Maharshi Dayananda Saraswati was a Hindu reformer who founded the Arya Samaj movement in India in 1875. He believed in restoring Hinduism to its original Vedic principles by removing corruptions and superstitions that had been introduced over time. Some of his key teachings included rejecting idol worship, caste discrimination, and promoting education based on the Vedas. Despite facing opposition and even an assassination attempt, Dayananda traveled widely advocating for his reforms. He established the Arya Samaj organization and its 10 principles to guide followers in leading a righteous life according to the teachings of the Vedas.

1. MAHARSHI DAYANANDA SARASWATIBy,S3, BNYSS-VYASA University

2. Contents..….IntroductionEarly LifeDayanand’s MissionArya samajThe 10 principles of Arya SamajDeath of a saint Message of Dayanand SaraswatiReferences

3. IntroductionDayanand Saraswati was a reformer and believed in pragmatismThe founder of the Arya Samaj The great sage who sought to restore to Hinduism its natural radiance and wisdom A fearless reformer. He saved the man who poisoned him - so boundless was his goodnessDayanand Saraswati was responsible for the revival of the Indian educational system by bringing together pupil from different strata of the society under one umbrella, that is, classroom

4. Early LifeDayanand Saraswati was born on 12, February, 1824in Tankara, Gujarat. His original name was Mool Shankar.His mother Amrithbai, was a beautiful and Virtuous woman. She was like a mother to all the villagersHis father Karsanji was a tax collector and was a rich personHe belonged to Brahmin family

5. Early Life(cont…)When he attained the age of five, Moolashankar's education started. At the age of eight, his Upanayana Samskara (being invested with the holy thread) was performed. The boy used to perform religious rites like 'Sandhyavandana’ with devotion. He had a very good memory. By the time he was fourteen he had learnt by heart the Yajurveda, the scriptures and the Upanishads

6. Early Life(cont…)Karshanji wished that his son should follow his footsteps by becoming a devotee of Shiva He, therefore, used to describe the greatness of Shiva every now and then He would advise the boy to worship Lord Shiva and only then eat something on days of festivalsMoolashankar had a sharp intellect and an extraordinary memory

7. Dayanand's missionDayananda set about the difficult task of reforming Hinduism with dedication despite attempts on his life He traveled the country challenging religious scholars and priests to discussions and won repeatedly on the strength of his arguments He believed that Hinduism had been corrupted by divergence from the founding principles of the Vedas and misled by the priesthood for the priests' self-aggrandizement Hindu priests discouraged lay people from reading Vedic scriptures and encouraged rituals, such as bathing in the Ganges and feeding of priests on anniversaries, which Dayananda pronounced as superstitions or self-serving

8. Dayanand's mission(cont…)Swami Dayananda was critical of Islam and Christianity and also of other Indian faiths such as Jainism, Buddhism, besides denouncing idolatry in Hinduism—as may be seen in his book Satyartha Prakash He was against what he considered to be the corruption of the pure faith in his own country. Unlike many other reform movements within Hinduism, the Arya Samaj's appeal was addressed not only to the educated few in India, but to the world as a whole as evidenced in the sixth principle of the Arya Samaj.

9. Dayanand's mission(cont…)Dayananda's Vedic message was to emphasize respect and reverence for other human beings, supported by the Vedic notion of the divine nature of the individual–divine because the body was the temple where the human essence (soul or "atma") had the possibility to interface with the creator ("Paramatma")In the ten principles of the Arya Samaj, he enshrined the idea that "All actions should be performed with the prime objective of benefiting mankind", as opposed to following dogmatic rituals or revering idols and symbols In his own life, he interpreted moksha to be a lower calling (due to its benefit to one individual) than the calling to emancipate others

10. Dayanand's mission(cont…)Dayanand Saraswati undertook a tour of the entire county, made fiery speeches condemning the caste system, idolatry, and child marriages He advocated the ideal age for a girl to be between 16 and 24, and for men between 25 and 40 Dayanand Saraswati was the first leader in the field of theology who welcomed the advances of sciences and technology To him, the Vedas as the source book contain the seed of science, and to him, the Vedas advocate the philosophy of dynamic realism

11. Arya SamajOn 7 April, 1875 Dayanand Saraswati formed the Arya Samaj at BombayIt was a Hindu reforms movement, meaning "society of the nobles" The purpose of the samaj was to move the Hindu religion away from the fictitious beliefs 'KrinvantoVishvamAryam" was the motto of the samaj, which means, "Make this world noble"

12. Arya Samaj(cont…)Today, the Arya Samaj organization is very active not only in India but also in various parts of the world The United States, Canada, Trinidad, Mexico, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa, Malawi, Mauritius, Pakistan, Burma, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Australia are some of the countries where the Samaj has its branches

13. Arya Samaj(cont…)Swami Dayananda's creation, the Arya Samaj, is a unique contribution in Hinduism. The Arya Samaj unequivocally condemns idol worship, animal sacrifice, ancestor worship, pilgrimages, priest craft, offerings made in temples, the caste system, untouchability, child marriages and discrimination against women on the grounds that all these lacked Vedic sanction To many people, the Arya Samaj aims to be a "universal society" based on the authority of the Vedas

14. The 10 principles of Arya Samaj1. God is the efficient cause of all true knowledge and all that is known through knowledge.2. God is existent, intelligent and blissful. He is formless, omniscient, just, merciful, unborn, endless, unchangeable, beginning-less, unequalled, the support of all, the master of all, omnipresent, immanent, un-aging, immortal, fearless, eternal and holy, and the maker of all. He alone is worthy of being worshiped.

15. The 10 principles of Arya Samaj(cont…)3.The Vedas are the scriptures of all true knowledge. It is the paramount duty of all Aryas to read them, teach them , recite them and to hear them being read.4.We should dispel Avidya (ignorance) and promote Vidya (knowledge)

16. The 10 principles of Arya Samaj5.One should always be ready to accept truth and to renounce untruth.6.All acts should be performed in accordance with Dharma that is, after deliberating what is right and wrong.7.The prime object of the Arya Samaj is to do good to the world, that is, to promote physical, spiritual and social good of everyone.8.Our conduct towards all should be guided by love, righteousness and justice.(cont…)

17. The 10 principles of Arya Samaj(cont…)9.No one should be content with promoting his/her good only; on the contrary, one should look for his/her good in promoting the good of all.10.One should regard oneself under restriction to follow the rules of society calculated to promote the well being of all, while in following the rules of individual welfare all should be free.

18. Death of a saint Due to his radical thinking and approach to the social issues and beliefs Dayanand Saraswati had created many enemies around him One such enemy of the saint was the Maharaja of Jodhpur. On the occasion of Diwali, the King invited Dayanand Saraswati to Jodhpur and killed him by offering food mixed with poison, in 1883 The king was believed to be against the principles of Dayanand Saraswati

19. MESSAGE OF DAYANAND SARASWATIDayanand Saraswatiji reminded his countrymen of the egalitarian(advocating equal rights for all) approach of the Vedas He said that the smrutis and puranas misled people into such practices as untouchability, and exploitation of women He was primarily responsible for reviving the ancient Indian educational system of gurukula, where students from different strata of the society studied together under one guru without class, or caste discrimination

20. MASSAGE OF DAYANAND SARASWATIDayanand Saraswati's greatest measure was to convert people from so called lower castes and non-Hindu religions into the Vedic religion‘Our Vedas are the earliest books, Hinduism is the most ancient of all the religions that have survived…

21. ReferencesWikipediaThe “Light of Truth”, by Swami Dayanand

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