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As one of the central institutions of society, religion affects all. Swami Dayanand Saraswati, who established the Arya Samaj, which went on to become a sociocultural movement, was one such person. On Swami Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti, here is how a man named Mool Shankar became Maharishi.
The Beginning of Arya Samaj
Occupying a monumental role in society, religion is one of the most significant social institutions that enable people to enact in tandem with their beliefs. At a time when Hinduism was marred with yajnas and the supremacy of the Brahmins, a few emerged who upended the way we conceived Vedic dharma.
Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti, born Mool Shankar in Gujarat in February 1824, went on to revitalize Vedic dharma immensely. Born to an affluent family and stout devotees, Swami Dayanand Saraswati was brought up to become proficient in Sanskrit and Hindu scriptures. However, the untimely death of his younger sister in his childhood eviscerated his understanding of ‘normal.’ Instead, he spent his time contemplating the metaphysical.
Upon his search for the truth, he led a life of asceticism from 1845 to 1869 by traversing the length of the subcontinent, meeting revered sages, and even spending time in the Himalayas. However, it wasn’t until he chanced upon Swami Virajanand Dandessha that things fell into place for him. Instead of subscribing to the learning of countless, Dayanand Saraswati took to study the Vedas under the tutelage of his guru. It was precisely here that Dayanand Saraswati was conferred the title of Rishi (sage).
In 1875, when precarious times continued to loom at large, Swami Dayanand Saraswati established the Arya Samaj in Bombay. The socio-cultural movement, which was formed on the motto Krinvanto Vishvam Aryam (“Make the World Noble”), ended up generating awareness amongst countless people about true Vedic knowledge. In his quest to disseminate Satyarth Prakash (“Light of Truth”), Swami Dayanand Saraswati strived to re-establish the truth within the Vedas. As the author of more than fifty books, Swami Dayanand Saraswati propagated equal rights for all and placed emphasis on the social upliftment of women and people of the oppressed strata.
A revolutionary thinker who sought to eliminate the societal evils that grapple people at large, the Arya Samaj movement did not just denounce superstitions and practices like animal sacrifices but also created a nation and society for all. It is, as such, no surprise that the Arya Samaj is still active in parts of the world even today.
Not only did Swami Dayanand Saraswati contribute significantly to the construction of a modern India, but he also inspired countless freedom fighters. Bhagat Singh, who was an alumnus of the Dayanand Anglo Vedic School in Lahore, was inspired by the values of the Arya Samaj from a young age as his grandfather was an active part of the socio-cultural movement.
February 15 is celebrated as Swami Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti to mark the birth of the great man who worked to rid our society of countless evils and spent his life in the search of the greater truth for the good of others.
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