© 2020 JETIR June 2020, Volume 7, Issue 6 www.jetir.

org (ISSN-2349-5162)

Daya Nand "Saraswati": True Humanist of Socio-

cultural Renaissance of 19th century
Dr. Sabista Anjum
Assistant Professor, Deptt. of Sociology
K.A.(P.G.) College, Kasganj

Swami Dayananda Saraswati, the founder of the Arya Samaj, was one of the makersof modern
India. With an indigenous orientation, he wanted to bring a new social,religious, economic and political
order in India. Taking inspiration from veda, he criticized evil practices like idolatry, caste system,
untouchability etc. as prevailedin the then Indian society. By 1921 the British Rule in India had
established in all parts of the country and with it spread the western ideas which brought about
revolutionary changes in the attitude of the people. The ideas of democracy, sovereignty of the people
rationalism, nationalism and humanism helped the people to think a new and critically their own society.
The orthodox elements of the society were apposed to the introduction of modern education as well
as to new social changes. But the Indian society as a whole was very much influenced by the western
ideas of equality, democracy and justice. In the Urban areas people were much influenced bt
humanitarian ideals which they learnt when they came in contact with the western history and literature
modern industries, new means of transport growing urbanization and increasing employment of women
in factories, offices, schools, hospitals. The penetration of capitalism made social status dependent
mainly in money and profit making became the most desirable social activity.1 The development of
science and scientific outlook attracted every aspect of activity military political, economic, social and
religious. Before the english education, Indian society was static and decadent society. In the village
as well cities life was insecure from the foreign invasionsand inside the country it was made unsafe by
strifes of local rulers who fought battles for their false honour and lack of ability to govern. Therefore
the conditions of the people was deplorable.2 The development of science and scientific out look
attracted every aspect of activity. The villagers of the India were poor and followed their traditional
progressions because there were industries in the province during the period of review but this poverty
did not disturb them till their bare necessities were fulfilled with their own efforts. But it is certain that is
most of the cases the indebtedness in the villagers was due to imprudent expenditure on rituals and
ceremonies which they practiced only on account of their blind and unthinking devotion to the things
which could be easily avoided, otherwise the wants of the villagers were very few and they could be
easily met with the things they produced. The peace given by the English rule helped indians to think
to better their lots. The new scientific outlook, the doctrine of nationalism and humanism impressed
the educated classes and their leaders agitated to achieve the rights which were due to all human
beings irrespective of their castes and colour. The rule of low of the Raj gave full opportunity to the
Indians to demonstrate their feelings against things which they Considered unjust and discriminatory,
and which could never be possible under a tyrannical rule of indigenous rulers.
Swami Dayanand soon started preaching about the Vedas and his fame spread throughout the
country. Swami Dayanand then, in order to give a organized and systematic structure to his teachings
and formed Arya Samaj on April 7, 1075 at Bombay. Swami Dayanand famed ten tenants of the Arya
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Samay- He also famed different rules and devised many principles for the Samaj Most important
Principle was that God is blissful, omniscient, omnipotent and holy. He also is worthy of being
worshipped. Truth and Dharma are two important thing according to Swami Dayanand He also told
that universal goodmen should be filled with justice righteousness and love our motive should be to
promote education and to dispel ignorance from the world. One should not be selfish and the good of
the society. should be the motive of the every human being. The Welfare of the society is so important
that it should be our prime motive. At that time, it was very difficult for a person to fight with so many
evils. Swami Dayand found that by initiating educational of reforms society can be reformed in a true
sense Swami Dayanand found that the present education system had failed to create an ideal human
being. An educated person must be a man of good character and humility should be in the his words
and behaviour On 22 October, 1969, there was a great debate with him in which 27 Scholars, 12
pundits and this debate was conducted infront of fifty thousand people. He told the people that lack of
knowledge always remains the root cause of many problems was the key to eradicate evils from the
society and to usher in the new epoch of knowledge. He believed that the Gurukul education was best
suited for the overall development of a child and that's why establishment of Gurukuls was necessary
to infuse new life into decadent Hindu Society Swami Dayanand had views that the Gurukul Should be
located at a distance from and education the cities that the students or Brahamcharis may get calm
and peaceful environment of the Gurukuls were later established of are Gurukul. A number by Swamiji
and his followers DAV institutions also the products of his mind- Swami Dayanand also emphasized
on the women's education and Arya Kanya Mahavidyalyas were ofend up later by his followers. Swami
Dayanand was not against western education system But at the same time he land emphasis on
education based moral values the moral values are important a good human being and education
should emphasize importing these values to human being. Religious books the part of many Swami
Dayanand read of all religions and he not only found the Hindu religion, he told that fault with Some
chapters of the Bible and Oman were also not good. Likewise, there were scope for improvement in
Jainism, Budhism, and Sikhism Swami Dayanand found that hindu religion. was gripped in many soul
evils, such as idolatry, animal sacrifice, pilgrimages, carte discrimination, meat eating, gender
discrimination,Sali tradition, briest crafting and temple offerings etc. Swami Dayanand Saraswati''s
philosophy and knowledge deciphered from his three books. which he published which were satyarth
Prakash, Veda Bhasya Bhumika and Veda Bhasya. He was the editor of one journal Asya Patrika.
Man should According to Swami Dayanand, a respect his teachers, elders, parents, guests and he
should always follow the path of righteousness, equality and justice used the word Politically, Swami
Dayanand believed that India Should be politically independent and for this he swaragi "Self Rule? He
wanted that should be self defendent and they should try to strengthen the indigenous economy. He
urged people to use the indigenous things manufactured in India and discard foreign things. The was
also against the use of English in all official works and he advocated for the promotion of Hindi as a
national language. He told the people that there is a huge difference between a good government and
self government Swami Dayanand worked relentlessly for the benefit of the society the wanted to make
the world an the good Aryan world where "Aryans' means people in all respect. He wanted to create a
society. that is il free from evils.
Some social reformers sought to reform Hinduism from within and sought to purge it of
superstitions beliefs and practices. Idolatry, image worship, practice of pilgrimage came up for close
scrutiny and consequent reforms. A great stress was put on the regulation of individual religious social
life in accordance with the principles of reason and to discard traditional beliefs and practices which
could not stand the test of modern knowledge.This approach affected the intellectuals stratum of the
society.As the masses in India were mostly illiterate they were not much affected by the new scientific
ideas and most of theHindu society remained stuck to its old beliefs. The feeling of caste and forms of
religion continued as before.Through in the North West of India the Arya Samaj changed the hearts of
a large number of educated class yet the practice of idolatry could not be bought to an end. 3 Though
the social reformers considered the caste system a barrier for the unity of the Hindu society and
progress of the nation yet they failed to do much practically due to the wrath of general people who

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considered the caste system as person who attempted to introduce such innovations excited universal
resentment and apposition and was branded as a dangerous person. Arya Samaj took up the task to
break the barriers of the classes.4 Arya Samaj played a vital role toquicken the geal of Hindus to remove
carte distinctions and espouse the genuine cause of their suppressed brethren. With the spread of new
education by Arya Samaj, change in Hindu social order in society, people began to realize their
potential value. The depressed classes held meetings at several places and organized themselves to
make powerful organization of their own to come out of the backward state they were thrown in by the
mischief of orthodox Hindus.5 Arya Samaj was founded in 1875 by Dayanand Saraswati. He was a
typical fearless social and religious reformer in 19th century. Through his life and career he peached
Indians to imbibe courage fortitude moral soundness, power, strength of body and mind and such other
virtues as would make them independent and possessors of sovereign imperial sway.He claimed India
for Indians. Dayanand stands our by himself, with peculiar and salutary distinctness, one unique in his
type and he is unique in his work. He was mystic and yogi and could remain in samadhi for 18 hours
at a stretch. He would live on milk alone for days together. He remained hungry sometimes as it was
not his custom to beg for food. He faced hardships and was stoned and poisoned many times. Like a
true saint he forgave them. Nobel- laureate Romain Rolland, Sri Aurobindo and Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
paid him rich tributes for his character, wisdom, strong will and courage. Dayanand's message was
"BACK TO THE VEDAS" was not only scientific and rational but also this was surely glance of practical
intuition on his part for in a real sense, the vedas were the original source of religion, culture and
civilization of India, they were the real foundation of Indian thought,philosophy and knowledge. Born in
a Brahmana family of Tankara in the state of Marvi, South Gujrat, Dayanand turned out to be a rebel
and militant child of his family and the age in which he was born, His father Krashan ji Laji Trivedi tried
his best to prepare the child in the shaiva traditional way.In the process Dayanand learnt certain
lessons in Sanskrit grammer and some vedic text by heart. He accompanied his father on his religious
missions. He is said to have Completed his formal education 1838. His father had banking house, a
hereditary office and he wanted Dayanand to help him in his business. 6 Like all other great men of the
world Dayanand also passed through period of conflict sufferings and an urge to seek the truth. The
conflict came his faith in traditional religious practices was shaken at the sight of a mouse dancing the
idol of Lord Shiva for whom has was made to fast. He felt that it was impossible to reconcile to the idea
of an omnipotent, living God, with the idol which allowed his image the mouse to run over his body and
polluted in without the slightest protest for him. All his father'sarguments and persuasion could not end
his conflict soon after, not with standing the best possible care, his younger sister expired. It was his
first bereavement to and the shock he recieved was very great. He said, friends and relatives were
sobbing and lamenting around me but I stood like on pertifield, plunged in revery.7 He realized that one
could escape death and he too could be snatched away any time. He asked himself. "What should I
do to alleviate this human misery? a where shall I find the assurance for and mean of attaining salvation
I came to a decision then and there that I would strive to find an answer to these questions, Caste
whatever it might, so that I could save myself from the untold miseries of the dying moments" 8 His
uncle who loved him clearly also passed away shortly afterwards. "His death lift me in a state of ulter
dejection and with a still profounder conviction. I settled in my mind that there was nothing stable worth
living for these world".9 Apprehending marital wedlock, he left home in 1846 in search of truth / Moksha.
For more than fifteen years he wondered through one part of the Country to the other on the bank of
the river, thick jungles, in the hermits of various Yogis, Sadhus-Sanyasis,On the peaks of the hill to
learn the science of Yoga and through yoga the Moksha was his ambition of life at that time,Ultimately
he found a Guru in swami Virjananda at Mathura with whom he stayed for 3 years (1861-63) Swami
Virjanenda was a great grammarian. Dayanand had so far devoted himself to Vedanta, Yoga and some
grammer perhaps It is quite possible that after his wanderings in the country and meetings with sadhu-
Yogis, Sanyasees of various sects, he might have discovered that the deepest secret of religion and
Moksha lay hidden in the Hindu Scriptures and as they are in Sanskrit. They could be opened only with
the key of grammer. It was for this reason that he came to virjananda, who was recognized as an
established authority on grammer.10 During his stay with Swami Virjananda besides mastering the

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Asthadhyayim Mahabhashya, Nirukta, Nighantu, which provided him with the key to unlock the treasury
of the Vedas, Dayanand learnt to control his body and mind through yogic power. Having finished his
education, Dayanand made Customary offering of clove so dear to swami Virjananda, as dakshina to
his teacher saying that he is poor men and could not after anything except that. Virjananda's reaction
to it was indeed wonderful. He observed "I demand from you something else as dakshina.Take a vow
before me that so long as you live, you will work incesantly to spread true knowledge of the 'Vedas'
and the "Arsha-granthas' and condemn works which teach false doctrines and tenets; and that you will
even give your life if necessary in reestablishing the vedic - religion.Dayanand bowed and vowed,
Tathastu. So it be".11 "This is my dakshina". True to his world Dayanand fulfilled his vow to the last
breath of his life. After taking leave of his guru, Dayanand came to Agra in April 1863 and stayed here
for two years passing most of his time in practicing yoga and studying the vedas and shastras thus
preparing himself for the mission for which he had pledge himself before his guru Swami Virjanand.
Dayanand visited almost every part of India from cape Comorin to Himalayas and from Calcutta to
Mumbai. He was a man with a powerful intellect and social conscience. He challenged traditional
beliefs and rituals. His personality and teachings affected the lives of millions of people. 12 He
denounced evil and vulgarities spread by the vested interests in the name of religion. Vedas in hand,
he challenged he the Hindu Orthodoxy to prove if they could justify on their basis polytheism,
pantheonism, idol worship, Casteism untouchability, infant marriage forced widowhood, Sati infanticide
and numerous other superstitions degenerating Hinduism. The whole front line and the reserve of
orthodoxy came forward to silence him, but Dayanand brought them to these knee. 13 By this way he
did profound revolutionary reform for human welfare. After socio-religious work of reform in the Hindu
society, Dayanand's next concern was to arouse consciousness among his people. He was
undoubtedly, one of the major figure of India's national resurgence. Some of thewriters strongly feel
that the events of 1905 in Bengal was a direct impact & Dayanand's teachings." 14
Throughout his life Dayanand endeavoured to purge the humanity of the prevalent social and
religious evils. He was a visionary who looked for far ahead of his times and visualized a society based
on social justice equality of opportunity and political freedom.He was of the view that character of
Nation was the real foundation on which the superstructure of political uplift could be built. He aimed
at regeneration of the Indian and through Indians the whole humanity. He tried to expound truth and to
bring the followers of all religious together on one platform. He worked hard to make them freefrom
malice. He generated the feeling of love and worked for their welfare and peaceful world existence.
Although charges are made against him that his attack on other religion had done more harm than
good to the Indian society. but researches in the field have absolved Dayanand of these charges
because he never rejected that was good in other religions and never Spared Hinduism of its social
evils. Dayanand felt that there were learned men in all religions and if they could give up prejudices,
accept all these broad principles on which all religions were unanimous, reflect differences and behave
affectionately towards each others much good would be done to the world, the miseries of the people
would decrease and unsher an era of happiness.15 Dayanand is often blamed that he criticized the
different religions and the different sects of Hindu society. However his main aim was to criticize only
those elements indifferent religions which led the masses to fight each other he had no malic or hatred
towards any religion,he simply criticized what he though as untrue (in that religion) and wanted to bring
different faiths under the banner of one universal religion. He was of the view that all these things which
are common to all religions obviously condemn false things, for they create difference in different public
all the secrets and open things of all to exchange their view and reach some unanimity!" 16 Dayanand
Starve hard to preach universal truth to bring all men under one religion so that they may, by ceasing
to hate each other and firmly loving each other, live in peace and work for their common welfare. 17 He
could not be contended with more theoretical propositions in this respect and embarked on practical
ventures. He invited a conferences of the representative of almost all the religions in India on the
occasion of the Delhi Durbar, 1877 in which Keshab Chandra Sen, Sir Sayyed Ahmad Khan, Munshi
Alkadhari and other purpose, it baved the way for the later religious parliaments and conferences
working forpeace and happiness of mankind.

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It is a strange coincidence that Dayanandwas poisoned by a Hindu but was treated by a muslim
Doctor Alimadan Khan. He passed away on October 30,1883 and cremation at Malusar Cremation
Ground Ajmer.
In the matter of vedic interpretation, I am convinced that whatever may be the final complete
interpretation, Dayanand will be honoured as the first discoverer of the right clues Amidst the chaos
and abscurity of old ignorance and age-long misunderstanding he was the eye of direct vision that
pierced to the truth and fastened on that which was essential. He has found the key of the doors that
time had closed and rent as under the seal of imprisoned fountains.

Sri Aurabindo,
Bankim-Tilak Dayanand
P-44

References
1. Dutta, K.K., Down by Reascend India, Nagpur University, 1949,P-3,
2. Nabajan, S.C. 'A century of Social Reform in India', Bombay 1954, p-109
3. Muhammad,sheh,' The Indian Muslims': A documentary Record,Meenakshi Prakashan, Merut,
Volume III-1980. Report of the AllIndia legue, 1910, P-66.
4. "Abhyudaya" (Allahabad) Dec-3, 1914
5. Ranade, M.G., "Religious and social Reform,"Bombay, 1902, P-47
6. K.C. Yadav, Autobiography of Dayanand Saraswati, New Delhi, 1976. P-17
7. 1bid
8. 2 bid
9. Garg R.G." Varld perspectives on Swami Dayanand Saraswati,New Delhi, 1984, p-13
10. Yadav, K.C. op cit, f.n. 100.
11. Tribute paid by Smt. Indira Gandhi, The then Prime Minister of India, in the occasion of the
Nirvana Century celebration of Swami Dayanand Saraswati, P- IX.
12. Yadav, K.C. op. cit, b-3.
13. Rein Court A. D. The Soul of India, London, 1961, p-236 Cruoted in KC Yadav, op.cit, p-6, f. no.
20
14. Satyarth Prakash, Introduction, pp. 1-X
15. I bid.
16. Haridas Bhattacharya (ed), The cultural Heritage of India,Vol. IV Calcutta, 1956 P-635
17. I bid.

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