyarth Prakash?
Dayananda Saraswati's main work (1875), setting out his reading of Vedic dharma and his critique of other beliefs and practices.
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Read nextBankim Chandra ChattopadhyaySources & copyright status
- Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Satyarth Prakash (1875) — public domain
- J. T. F. Jordens, Dayananda Sarasvati: His Life and Ideas (1978) — biography; facts only
- Historical facts: not subject to copyright.
- Commentary and translations on this page: original to The Hindu Book. © The Hindu Book, all rights reserved.
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