REMEMBERING SWAMI DAYANANDA SARASWATI ON HIS 198TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY

REMEMBERING SWAMI DAYANANDA SARASWATI ON HIS 198TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY 

But the Arya Samaj denounces idol worship and all Puranic culture, calling it un-Vedic. They are puritanic in this regard and in practice fanatical to a fault on this issue. There is an interesting meeting between Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Dayananda Saraswati. Thakur was not particularly impressed by his inflexible adherence to Vedic stricture as conceived by him in its interpretative form. Swami Dayananda Saraswati did yeoman service, though, for the regeneration of the Sanatan Dharma and his 'shuddhi' programme of reconversion of perverted Hindus back to the fold of the Sanatan Dharma was life-giving for ebbing Hinduism. His educational reforms and widespread proliferation of it through the DAV programme infused academic and dharmic culture among the youth of Northern India. His life's great work was to save Hindus from getting perverted to the Abrahamic religions and in this regard he succeeded eminently in Northern India which has always felt the brunt of aggressive Islamic proselytising. That his life was cut short by some short-sighted Varanasi Hindus who felt threatened by his aggressive polemics was a singular tragedy that harmed the cause of Hindu regeneration immensely, and an episode from which we need to draw lessons in maintaining racial cohesion rather than rupturing it. We need to honour our greats instead of castigating them. My reverential remembrance of the sage on this day and prostration at his blessed feet! Om! 

Written by Sugata Bose