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The Autobiography of Swami Dayanand Saraswati

It was in a Brahmin family of the Oudichya caste in a town belonging to the Raja of Morwee,in the province of kathiawar,that in the year of Samvat,1881,(1924 A. D.) I,now known as Dayanand Saraswati,was born.If I have from the first refrained from giving the names of my father and of the town in which my family resides, it is because I have been prevented from doing so by my duty. Had any of my relatives heard again of me, they would have sought me out. And then, once more fau to face with them, it would have become incumbent upon me to follow them home. I would have to touch money serve them, and attend to their winhea . And thus the holy work of the Reform, to which I have wedded my whole life, would have irretrievably suffered through my forced withdrawal from it.

 

Education

 

I was hardly five years of age when I began to study the Devanagari characters, and my parents and all the elders commenced training me in the ways and practices of my caste and family; making me learn by rote the long series of religious hymns, mantras, stanzas and commentaries. I was eight when I was invested with the sared Brahminical cord (triple thread ) , and taught gayatri sandhya with its practices, as abo Yajur Veda Sanhita preceded by the study of the Rudradhyaya. As my family belonged to the Shiva sect, their greatest aim was to get me initiated into its religious my steries; and thus I was early taught to worship the uncouth piece of clay representing Shivs’s emblem,known as the Parthiwa Lingam.But as there is a good deal of fasting and various hardships connected with this worship, and on the other hand I had the habit of taking early meals, my mother, fearing for my health opposed my daily practicing of it. My father sternly insisted upon its necessity, and this question finally became a source

of everlasting quarrels between them. Meanwhile I studied the Sanskrit grammar, learned the Vedas by heart and accompanied my father to the shrines, temples, and places of Shiva worship. His conversation ran invariably upon one topic; the highest devotion and reverence must be paid to Shiva, his worship being the most divine of all religions .I went on thus till I had reached my fourteenth year, when having learned by heart the whole of the Yajur Veda Sanhita, parts of other Vedas, of the Shabda

Rupavali and the grammar,my studies were completed.

 

Vigil

 

As my father’s was a banking house and he held moreover the office-hereditary

in my family -of a Jamadar, we were far from being poor, and things, so far, had gone very pleasantly. Wherever there was a Shiva puran to be read and explained, there my father was sure to take me along with him; and finally, unmindful of my mother’s remonstrance’s ,he imperatively demanded that I should begin practicing Parthiwa Puja. When the great day of gloom and fasting-called  Shivaratree-had arrived, this day following on the 13th of Vadi of Magh. My father regardless of the protest that my

strength might fail, commanded me to fast, adding that I had to be initiated on that night, into the sacred legend, and participate in that night’s long vigil in the temple of Shiva. Accordingly, I followed him along with other young men, who accompanied their parents. This vigil is divided into four parts, called prahars, consisting of three hours each. Having completed my task, namely, having set up for the first two prahars till the hour of midnight, I remarked that the Pujaris, or temple disservants and some of the

lay devotees, after having left the inner temple, had fallen asleep outside. Having been taught for years that by sleeping on that particular night, the worshipper lost all the good effect of his devotion, I tried to  refrain from drowsiness by bathing my eyes now and then with cold water. But my father was less fortunate. Unable to resist fatigue, he was the first to fall asleep, leaving me to watch alone. Reflections on Idolatry Thoughts upon thoughts crowded upon me, and one question arose after the other in my disturbed mind. Is it possible,-I asked myself- that this semblance of man, the idol of a personal God that I see bestriding his bull before me, and who, according to all religious accounts, walks about, eats, sleep s and drinks; who can hold a trident in this hands, beat upon his dumroo(drum); and pronounce curses upon men,-is it possible that he can be the Mahadeva, the great Deity, the same that is invoked as the Lord of Kailash, the Supreme Being and the Divine hero of all the stories we read of him in his Purans (Scriptures)? Unable to resist such thoughts any longer, I awoke my father, abruptly asking him to enlighten me to tell me whether this hideous emblem of Shiva in the temple was identical with the Mahadeva(GreatGod) of the scriptures, or something else.”Why do you ask it?” said my father. “Because, I answered, “I feel it impossible to reconcile the idea of an Omnipotent, living God, with this idol, which allows the mice to run over its body, and thus suffers its image tobe polluted without the slightest protest.” Then my father tried to explain to me that this stone representation of the Mahadeva of Kailash, having been consecrated by the holy Brahmins , became, in consequence, the God himself, and is worshipped as such; adding that as Shiva cannot be perceived personalty in this KaliYug the age of mental darkness, – we hence have the idol in which the Mahadeva of Kailash is worshipped by his votaries ;this kind of worship is pleasing to the great Deity as much as if , instead of the emblem , he were there himself . But the explanation fell short of satisfying me . I could not , young as I was, help suspecting misinterpretation and sophistry in all this . Feeling fain with hunger and fatigue , I begged to be allowed to go home . My father consented to it , and sent me away with a

sepoy , only reiterating once more his command that I should not eat . But when, once at home , I had, told my mother of my hunger , she fed me with sweetmeats , and I fell into a profound sleep. In the morning , decision my father returned and learned that I had broken my fast , he felt very angry . the tried to impress me with the enormity of my sin; but do what he could , I could not bring myself to believe that idol and Mahadeva were one and the same God , and therefore , could not comprehend why I should be made to fast for and worship the former. I had, however, to conceal my lack of faith, and bring forward as an excuse for abstaining from regular worship my ordinary study which really left me little or rather no time for anything else. In this I was strongly supported by my mother, and even by my uncle, who pleaded my cause so well that my father had to yield at last and allow me to devote my whole attention to my studies. In consequence of this, I extended them to “Nighantu”, “Nirukta ” “Purvamimansa”” , and other shastras

, as well as to “karmakand” or the ritual

 

 

Renunciation .

 

There were besides myself in the family two younger sisters and two brother, the youngest of whom was born when I was already sixteen . On one memorable night , as we were attending a nauteh festival at the house of a friend , a servant was dispatched after us from home , with the terrible news that my sister , a girl of fourteen , had been just taken ill with a mortal disease . Notwithstanding every medical assistance, my poor siter expired within four ghatikas after we had returned . It was my first bereavement, and the shock my heart received was great . while friend and relatives were sobbing and lamenting around me , I stood like one petrified , and plunged in a profound reverie . It resulted in a series of long and sad meditions upon the instability of human life . ‘Not ‘one of the beings that ever lived in this world could escape the cold

hand of death -I thought : I , too , may be snatched away at any time and die . whither , then shall I turn for an expedient to alleviate this human misery ,connected with our death bed ; where shall I find the assurance of , and means of attaining muktee , the final bliss ? It was there and then , that I came to the determination that I must find it , cost whatever it may , and thus save myself from the untold miseries of the dying moment of an unbeliever . The ultimate result of such meditations was to make me violently break and for our with the mummeries of external mortification and penances and the more to appreciate the inward efforts of the soul. But I kept my determination secret, and allowed no one to fathom my innermost thoughts. I was just eighteen then. Soon after, an uncle a very learned man and full of divine qualities,-one who had shown for  the greatest tenderness, and whose favourite I had been from my birth, expired also; his death leaving me in a state of utter dejection. and with a still profounder conviction settled in my mind that three was nothing worth living for or caring for in a worldly life.

 

Obstacles

Although I had never allowed my parents to perceive what was the real state of my mind, yet I had been imprudent enough to confess to friends how repulsive seemed to me even the idea of a married life. This was reported to my parents, and they immediately determined that I should be betrothed at once and the marriage

solemnity performed as soon as I should be twenty.

Having discover their intention, I did my utmost to thwart their plans. I caused my friends to intercede on my behalf, and they pleaded my cause so earnestly wilk my father that he promised to postpone my betrothal till the end of that year. I then began entreating him to send me to Benares, where I might complete my knowledge of Sanskrit grammar, and study astronomy and physics, until I had attained a full proficiency in these difficult sciences. But this time it was my mother who violently opposed my wishes. She declared that I should not go to Benares, as whatever I might feel inclined to study, could be learned at home as well as abroad ; that I knew enough as it was, and had to be married anyhow before the coming year; as young people through an excess of learning were apt to become too liberal and free sometimes in their ideas. I had no better success in that matter with my father. I for on the contrary no sooner had reiterated the favor begged of him, and asked that

 

 

my betrothal should be postponed until I had returned from Benares a scholar, proficient in arts and sciences, that my mother declared that in such a case she would not consent even to wait till the end of the year, but would see that my marriage was celebrated immediately. Perceiving, at last, that my persistence only made things worse, I desisted, and declared my self satisfied with being allowed to pursue my studies at home, provided I was allowed to go to an old friend, a learned pandit, who resided about six miles from our town in a village belonging to our jamadaree.Thither then, with my parent’s sanction, I proceeded, and placing myself under his tuition, continued for some time quietly with my study. But while there, I was again forced into a confession of the insurmountable aversion I had for marriage. This went home again. I was summoned back at once, and found upon returning that everything had been prepared for my marriage ceremony. I had entered upon my twenty-first year, and

so had no more excuses to offer. I now fully realized that I would neither lae allowed to pursue my studies any longer nor would my parents ever make themselves consenting parties to my celibacy. It was when driven to the last extremity that I resolved to place an eternal barrier between myself and marriage.

 

Flight

 

On an evening of the year samvant 1903, without letting any one this time into my confidence, I secretly left my home, as I hoped for ever. passing the first night in the vicinity of a village about eight miles from my home, I arose three hours before dawn, and before night had again set in. I had walked over thirty miles, carefully avoiding the public thoroughfare, villages, and localities, in which I might have been recognized. These precautions proved useful to me, as on the tired day after i had absconded, I learned from a government officer that a large party of men, including many horsemen were diligently roving about in search of a young man from the town of-who had fled from his home. I hastened further on to meet with other adventures. A party of begging Brahmins had kindly relieved me of all the money I had with me, and made me part even with my gold and silver ornaments, rings, bracelets, and other jewels, on  the plea that the more I gave away in charities, the more my self-denial would benefit me in the after-life. Thus, having parted with all I had, I hastend on to the place of residence of a learned scholar, a man named LaLa Bhagat, of whom I had much heard on my way from wandering sanyasis and Bairagees (religious mendicants). He lived in the town of Sayals, where I met with a Brahmachari who advised me to join at once their holy order, which I did. Joining the holy Order After initiating me into his order and conferring upon me the name of shuddha chaitanya, he made me exchange my clothes for the dress worn by them-areddish-yellow garment. From thence and in this new attire, I proceeded to the small principality of Kouthakangda situated near Ahmedabad, where , to my misfortune, I met with a bairagi a resident of a village in the vicinity of my native

town, and who was well acquainted with my family. His astonishment was as great as my perplexity. Having naturally enquired how I came to be there, and in such an attire, and learned of my desire to travel and see the world, he ridiculed my dress and blamed me for leaving my home for such an object. In my embarrassments he succeeded in getting himself informed of my future intentions.

I told him of my desire to join in the Mella of kartik, which was to be held that year at Siddhpore, and that I was on my way to it. Having parted with him, i proceeded immediately to that place, and took my abode in the temple of Mahadeva at Neelkantha, where dandi Swami and other Brahmacharis, already resided. For a time, i enjoyed their society unmolested visiting a number of learned scholars and professors of divinity who had come to the mella, and associating with a number of holy men.

 

Severance of Family Tie

 

Meanwhile the Bairagi whom I had met at Kouthakangda, had proved treacherous. He had despatched a letter to my family, informing them of my intentions and pointing to my whereabouts. In consequence of this, my father had come down to Siddhpore with his Sepoys, traced me step by step in the mella, learning something of me wherever I had sat among the learned pandits, and finally, one fine morning appeared suddenly before me. His wrath was terrible to behold. He reproached me violently, accusing me of bringing an eternal disgrace upon his family. No sooner had I met his glance, though knowing well that there would be no use in trying to resist him, I suddenly made up my mind how to act. Falling at his feet with joined hands, I entreated him in supplicating

tones to appease his anger. J had left the home through bad advice, I said; I felt miserable, and was just on the point of returning home, when he had prividentially

arrived; and now was willing to follow him home again. Notwith standing such humility, in a fit of rage he tore my yellow robe into shred, snatched at my tumba, and, wresting it violently from my hand, flung it far away; pouring upon my head at the same time a volley of bitter reproaches and going so far as to call me a matricide. Regardless of my promises to follow him, he gave me in the charge of his Sepoys, commanding them to watch me night and day, and never leave me out of their sight, for a moment.

 

Conversion to Vedant

 

But my determination was as firm as his own. I was bent on my purpose and closely watched for my opportunity of escaping. I found it on the same night. It was three in the morning ,and the sepoy, whose turn it was to watch me, believing me asleep fell asleep in his turn, All was still; and so softly rising and taking along with me a tumba full of water, I crept out and must have run over a mile before my absence was noticed. On my way, it espied a large tree, whose branches were overhanging the roof of a pagoda; on it I eagerly climbed, and, hiding myself among its thick foliage upon the dome, awaited what fate had in store me. About 4in the morning, I heard and saw through the apertures of the down, the sepoys enquiring after me. and making a diligent search for me inside as well as outside the temple. I held my breath and remained motionless, until

finally believing they were on the wrong track, my pursuers reluctantly retired. Fearing a new encounter, I remained concealed on the dome the whole day, and it was not till darkness, had again set in that, alighting, I fled in an opposite direction. More than ever I avoided the public thoroughfares, asking my way of people as rarely as I courel, unit had again reached Ahmedabad, whence I at once proceeded to Baroda. There I settled for some time; and at chetan Math (temple) I held several discoureses with Brahmanand and a number of Bramanand charis and Sanyasis upon the Vedant philosophy. It was Brahmchris and other holy men who established to my entire satisfaction that Brahm, the Deity, was no other than my own Self-my Ego, I am Brahm, a portion of Brahm ; Jiv (Soul) and Brahm, the deity being one and the same. Formerly, while studying Vedanta, I had come to this opinion to a certain extent, but now the

Important problem was solved and I gained the certainty that I was Brahm. Study of Vedant At baorda learning from a benares woman that a meeting of the most learned

scholars was to be held at a certain locality, I repaired thither at once; visiting a personage known as Satchidanand Paramhansa, with whom I was permitted to

discuss upon various scientific and metaphysical subjects. From him I learned

also, that there were a number of great Sanyasis and brahamacharis who resided

at chanoda kanyali. In consequence of this, I repaired to that place of sanctity on the Banks of the Nerbuddah, and there at last met for the first time with real Dikshits, or initiated Yogis, and such Sanyasis as Chidashrama and several other brahmacharis. After some discussion, I was place under the tuition of one Parmanand, and for several months ,studied “Vedantsar,” “Arya Harimihir Totak” Vedant paribhasa,” and other philosophical treatises. During this time, as a Brahmchari I had to prepare my own which proved a great impediment to my studies. To get rid of it, I therefore concluded to enter if possible into the 4th Order of the Sanyasis. Fearing, more over, to be known

under my own name, on account of my family’s pride and well aware that once

received in this order I was safe, I begged of a Dekkani pandit a, friend of mine, to intercede on my behalf with a Deiksheet-the most learned among them, that i might be initiated into that order at once. He refused, however, point blank to initiate me, urging my extreme youth. But I did not despair. Several months later, two holy men, a Swami and a Brahmachari, came from the Dekan, and took up their abode in a solitary, ruined building in the midst of a jungle, near Chanoda and about two miles distant from us. profoundly versed in the Vedant philosophy, my friend the Dekkaniy pandit, went to visit them, taking me along with him. A metaphysical discussion following brought them to

recognize in each other Diksheet of a vast learning. They informed us that they

had arrived from “Shringeri Math,” the principal convent of Shankaracharya, in  the south, and were on their way to Dwarka. To one of them Parnanand Saraswati, I got my Dekkani friend to recommend me particularly, and state, at the same of time. the object I was so desirous to attain and my difficulties. He told him  that I was a young  Brahmachari, who was very desirous to pursue his study in  metaphysics unimpeded; that I was quit free from any vice or bad habits for which fact he vouchsafed; and that, therefore, he believed me worthy of being accepted in this highest probation ary degree and initiated me into the 4th order of the Sanyasis; adding that thus I might be materially helped to free myself from all worldly obligations, and proceed untrammeled in the course of my metaphysical studies. But this Swami also declined at first. I was too young, he said. Besides, he was himself a Maharashtra, and so he advised me to appeal to a Gujrati Swami. It was only when fervently urged on by my friend, who reminded him that dekkani sanyasis can initiate even gowdas, and that there could extst no such objection in my case as I had been already accepted, and was one of the five Dravids that he consented. And on the third day following he consecrated me into the order, delivering unto me a Dand and naming me Dayanand Saraswati. By the order of my initiater and my proper desire. I had to lay aside the emblematical bamboo- the Dand, renouncing it for a while as the ceremonial performances connected with it, would only interfere with unimpeded progress of my studies.

 

TRAVELS Pursuit of Yoga

After the ceremony of initiation was over they left us, and proceeded to Dwarka, For some time I lived at Chanoda Kanyali as a simple Sanyasi. But upon hearing that at Vyasashram there lived a Swami. whom they called Yoganand, a man thoroughly versed in Yoga, to him I addressed myself as an humble student, and began learning from him the theory as well as some of the practical modes of the science of Yoga (or Yoga Vidya ) When my preliminary tuition was completed, I proceeded to Chhinour, as on the outskirts of this town lived Krishna Shastree, under whose guidance I perfected myself in the Sanskrit grammar. and returned to Chanoda where I remained for some time longer.

Meeting there to Yogis-Jwalanand Pooree and Shivanand giree. I practiced Yoga with them also, and we all three held together many a dissertation upon the exalted science of Yoga; until finally, by their advice, a month after their departure, I went to meet them in the temple of Doodheshwar, near Ahmedabad at which place they had promised to me the final secret and modes of attaining Yoga Vidya. They kept their promise, and it is to them that I am indebted for the acquirement of the practical portion of that great science. Still later, it was divulged to me that there were many far higher and more learned Yogis than those I had hitherto met yet not the highest still – who resided on the peaks of the mountain of Aboo, in Rajputana. Thither then I travelled again, to visit such noted places of sanctity as the Alvada Bhawance and cthers; encountering, at last, those whom I so eagerly sought for, on the Peak of Bhawance Giree. And learning from them various other systems and modes of Yoga.It was in the year of Samvant 1911,that I first joined in the Kumbh Mella at Hardwar, where so

many sages and divine philosophers meet, often unperceived, together. So long as the Mella congregation of pilgrims lasted. I kept practicing that science in the solitude of the jungle of Chandee; and after the pilgrims had separated, I transferred myself to Rishikesh, where sometime in the company of good and pure Yogis and Sanyasis, oftener alone, I continued in the study and practice of yago visit to tehri After Passing a certain time in solitude, on the Rishikesh, a Brahmachari and two mountain ascetics joined me, and weall three went to Tehri. The place was full of ascetics and Raj(Royal)Pandits-so called on account of their great learning.One of them invited me to come and have dinner with him at his house. At the apointed hour he sent a man to conduct me safely to his place, and both the brahmachari and myself followed the messenger. But what was our dismay upon entering the house , to first see a brahmin

preparing and cutting meat, and then , proceeding further into the interior apartments

, to find a large company of pandits seated with a pyramid of flesh, rump-steaks, and dressed-up heads of animals before them! the master of the house cordially invited me in; but, with a few brief words-begging them to proceed with their good work and not to disturb themselves on my account, I left the house and returned to my own quarters . A few minutes later the beef eating pandit was at my side praying me to return , and trying to excuse himself by saying that it was on my account that the sumptuous viands had been prepared! I then firmly declared to him that it was all useless. They were carnivorous, fIesh-eating men. and myself a strict vegetarian, who felt sickened

at the very sight of meat. If he would insist upon providing me with food. He might do so by sending me a few provisions of grain and vegetables which my Brahmachari would prepare for me. This he promised to do, and then very much confused retired.

 

WamMarg or Indian Bacchanalianism

Staying at Tehri for some time, I inquired of the same Pandit about some books and learned treatises I wanted to get for my instruction; what books and manuscripts could be procured at the place. And where. He mentioned some works on Sanskrit grammar, classics, lexicography’s, books on astrology and the Tantras -or ritualistic. Finding that the latter were the only ones unknown to me. I asked him to procure the same for me. There upon the learned man brought to me several works upon this subject. But no sooner had I opened them an my eye fell upon such an amount of incredible obscenities

mistranslations, misinterpretations of text, and absurdity, that I felt Perfectly horrified. In this Ritual ,I found that incest was permitted with mothers, daughters, and sisters (of the shomerker’s cast); as well as among the pariash of the outcastes-and worship was performed in nude state. Spirituous liquors, fish and all kinds of animal food, and Moodra (exhibition of indecent images)were allowed, from brahmin down to Mang, and it was explicitly stated that all those five things of which the name cooences with the nasalm as for instance, Madya(in- toxic ting liquor) Meen (fish) Mands (flesh) Moodra, and Maithoon (coition) were so many means for reaching muktee (Salvation)

. By actually reading the whole contents of the Tantras I fully assured myself of the craft and viciousness of the authors of this disgusting literature which is regarded as Religious I left the place and wentto Shreenagar. Visit to Religious Places Taking up my quarters at a temple on Kedar Ghat, I used these Tantras as weapons against the local pandits, whenever there was an opportunity for discussion. While there, I became acquainted with a Sadhoo, named Ganga Giri, who by day never left his mountain where he resided in a jungle. Our acquaintance resulted in friendship as I soon learned how entirely worthy he was of respect. While together, we discussed Yoga and other sacred subjects, and through close questioning and answering became fully and mutsually satisfied that we were fit for each other. So attractive was his society for me, that  I stayed over two months with him, It was only at the expiration of this time, and when autumn was setting in that I, with my companions, the Brahmaphari and the two ascetics, left. Kedar Ghat for other Places. We visited Rudra Prayag and other cities, until we reached the shrine of Agasta Munee. Further to the north, there is a mountain peak known as the Shivapoorce (town of shiva) where I spent the four months of the cold season; when finally parting from the Brahmachari and the two ascetics, I proceeded back to Kedar, this time alone and unimpeded in my intentions, and reached Gupta kashee.

 

Search of Yogis (Clairvoyants)

I stayed but a few days there, and went thence to the Triyugee Narayan shrine, visiting on my way Gowree Koond tank and the cave of Bheemgoopha. Returning in a few days to Kedar, my favorite place of residnce, I there finally rested a number of ascetic Bramin worshippers -called pandas, and the devotees of the Temple of Kedar of the Jangam sect, -keeping me company until my previous companions, the Bramhchari with his two ascetics returned. I closely watched their ceremonies and doings and observed all that was going on with a determined object of learning all that was to be known about these sects. But once that my object was fulfilled, I felt a strong desire to visit the surrounding

mountains, with their eternal ice and glaciers, in quest of those true ascetics I had heard of, but as yet had never met them. I was determined, come what might, to ascertain whether some of them did or did not live there as rumored. But the tremendous difficulties of this mountainous journey and the excessive cold forced me, unhappily to first make inquires among the hill tribes and learn what they knew of such men. Everywhere I encountered either a profound ignorance upon the subject or a ridiculous superstition. Having wandered in vain for about twenty days ,disheartened I set raced my steps as tonally as before, my companions who had at first accompanied me, halving left me two days after we had started through dread of the great cold. I then ascended the Tunganath Peak. There, I found a temple full of idols and officiating priests, and

hastened to descend the peak the same day. before me were two paths, one leading west and the other south-west. I chose at random that which led towards the jungle, and ascended it. Soon after the path led me into a dense jungle with rugged rocks and dried-up waterless brooks. The path stopped abruptly there. Seeing myself thus arrested, I had to make my choice to either climb up still higher or descend. reflecting what a height there was to the summit, the tremendous difficulties of climbing that rough and steep hill, and that the height would come before I could ascend it , I concluded that to reach the summit that night was an impossibility. with much difficulty , however , catching at the grass and the bushes, I succeeded in attaining the higher bank of the

nala (the dry brook), and standing on a rock, surveyed the environs I saw nothing but tormented hillocks, highland, and a dense pathless jungle covering the whole where, no man could pass, Meanwhile the sun was rapidly descending towards the horizon. Darkness would soon set in and then without water or any means for Kindling a fire, what would be my position in the dreary solitude of that jungle.

Temptation of Priest craft

By dint of tremendous exertions though, and after an acute suffering from thorns, which tore my clothes to shreds, wounded my whole body, and lamed my feet I managed to Eros the jungle, and at last reached the foot of the hill and found myself on the highway. All was darkness around and over me, and I had to pick my way at random trying only to keep to the road. Finally I reached a cluster of huts, and learning from the people that that road led to Okhee Math, I directed my steps towards that place and passed the night there. In the morning feeling sufficiently rested and refreshed I returned to the Gupta Kashee whence I started the next day on my northward journey. But that journey attracted me , and soon again I repaired to Okhee math, under the pretext of examining that hermitage and over serving the way of living of its inmates .

There I had time to examine at leisure the doings of that famous and rich monastery , so full of pious pretence and a show of asceticism , The high priest (or chief Hermit ), called Mahant , tried hard to induce me to remain and live there with him becoming his disciple . He even held before me the prospect , which he thought quite dazzling , of inheriting some day his lacs of rupees , his splendor and power , and finally succeeding him in his Mahantship or supreme rank . I frankly answered him that had I ever craved any such riches  or glory , I would not have secretly left the house of my father , which was not less sumptuous or attractive than his monastery with all is riches . The object , which induced me to do away with all these worldly blessings , I added , “I find you neither strive for , nor possess the knowledge of . “He then enquired what

was that object for which I so strived . “that object , ” I answered , “is the secret knowledge , the vidya , or trlle erudition of a genuine yogi the mooktee , which is reached only by the purity of one’s soul , and certain attainments unattainable without it ; in the meanwhile , the performance of all the duties of man towards his fellow – men , and the elevation of humanity thereby . ” The Mahant remarked that it was very good , and asked me to remain with him for some time at least ; But I kept silent and returned no reply ; I had not yet found what I sought for . Rising on the following morning very early , I left this rich dwelling and went to Joshee math . there , in the company of Dakshnee or Maharashtra Shastrees and Sannyasis , the true ascetics of the 4th order ,

I rested for a while. Yogis at Joshi Math (Convent) At Joshee Math I met many Yogis and learned ascetic and, in a series of discussions, learnt more about Yoga-Vidya and parting with them went to Badrinarayan. The learned Rawaljee was at that time the chief priest of that temple; and I lived with him a few days, We held discussions upon the Vedas, and the “Darshanas,” Having enquired from him whether he knew of some

genuine Yogi in the neighborhood, I learnt, to my great regret, that there were none there at the time, but that he had heard that they were in the habit of visiting his temple at times. Then I resolved to make a thorough search for them throughout the country and especially in the hills, Further search of clairvoyoyants one morning at day break, I set on my journey; when, following along the foot of the mountains, i at last reached the banks of the Alaknanda river. I had no desire of crossing it, as I saw on its opposite bank the large village called “Mana.” Keeping, therefore, still to the foot of the hills, I directed my steps toward the jungle following the river course the hills and the road it self were thickly covered with snow and, with the greatest difficulty, I succeeded in reaching that spot where the Alaknanda is said to take its rise. But once there, finding myself surrounded by lofty hills on all sides, and being a stranger in the country, my progress, from that moment was greatly retarded. Very soon, the road ceased abruptly and I found no vestige of even a path. I was thus at a loss what to do next, but i determined finally to cross the river and enquire for my way. I was poorly and thinly clad, and the cold was intense and soon became into unbearable. Feeling hungry and thirsty, I tried to deceive my hunger by swallowing a piece of ice, but found no relief. I then began to ford the river. in some places it was very deep, in others shallow- not deeper than a cubit-but from eight to ten cubits wide. the river-bed was covered with small and fragmentary

bits of ice which wounded and cut my naked feet to bleed. very luckily the cold had quite benumbed them, and even large bleeding cracks left me insensible for a while, slipping on the ice more than once, I lost my footing and came nearly falling down and thus freezing to death on the spot .For should I have found myself prostrated on the ice , I realized that, benumbed as I was all over, I would find it very difficult to rise again. However, with great exertion, and after a terrible struggle, I managed to get safe enough on the other bank. Once there more dead than alive. I hastened to denude the whole upper part of my body; and, with all I had of clothes on me, to wrap my feet up to the knees and then exhausted, famished, unable to move. I stood waiting for help, and

knowing not whence it would come. At last, throwing a last look around me. I espied two hillmen, who came up and having greeted me with their “kashisamba” invited me to follow them to their home, where I would find food . Learning my trouble, they , moreover , promised to guide me to “sadpat” a very sacred place; but I refused their offers, for I could not walk, Not with standing their pressing invitation I remained firm and would not “take courage” ” and follow them as they wanted me; but, after telling them that I would rather die , refused even to listen to them. The idea had struck me that I had better return and prosecute my studies. The two men then left me and soon disappeared among the hills. Having rested, I proceeded on my way back. Stopping

for a few minutes at basudhara, a sacred bathing place, and passing by the neighborhood of managram, I reached badrinarayan at 8,o’ clock that evening.

Upon seeing me, the Rawaljee and his companions were much astonished and

enquired where I had been ever since the early morning . I then sincerely related

to them all that had happened to me. That night , after having restored my strength with a little food, I went to bed, but getting up early on the following morn, I took leave of the Rawaljee and set out on my journey back to Rampur. That evening. I reached the home of a hermit a great ascetic, and passed the night at his place. that man had the  reputation of one of the greatest sages living, and I had a long conversation with him upon religious subjects. More fortified than ever in my determination, I left him next morning, and after crossing hills, forests and having descended the chilkia ghattee, I arrived at last at rampur where I took up my quarters at the house of the celebrated ramgiri, so famous for the holiness and purity of his life. I found him a man of extraordinary habits. though. He never slept, but used to pass whole nights in holding conversations- very loud sometimes apparently with himself. Often, we heard loud

scream, then weeping, though there was no one in his room with him. Extremely surprised, I questioned his disciples and pupils and learnt from them that such was his habit, though no one could tell me what it meant. Seeking an interview with him, I learnt some time after, what it really was; and thus I was enable to get convinced that it was not true Yoga he practiced, but that he was only partially versed in it. it was not what I sought for.

Books on yoga and science

Leaving him I went to kasipur, and thence to Drona sagar, where I passed the whole winter. Thence again to Sambal through moradabad, when ,after crossing gurh mukteshwar I found myself again on the banks of the ganges. Besides other religions works. I had with me the “Shiva Sanhita” “Hat- pradipika” , “yoga-bij” and “Gherand sanhita”, which I used to study during my travels. some of these , books treated on the nari chalan and nari chakaras, (nervous system) giving very exhaustive descriptions of the same, which I could never grasp, and which finally made me doubt as to the correctness of these works. I had been for some time trying to remove my doubts, but had found as yet no opportunity. One day I chanced to meet a corpse floating down the river.

There was the opportunity and it remained with me to satisfy myself as to the correctness of the statements contained in the books about anatomy and man’s inner organs. Ridding myself of the books which I laid nearby and taking off my clothes, I resolutely entered the river and soon brought the dead body out and laid it on the shore. I then proceeded to cut it open with a large knife in the best manner I could. I took out and examined the kamal (the heart) and cutting it from the navel to the ribs, and a portion of the head and neck, I carefully examined and compared them with the descriptions in the books.

Finding they did not tally at all. I tore the books to pieces and threw them into the river after the corpse. from that time gradually I came to the conclusion that with the exception of the Vedas, upanishadas, patanjaly and sankhya, all other works upon science and Yoga were false. Having lingered for some time on the banks of the Ganga, I arrived next at Furrukhabad; when having passed sreenjeeram I was just interning Cawnpur by the road east of the canton went, the samvat year of 1912 (1855 A.C.) was completed.

 

Practice of Yoga

 

During the following five months, I visited many a place between Cawnpur and allahabad . In the beginning of Bhadrapad, I arrived at Mirzapur where I stopped for a month or so near the shine of Vindiachal Asooljee; and arriving at Benares in the early part of ashwin, I took my quarters in the cave ( At the confluence of the Buruna and the Ganges ) which then belonged to Bhumanand saraswati. There, I met with Kakaram, Rajaram and other Shastrees, But stopped there only twelve days and renewed my travels after what I sought for . It was at the shine of Durga-koho in chandalgarh, where I passed ten days. I left off eating rice altogether. And living but on milk I gave myself up entirely to the study of Yoga which I practiced night and day .

Frauds of Idolatry

Unfortunately, I got this time into the habit of using bhang, a strong narcotic leaf, and at times felt quite intoxicated with its effect. Once after leaving the temple, I come to a small village near Chandalgarh where by chance I met an attendant of mine of former days. On the other side of the village, and at some distance from it stood a shivalaya (A temple of shiva ) whither I proceeded to pass the night under its walks . While there under the influence of bhang. I fell fast a sleep and dreamed that night a strange dream. I thought I saw Mahadeo and his wife parvati. they where conversing together and I placing my clothes and books on its back, I sat and meditated; when suddenly happing to throw a look inside the stasue which was empty, I saw a man concealed inside . I extended my hand towards him, and must have terrified him, as jumping out of his hiding place, he took to his heels in the direction of the villege . then I crept into the statue in my turn and slept there for the rest of the night. In the morning and old womasn come and worshipped the Bull-god with myself inside . Iater on , she returned with offerings of “Gur” (molasses) and a pot of “Dahi” (curd milk ) which, making puja to me (whom she evidently mistook for the god himself ) she offered and desired me to

accept and eat. I did not disabuse her, but, being hungry . Ate it all . the curd being very sour proved a good antidote for the bhang and dispelled the sings of intoxication, which relieved me very much .

 

Forests of Nerbuddah

After this adventure, I continued my journey towards the hills and that place where the Nebuddah takes its rise. I never once asked my way, but went on travelling southward. Soon I found myself in a desolate spot covered thickly with jungles, with isolated huts appearing now and then among the bushes at irregular distances. At one of such places I drank a little milk and proceeded onward. But about half a mile farther, I came to a dead stop. The road had abruptly disappeared and there remained but the choice of narrow paths leading I knew not, where. I soon entered a dreary jungle of wild plum tree and very thick and huge grass with on signs of any path in it when suddenly I was faced

by a huge black bear. the beast growled ferociously, and rising on its hind legs, opened wide its mouth to devour me. I stood motionless for some time and then slowly raised my thin cane over him, and the bear ran away terrified. so loud was its roaring that the villagers whom I had just left, hearing it, ran to my assistance and soon appeared armed with large sticks and followed by their dogs. they tried hard to persuade me to return with them. If I proceeded any further, they said, I would have to encounter the greatest perils in the jungles which in those hills were the habitat of beats, buffaloes, elephants, tigers and other ferocious beasts. I asked them not to feel anxious for my safety, for I

was protected, I was anxious to see the sources of the Nerbuddah and would not change my mind for fear of any peril. Then seeing that their warnings were useless, they left me after having made me accept a stick- I immediately threw away.

Forest Life

On that day I travelled without stopping until it grew quite dusk. For many hours I had not perceived the slightest trace of human habitation around me. No village in the far off, not even a solitary hut, or a human being. But what my eyes met the most was a number of trees, twisted and broken, which had been uprooted by the wild elephants, and, felled by them to the ground further on I found myself in a dense and impenetrable jungle of plum trees and other prickly shrubs whence, at first I saw no means of  extricating myself. However, partly crawling on the belly, partly creeping on my knees, I conquered this new obstacle and after paying a heavy tribute with pieces of my clothes and even my own skin, bleeding and exhausted I got out of it. It had grown quite dark by

that time. but even this-if it impeded, did not arrest my progress onward, and I still proceeded. Until I found myself entirely hemmed in by lofty rocks and hills thickly grown over with a dense vegetation but with evident signs of being inhabited. Soon I perceived a few huts, surrounded by heaps of cowdung, a flock of goats grazing on the banks of a small stream of clear water and a few welcome lights glimmering between the crevices of the walls. Resolving to pass the night there, and go no further till the next morning, I took shelter at the foot of a large tree which overshadowed one of the huts. Having washed my bleeding feet my face and hands-in the stream, I had barely sat to tell my

prayers, when I was suddenly disturbed in my meditations by the loud sound of a tom-tom Shortly after, I saw a procession of men, woman and children, followed by their cows and goats emerging from the huts and preparing for a night religious festival. upon perceiving a stranger , they all gathering around me, and an old man came enquiring from whence I had appeared. I told them I had come from benares , and was on my pilgrimage to the Nerbudda sources,after which answer they all left me to my prayers and went further on . But in about half hour , came one of their headmen accompanied by two Hillman and sat by my side, He came as a delegate to invite me to their huts . but, as before, I refused the offer (for they were idolaters) He then ordered a large fire to be lit near me and appointed two men to watch over my safety the whole night.

Learning that I used milk for all food, the kind headmen asked for my “kamandalu” (a bowl) and brought it back to me full of milk, of which I drank a little that night. He then retired, leaving me under the protection of my two guards That night I soundly slept until dawn, when rising and having completed my devotions, I prepared myself for further events.” ( Here the auto biography ends. -T)

DAYANANDA AND ARYA SAMAJ – Romain Rolland

Indian religious thought raised a purely Indian Samaj against Keshab’s Brahmo Samaj and against all attempts at Westernization, even during his life-time, and at its head was a personality of the highest order, Dayananda Saraswati (1824-1883).

This man with the nature of a lion is one of those, whom Europe is too apt to forget when she

Judges India, but whom she will probably be forced to remember to her cost; for he was that rare combination, a thinker of action with a genius for leadership.

While all the religious leaders of whom we have already spoken and shall speak in the future were and are from Bengal. Dayananda came from quite a different land, the one which half a century later gave birth to Gandhi—the north-west coast of the Arabian Sea. He was born in Gujarat at Tankara (Morvi) in the State of Kathiawar of a rich family belonging to the highest grade of Brahamins no less versed in Vedic learning than in mundane affairs both political and commercial. His father took part in the government of the little native state. He was rigidly orthodox according to the letter of the law with a stern domineering character, and this last to his

sorrow he passed on to his son.

As a child Dayananda was, therefore, brought up under the strictest Brahmin rule, and at the age

of eight was invested with the Secred Thread and all the severe moral obligations entailed by this privilege rigorously enforced by his family.’ It seemed as if he was to become pillar of orthodoxy in his turn, but instead he became the Samson, who pulled down the pillars of the temple; a  striking example among a hundred others of the vanity of human effort, when it imagines that it is possible by a superimposed education to fashion the mind of the rising generation and so dispose of the future. The most certain result is revolt.

That of Dayananda is worth recording. When he was fourteen his father took him to the temple to celebrate the great festival of Shiva. He had to pass the night a strict fast in pious vigil and prayer. The rest of the faithful went to sleep. The young boy alone resisted its spell. Suddenly he saw a mouse nibbling the offerings to the God and running over Shiva’s body. It was enough. There is no doubt about moral revolt in the heart of a child. In a second his faith in

the idol was shattered for the rest of his life. He left the temple, went home alone through the night, and thenceforward refused to participate in the religious rites.

It marked the beginning of a terrible struggle between father and son. Both were of an unbending

and autocratic will, which barred the door to any mutual concession. At nineteen Dayananda ran

away from home to escape a forced marriage. He was caught and imprisoned. He fled again, this time for ever (1845). He never saw his father again. For fifteen years this son of a rich Brahmin,

despoiled of everything and subsisting on alms, wandered as a sadhu clad in the saffron robe along roads of India. Dayananda went in search of learned men, ascetics, studying here philosophy, there the Vedas, learning the theory and practice of the Yoga.

He visited almost all the holy places of India and took part in religious debates. He suffered, he braved fatigue, insult and danger. However, Dayananda remained far from the human masses through which he passed for the simple reason that he spoke nothing but Sanskrit throughout this period.

Dayananda did not see, did not wish to see, anything round him but superstition and ignorance, spiritual laxity, degrading prejudices and the millions of idols he abominated. At length about 1860 he found at Mathura an old Guru even more implacable than himself in this condemnation of all weakness and his hatred for superstition, a Sanyasi blind from infancy and from the age of eleven quite alone in the world, learned man, a terrible man Swami Virijananda Sarasvati. Dayananda put himself under his ‘discipline” which in its old literal seventeenth century sense scarred his flesh as well as his spirit.

Dayananda served this untamable and indomitable man for two and a half years as his pupil. It is,

therefore, mere justice to remember that his subsequent course of action was simply the fulfillment of the will of the stern blind man, whose surname he adopted, casting his own to oblivion. When they separated Virjananda extracted from him the promise that he would consecrate his life to the annihilation of the heresies that had crept into the Puranic faith, to reestablish the ancient religious methods of the age before Budha, and to disseminate the truth.

Dayananda immediately began to preach in Northern India, but unlike the benign men of God

who open all heaven before the eyes of their hearers, he was a hero of the Iliad or of the Gita with the athletic strength of Hercules,’ who thundered against all forms of thought other than his own, the only true one. He was so successful that in five years Northern India was completely changed. During these five years his life was attempted four or five times—sometimes by poison.

Once a fanatic threw a cobra at his face in the name of Shiva, but he caught it and crushed it. It

was impossible to get the better of him; for he possessed an unrivalled knowledge of Sanskrit and the Vedas, while the burning vehemence of his words brought his adversaries to naught. They likened him to a flood. Never since Sankara had such a prophet of Vedism appeared. The orthodox Brahmins, completely overwhelmed, appealed from him to Benares their Rome. Dayananda went there fearlessly, and undertook in November, 1869, a Homeric contest before millions of assailants, all eager to bring him to his knees, he argued for hours

together alone against three hundred pandits—the whole front line and the reserve of Hindu

orthodoxy) He proved that the Vedanta as practiced was diametrically opposed to the primitive Vedas.

He claimed that he was going back to the true word. They had not the patience to hear him out. He was hooted down and excommunicated. A void was created round him, but the echo of such combat in the style of the Mahabharata spread throughout the country, so that his name became famous over the whole of India. At Calcutta where he stayed from December

15, 1872 to April 15, 1873, Ramakrishna met him.

He was also cordially received by the Brahmo Samaj. Keshab and his people voluntarily shut their eyes to the differences existing between them; they saw in him a rough ally in their crusade against orthodox prejudices and the millions of Gods. But Dayananda was not a man to come to an understanding with religious philosophers imbued with Western ideas. His national Indian theism, its steel faith forged from the pure metal of the Vedas alone, had nothing in common with theirs, tinged as it was with modern doubt, which denied the infallibility of the Vedas and the doctrine of transmigration.’ He broke with them the richer for the encounter,2 for he owed them3 the very simple suggestion, whose practical value had not struck him before, that his propaganda would be of  little effect unless it was delivered in the language of the people. He went to Bombay, where shortly afterwards his sect, following the example of the Brahmo Samaj but with a better genius of organization proceeded to take root in the social life of India. On April 7, 1875 he founded at Bombay his first Arya Samaj, or Association of the Aryans of India, the pure Indians, the descendants of the old conquering-race of the Indus and the Ganges,

(These italic words express that the author is influenced by the speculated historical elements

which were imposed upon our history by foreigners.

Swamiji did not really take this view of Arya in any of his writings—Editor) and it was exactly in those districts that it took root most strongly. From 1877, the year when its principles were definitely laid down at Lahore, to 1883, Dayananda spread a close network over Northern India. Rajputana, Gujrat, the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, and above all in the Punjab which remained his chosen land, practically the whole of India was affected. The only province where his influence failed to make itself felt was Madras. (He could not have the time and chance to preach his gospel in Madras—Editor) He felt, struck down in his prime, by an assassin. The concubine of a Maharajah, whom the stern prophet had denounced, poisoned him. He

died at Ajmer on October 30, 1883. But his work pursed its uninterrupted and triumphant course, from 40,000 in 1891 the number of its members rose to 1,01,000 in 1901, to 2,40,000 in 1911 and to 4,58,000 in 1921.1 Some of the most important Hindu personalities, politicians and Maharajahs belonged to it. Its spontaneous and impassioned success in contrast to the slight reverberations of Keshab’s Brahmo Samaj shows the degree to which Dayananda’s stern

teachings corresponded to the thought of his country and to the first stirrings of Indian nationalism, to which he contributed.

It may perhaps be useful to remind Europe of the reasons at the bottom of his national awakening, now in full flood. Westernization was going too far, and was not always revealed by its best side. Intellectually it had become rather frivolous attitude of mind, which did  away with the need for independence of thought, and transplanted young intelligences from their proper environments teaching them to despise the genius of their race. The instinct for self-preservation

revolted. Dayananda’s generation had watched, as he had done. Not without anxiety, suffering and irritation, the gradual infiltration into the veins of India of superficial European rationalism on the one hand, whose ironic arrogance understood nothing of the depths of the Indian spirit, and on the other hand, of a Christianity, which when it entered family life fulfilled only too well Christ’s prophecy he had come to bring division between father and son.

The enthusiastic reception accorded to the thunderous champion of the Vedas, a Vedist

belonging to a great race and penetrated with the sacred writings of ancient India and with her heroic spirit, is then easily explained. He alone hurled the defiance of India against her invaders.

 

Dayananda declared war on Christianity and his heavy massive sword cleft it as under with scant reference to the scope of exactitude of his blows. Nevertheless as Glasenapp rightly remarks,

they are of paramount interest for European Christianity of which ought to know what is the image of itself as presented by its Asiatic adversaries.

Dayananda had no greater regard for the Qoran and the Puranas, trampled underfoot the

body of Brahmin orthodoxy. He had no pity for any of his fellow countrymen, past or present, who had contributed in any way the thousands-year decadence of India, at one time the mistress of the world.’ He was a ruthless critic of all who, according to him, had falsified or profaned the true Vedic  religion.’ He was a Luther fighting against his own misled and misguided Church of Rome,’ and his first care was to throw open the wells of the holy books,

so that for the first time his people could come to them and drink for themselves. He translated and wrote commentaries on the Vedas in the vernacular— Its was in truth an epoch-making date for India when a Brahmin not only acknowledged that all human beings have the right to know the Vedas, whose study had been previously

prohibited by orthodox Brahmins, but insisted that their study and propaganda was the duty of every Arya

It is true that his translation was an interpretation, and that there is much to criticize with

regard to accuracy’ as well as with regard to the rigidity of the dogmas and principles he drew from the text, the absolute infallibility claimed for the one book, which according to him had emanated direct from the “Prehuman” or Superhuman Divinity, his denials from which there was no appeal, his implacable condemnations, his theism of action, his credo of battle,’ and finally his national God. But in default of outpourings of the heart and the calm sun of the spirit, bathing the nations of men and their Gods in its effulgence Dayananda transfused into the languid body of India his own formidable energy, his certainty, his lion’s blood.

His words rang with heroic power. He reminded the secular passivity of a people, too prone to bow to  fate, that the soul is free and that action is the generator of destiny. He set the example of a complete clearance of all the encumbering growth of privilege and prejudice by a series of hatchet blows. If _ his metaphysics were dry and obscure  his theology was narrow and in my opinion retrograde_,_ (The underlined only expresses the want of opportunity  and inability in contacting and penetrating the mystery of Dayananda’s Theology—Editor) his social activities and practices were of intrepid boldness, with regard to questions of fact he went further than the Ramakrishna Mission ventures to-day.

His creation, the Arya Samaj, postulates in principle equal justice for all men and all nations,

together with equality of the sexes. It repudiates a hereditary caste system, and only recognizes professions or guilds, suitable to the complementary aptitudes of men in society; religion was to have no part in these divisions but only the service of the state, which assesses the tasks to be performed. The state alone, if it considers it for the good of the

community, can raise or degrade a man from one caste to another by way of reward or punishment, Dayananda wished every man to have the opportunity to acquire as much knowledge as would enable him to raise himself in the social scale as high as he was able. Above all he would not tolerate the abominable injustice of the existence of the untouchables, and nobody has been a more ardent champion of their outraged rights. They were admitted to the Arya Samaj on the basis of equality; for the Aryas are not a caste. The Aryas are all men of superior principles; and the ‘Dasyus’ are they who lead a life of wickedness and sin.

Dayananda was no less generous and no less bold in his crusade to improve the condition of

women a deplorable one in India. He revolted against the abuses from which they suffered recalling that in the heroic age they occupied in the home and in society a position at least equal to men. They ought to have equal education according to him, and supreme control in marriage,’ for men and women, and though he regarded marriage as  indissoluble, he admitted the remarriage of widows and went so far as to envisage a temporary union for women as well as men for the purpose of having children, if none had resulted from marriage.

Lastly the Arya Samaj, whose eighth principle was ” to diffuse knowledge and dissipate ignorance” had played a great part in the education of India— especially in the Punjab and the United Province and it has founded a host of schools for girls and boys. Their laborious hives are grouped round two model establishments,’ The Dayanand Anglo—Vedic College of Lahore and the Gurukula of Kangri, national bulwarks of Hindu education, which seek

to resuscitate the energies of the race and to use at the same time the intellectual and technical conquests of the West. To these let us add philanthropic activities such as orphanages, workshops for boys and girls, homes for widows, and great works of social service at the

time of public calamities, famine etc.

I have said enough about this Sanyasi with the soul of a leader, to show how great an uplifted of

the peoples he was in fact the most vigorous force of the immediate and present action in India at the moment of the rebirth and reawakening of the national consciousness. His Arya Samaj whether he wished it or not prepared the way in 1905 for the revolt of Bengal. He was one of the most ardent prophets of reconstruction and of national organization. I feel that it was he who kept the vigil; his purpose in life was action and its object his nation. For a people lacking the vision of wider horizon, the accomplishment of the action and the creation of nation might perhaps be enough. But not for India— before her will still lie the universe.

आर्यसमाज क्या है ? पण्डित मनसाराम वैदिक तोप

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वेद ने तमाम लोगो को आज्ञा दी हैकी तुम सारे संसार को आर्य बनाओ ,आर्य का अर्थ है नेक,पवित्र व् धर्मात्मा | नेक ,पवित्र धर्मात्मा वह है जो ईश्वरीय ज्ञान वेद के अनुकूल अपना चाल चलन बनावे , चूँकि सृष्टि के आरम्भ से हि हमारे पूर्वजो ने अपना जीवन वेद के अनुकूल व्यतीत करते थे | इसलिए उनका नाम आर्य हुआ और… चूँकि हमारे पूर्वजो ने हि सबसे पहले देश को बसाया था | इस लिए इस देश का नाम आर्यवर्त हुआ | इसलिए वेदों ,स्मृतियों ,शास्त्रों ,रामायण ,माहाभारत और संस्कृत की सारी पुराणी पुस्तकों में हमारा नाम आर्य है हमारे देश का नाम आर्यवर्त आता है | आज से लगभग पांच हजार साल पहले सारी दुनिया में एक हि धर्म था और वह वैदिक धर्म था | और सारी दुनिया में एक हि जाती थी और वह आर्य जाती थी |इस आर्यजाति के दुर्भाग्य से माहाभारत का युद्ध हुआ, जिसमे अच्छे अच्छे वेदों के ज्ञाता और वेद प्रचार का प्रबंध करने वाले राजा और माहाराजा मारे गए|
तत्पश्चात स्वार्थी और पाखंडी लोगो की बन आई इन लोगो ने मधपान , मांसभक्षण और परस्त्रीभोग को हि धर्म बतलाया और संस्कृत में इस प्रकार की पुस्तके बनाई | जिनमे मधपान , मांसभक्षण और परस्त्रीभोग को धर्म कहा गया और कोई ऋषि, कोई मुनि या माहात्मा ऐसा नहीं छोड़ा की जिस पर मधपान ,मांसभक्षण और  परस्त्रीगमन का आरोप न लगाया हो , इन लोगो ने वेद के विरुद्ध बनाई किताबो के नाम पुराण और इनका लेखक महर्षि व्यास जी को बताया , इन लोगो ने यज्ञो के बहाने से पशुओ को मार कर इनके मांस का हवं करना ,खाना तथा शराब पीना आरम्भ कर दिया | और वेदों की बजाए आर्यजाति में इन्ही पुराणों को धर्मग्रंथकहा गया |
लोग वेदों को भूल गए और इन्ही वेद के विरुद्ध अष्टादश पुराणों को अपना धर्मग्रन्थ मानकर धर्म से भटक गए | समय समय पर माहात्मा बुद्ध, स्वामी शंकराचार्य , गुरु नानक देव और गुरु गोबिंद सिंह आदि महात्माओ ने इस जाती को कुमार्ग से हटा कर सुमार्ग पर लाने का प्रयास किया और वे किसी हद तक इस जाति को सुमार्ग पर लाने में सफल भी हुए , परन्तु यौगिक अवस्था में इस जाति की शारीरिक आत्मिक और आर्थिक अवस्था गिरती चली गयी |
आखिरकार विदेशी ईसाई तथा मुसलमानों ने इस देश में प्रविष्ट होकर पुराणों की बुरी शिक्षाओ का खंडन आरम्भ किया जिससे आर्यजाति के युवक इस पौराणिक हिंदू धर्म से घृणित होकर धड़ा धड ईसाई और मुसलमान बनने लगे | निकट था की यह पौराणिक धर्म को मानने वाली हिन्दूजाति संसार से मटियामेट हो जाती किन्तु – काठियावाड गुजरात के मौरवी राज्य के टंकारा शहर के एक औदीच्य ब्राहमण पण्डित कर्षण लाल जी तिवारी सर्राफ जमींदार के घर माता अमृतबाई के पेट से विक्रमी संवत् १८८१ में एक बालक का जन्म हुआ जिसका नाम मूलशंकर दयाल रखा | एक बार जब उनकी आयु केवल १४ वर्ष की थी , शिवरात्रि के अवसर पर इनके पिता ने इनका शिवरात्रि का व्रत रखने पर आग्रह किया , व्रत रखा गया |
रात को जब उनके पिता दूसरे पुजारियों के साथ शिव  की पूजा करके चडावा चड़ा चुके तो वह शिव का गुणगान करने के लिए दूसरे साथियों के साथ मूर्ति के सामने बैठ गए तो वे निंद्रा से उंघने लगे ,लेकिन बालक मूलशंकर जी जागते रहे | इसी बीच में एक चूहा आया और शिव की मूर्ति पर चड मजे से च्डावित चीजों को खाने लगा |बालक मूलशंकर इस दृश्य को देख कर हैरान रह गए की कैसा शिव है जो चूहे से भी अपनी रक्षा नहीं कर सकता |पिता को जगाकर अपनी शंका प्रकट की परन्तु उत्तर में डांट डपट के सिवाय कुछ नहीं मिला | इस दृश्य ने मूलशंकर की आँखे खोल दी | उनको वर्तमान मूर्तिपूजा के गलत होने का ज्ञान हो गया | इस चूहे वाले दृश्य के कुछ दिन पश्चात मूलशंकर की बहिन और इसके पश्चात इनके चाचा की भी मृत्यु हो गयी | ये दोनों हि मूलशंकर
को प्यारे थे , इन दोनों दृश्यों ने मौत का प्रश्न लाकर इनके सम्मुख खड़ा कर दिया और वे सोचने लगे की मृत्यु क्या वस्तु है और किस तरह मनुष्य मृत्यु पर विजय पा सकता है |
इन प्रश्नों को हल करने की इतनी तीव्र इच्छा हुयी की उन्होंने बाप की जायदाद को ठोकर मारकर जंगल की राह ली | सन्यास धारण किया और मूलशंकर जी से स्वामी दयानंद जी बन गए और योगाभ्यास करते हुए ताप का जीवन बिताना आरम्भ किया |
विद्या की खोज में पर्वतों ,जंगलो ,नदियों के तटो पर चक्कर लगाना आरम्भ कर किया | इस तरह तप की आयु व्यतीत करते हुए और योगाभ्यास करते हुए समाधि तक योग की विद्या प्राप्त की | अंत में अपने आखिरी गुरु स्वामी विरजानंद जी के पास मथुरा में पहुंचे और तीन वर्ष में वेदों और शास्त्रों की पूर्ण विद्या प्राप्त करके वेद के अर्थ करने की कुंजी गुरु से प्राप्त की | पुनः गुरु से विदा होने का समय आया | गुरु विरजानंद ने अपने शिष्य दयानंद से माँग की कि बेटा इस समय मत मतान्तरो का अन्धकार छाया हुआ है लोग वेद कि शिक्षा के विरुद्ध चल रहे है तुम्हारे से यह गुरुदक्षिणा मांगता हूँ कि मत मतान्तरो का खंडन करके वैदिक धर्म का प्रचार करो |
महर्षि स्वामी दयानंद जी ने अपने गुरु कि इस आगया में अपना पूरा जीवन बलिदान कर दिया |
स्वामी दयानंद ने अपने जीवन कि दो विचारधाराएं ठहराई वैदिक धर्म का प्रचार और ईसाई,मुसलमानों के हाथो से पौराणिक हिंदू जाती की रक्षा की | महर्षि दयानंद जी ने अपने दोनों विचारधाराओं को पूरा करने के लिए सहस्त्र मीलो की यात्रा की | हजारों भाषण दिए |सैकड़ो शाश्त्रार्थ किये और दर्जनों पुस्तके लिखी और वेद का सरल हिंदी में अनुवाद किया और अपने अनथक प्रयास से सोये हुए आर्यवर्त देश को जगा दिया और वेद की पुस्तक हाथ में लेकर ईसाई और मुसलमानों आदि एनी मतवालो को शाश्त्रार्थ के लिए ललकारा और सेकडो स्थानों पर उनको पराजय दी और पौराणिक हिन्दुजाती को मृत्यु के मुख से बचा लिया | भविष्य में वैदिक धर्म का प्रचार और पौराणिक हिन्दुजाति की रक्षा के लिए एक संस्था की स्थापना की जिसका नाम “आर्यसमाज“रखा |
आखिरकार वेद के शत्रुओ ने षड्यंत्र रच कर स्वामी जी के रसोइये द्वारा दुष् में पिसा हुआ कांच और विष मिलाकर महर्षि स्वामी दयानंद जी को पिला दिया जिससे इनका शरीर फुट पड़ा और वे अजमेर में दीपावली की शाम को संवत १९४० में परलोक सिधार गए |स्वामी जी की मृत्यु के पश्चात आर्यसमाज ने अपने पुरे प्रयत्नों द्वारा वैदिक धर्म का प्रचार और पौराणिक हिन्दुजाति की रक्षा की , करता है और करता रहेगा

| इस कार्य को करते हुए कुछ स्वार्थी लोगो ने आर्य समाज का विरोध शुरू कर दिया और भिन्न भिन्न प्रकार के दोष लगाकर आर्य समाज को बदनाम करने के प्रयत्न किये |

किसी ने कहा कि – १.) आर्य समाज एक अवैध समाज है जो वर्तमान सरकार के तख्ताये हुकूमत को उलटना चाहता है |
२.) किसी ने कहा कि आर्य समाज एक दिल को ठेस पहुँचाने वाली संस्था है जो भिन्न भिन्न मतो का खंडन करके
उनके दिलो को ठेस लगाती है |
३.) किसी ने कहा कि आर्य समाज एक फसादी टोला है | जब तक भारत वर्ष में समाज का नाम था , लोग प्रीति और प्रेम के साथ रहते थे | जब से आर्यसमाज का जन्म हुआ तब से लोगो में लड़ाई और झगडे फ़ैल गए,इसलिए आर्य समाज एक फसादी टोला है |अतः प्रत्येक मनुष्य ने आर्यसमाज के बारे में अपने अपने दृष्टिकोण से अनुमान लगाया उदाहरणार्थ कहते है कि एक जंगल में पाँच मनुष्य इकट्ठे बैठे थे | जंगल में तीतर कि बोली के बारे में सोचने लगे कि बताओ भाई यह तीतर क्या कहता है | उन पांचो ने अपने विचारानुसार तीतर कि बोली का अनुमान लगाया |
१.) मियाँ साहिब ने कहा कि तीतर कहता है – “ सुबहान तेरी कुदरत “
२.) पंडित जी ने कहा कि तीतर कहता है – “सीता राम दशरथ “
३.) दूकानदार ने कहा – “ नून तेल अदरक “
४.) पहलवान ने कहा –“ खाओ पियो करो कसरत “
५.) जेंटलमैन ने खा – “ पीओ बीड़ी सिगरट “
अब आपने देखा कि तीतर ने अपनी बोली में बोला और पाँच मनुष्यों ने अपने अपने विचारानुसार तीतर कि बोली का अनुमान लगाया लेकिन तीतर क्या कहता है इसको या टो तीतर जानता है या तीतर कि बोली समझने
वाला | इसी प्रकार लोग आर्य समाज के बारे में अपनी अपनी बुद्धि के अनुसार अनुमान लगाते है |
१.) कोई कहता है कि आर्य समाज एक अवैध समाज है |
२.) कई कहता है कि आर्य समाज एक दिल को ठेस पहुचानें वाली संस्था है |
३.) कोई कहता है कि आर्य समाज एक फसादी टोला है |
लेकिन आर्य समाज क्या है ? इसको या आर्य समाज जानता है या आर्य समाज के सिद्धांतों को समझने वाला | हाँ इससे पहले आपको यह बताए कि आर्य समाज क्या है तीन प्रकार के लोगो के भ्रम को दूर करना आवश्यक समझते है |
१.) पहले प्रकार के वे लोग है जो कहते है कि आर्य समाज एक अवैध समाज है | मै यह बताना चाहता हूँ कि जो लोग आर्य समाज को ऐसा समझते है वे भ्रम में है | वे नहीं जानते कि आर्यसमाज क्या चीज है ? आर्य समाज वेद का प्रचारक है और वेद ईश्वरीय गया है और ईश्वर एक देश का नहीं बल्कि संसार का है | इसलिए आर्य समाज भी किसी एक देश के लिए नहीं ,बल्कि सारे विश्व के लिए है | आर्य समाज जो कुछ भी बताता है वह सारे संसार के लिए नियम कि बाते बताता है | इस से जो देश भी चाहे लाभ उठा सकता है |
उदाहरणार्थ आर्य समाज राज्य प्रबंध के बारे में यह नियम बताता है कि प्रत्येक देश में राज करने का अधिकार उस देश के वासियों का है , दूसरे देश के लोगो का यह अधिकार नहीं है कि वे किसी देश पर राज्य करे | जैसे चीन पर राज्य करने का अधिकार चीनियों को है जापानियों का यह अधिकार नहीं कि वे चीन पर राज्य करे | बस इसी तरह आर्य समाज कहता है कि भारत पर राज्य करने का अधिकार केवल भारतीयों का है इटली वालो का यह अधिकार नहीं |
यह एक नियम कि बात है जिसे आर्य समाज डंके कि चोट पर कहता है और इस प्रकार कहने में आर्य समाज को किसी का भय नहीं | अब रहा आर्य समाज के सभासद बनने का प्रश्न सो आर्य समाज के दस नियम है
जो मनुष्य इन नियमों को समझ कर इन पर चले कि प्रतिज्ञा करता है वह आर्य समाज का सभासद बन सकता है | एक क्रन्तिकारी मनुष्य जो रिवाल्वर और बम चलाना अपना धर्म समझता है यदि वो आर्य समाज के दस नियम का विचार कर उनके अनुसार चलने कि प्रतिज्ञा करता है वह आर्यसमाज का सभासद बन सकता है | आर्य समाज का सभासद बनने में उसे किसी प्रकार कि बाधा नहीं है और एक सरकारी कर्मचारी भी जो सर्कार कि आज्ञा को निभाना अपना धर्म समझता है वह भी आर्य समाज के नियमों का पालन करके आर्यसमाज का अभासाद बन सकता है | आर्य समाज कि स्टेज आर्य समाज के नियमों के प्रचार के लिए है इसलिए जो लोग यह कहते है कि आर्य समाज एक अवैध समाज है वे भ्रम में है | वे नहीं जानते कि आर्य समाज क्या है |
२.) दूसरी प्रकार के लोग है जो कहते है कि आर्य समाज एक दिल को ठेस पहुचने वाली संस्था है | हम यह बतलाना चाहते हाउ ये लोग पहले कि अपेक्षा अधिक भ्रम में है | ये नहीं जानते कि आर्य समाज क्या चीज है ? दिल को ठेस लगाना दो प्रकार का होता है एक नेकनीयती से बदनीयती से | जो दिल को ठेस नेकनीयती से लगाई जाती है वह उस मनुष्य कि हानि के लिए नहीं,  बल्कि लाभ के लिए होती है | उदाहरणार्थ एक आदमी कि टांग पर फोड़ा निकल आया | फोड़े में पीप पड़ गयी , पीप में कीड़े पड़ गएग | वह आदमी औषधालय में गया | औषद्यालय के डाक्टर ने उसकी टांग का निरीक्षण किया और निरिक्षण करने के पश्चात डाक्टर नेकनीयती से इस परिणाम पर पहुंचा कि अगर इसकी टांग का ओप्रेसन करके इसके अंदर से पीप न निकाल दी गयी टो संभवतः इसकी टांग काटनी पड़े और काटने के साथ साथ इसका जीवन भी समाप्त हो सकता है | अब डाक्टर नेकनीयती से इसका जीवन बचाने के लिए ओप्रेसन करना शुरू कर देता है | जहां डाक्टर ने ओप्रेसन करना आरम्भ किया उधर रोगी ने चीखना शुरू कर दिया कि यह डाक्टर टो बड़ा डीठ है निर्दयी है बेरहम है और दिल दुखाने वाला है |और लगे हाथो दस बीस गालिय भी डाक्टर को दे डाली |

अब आप बताइए कि इस अवस्था में उस डाक्टर का क्या कर्तव्य है ,क्या डाक्टर का यह कर्तव्य है कि वह रोगी कि गालियों से क्रोधित होकर नश्तर को अनुचित चला कर रोगी को हानि पहुचाएं ? कदाचित नहीं !  यदि डाक्टर रोगी कि गालियों से क्रोधित होकर नश्तर को अनुचित चलाकर रोगी को हानि पहुंचाता है तो डाक्टर अपने कर्तव्य से गिर जाता है | वह अपने कर्तव्य को पूरा नहीं करता और क्या डाक्टर का यह कर्तव्य है कि वह रोगी कि गालियों से निराश होकर इलाज करना छोड दे तो भी वह अपने कर्तव्य से गिर जाता है | डाक्टर का तो यह कर्तव्य है कि वह रोगी कि गालियों कि तरफ ध्यान न देकर नेकनीयत से इसके जीवन बचाने के लिए निरंतर ओप्रेसन करता चला जाए |एक समय ऐसा आएगा जब ओप्रेसन सफल हो जाएगा और रोगी कि टांग
कि सारी पीप निकल जायेगी और डाक्टर इस पर मरहम रखेगा और रोगी को आराम आ जावेगा तो वही रोगी जो डाक्टर को गालिय देता था वह डाक्टर को आशीर्वाद देगा कि इसने मेरा जीवन नष्ट होने से बचा दिया | बस यही हालत आर्य समाज कि है | आर्य समाज के प्रवर्तक महर्षि दयानंद जी ने अनुभव किया कि पोरानिक हिन्दुजाति के अंदर बहुत से बुरे रीती रिवाज और बुरे नियम विद्यमान है | अगर इनको न निकल दिया गया तो संभव् है कि इस हिन्दुजाति का नामोनिशान भी इस संसार में न रहे | इस बात को विचार करते हुए महर्षि दयानंद ने अपनी आयु में और इनकी मृत्यु के बाद आर्य समाज ने नेकनीयत के साथ हिन्दुजाति के जीवन को संसार में स्थापित करने के लिए उसके बुरे नियमों और बुरे रीती रिवाज का खंडन आरम्भ किया | खंडन आरम्भ होने के बात हिन्दुजाति ने महर्षि दयानंद जी के जीवन में उनके साथ और उनकी मृत्यु के बाद आर्य समाज के साथ बुरा व्यव्हार किया | गाली गलोच दी ,ईंट और पत्थर बरसाए और अब भी कई स्थानों पर आर्य समाज के साथ ऐसा व्यवहार हिन्दुजाति कि तरफ से हो रहा है |
अब ऐसी अवस्था में आर्य समाज का क्या कर्तव्य है ? क्या आर्य समाज का यह कर्तव्य है कि वह पोरानिक हिन्दुजाति कि गाली गलोच और बुरे व्यव्हार से क्रोधित होकर अनुचित भाव से हिन्दुजाति को चिडाने के लिए या उसे हानि पंहुचाने के लिए इसका खंडन करे | कदापि नहीं अगर आर्य समाज ऐसा करता है तो वह अपने कर्तव्य से गिर जाएगा | क्या आर्य समाज का यह कर्तव्य है कि वह गाली गलोच और बुरे व्यव्हार से
निराश होकर ठीक तरह से बुरे रश्मो रिवाज और बुरे नियमों का खंडन करना छोड दे ? कदापि नहीं , अगर आर्य समाज ऐसा करता है तो वह अपने कर्तव्य से गिर जाता है | वह अपने कर्तव्य को पूरा नहीं करता | आर्य समाज का यह कर्तव्य है कि वह हिन्दुजाति कि गाली गलोच और बुरे व्यवहार कि कुछ भी परवाह न करते हुए नेकनीयती से हिन्दुजाति के सुधर और उसके जीवन को स्थिर रखने के लिए निरंतर इसके बुरे नियमों और रीती रिवाज का खंडन करता हुआ चले | वह समय अति निकट होगा जब हिन्दुजाति के अंदर से बुरे रस्मो रिवाज और बुरे नियम निकल जायेंगे और यह हिंदू जाति एकता में संयुक्त हो जायेगी | तब यह हिंदू जाति आर्य समाज को आशीर्वाद देगी कि इसने मेरे जीवन को नष्ट होने से बचा लिया |
इस लिए जो लोग कहते है कि आर्य समाज एक दिल दुखाने वाली संस्था है ,वे भ्रम में है | वे नहीं जानते कि आर्य समाज क्या है ? अब मै आपकी सेवा में यह बतलाना चाहता हूँ कि आर्य समाज क्या है ? अगर कोई आदमी मेरे से पूछे तो मै उसे थोड़े शब्दों में बताना चाहूँ कि आर्यसमाज क्या चीज है तो मै कहूँगा कि –
१.) आर्य समाज पीडितों का सहायक है |
२.) आर्य समाज रोगियों का डॉक्टर है |
३.) आर्य समाज सोते हुयो का चोंकिदार है |
१.) पीडितों का सहायक आर्य समाज – आर्य समाज पीडितों का सहायक है ,आर्य समाज निर्धनों का मददगार है |
जिनके अधिकारों को दुष्ट और कुटिल लोगो ने अपने पाँव के निचे कुचल दिया था उनके अधिकारों को वापस दिलाने वाली संस्था है |आर्य समाज ने अपने जीवन में किस किस कि सहायता कि है और किस किस के दबे हुए अधिकारों को वापिस दिलाया है इसकी एक लंबी सूचि बन जायेगी जिसके इस छोटे से लेख के अंदर लिखा नहीं जा सकता , फिर भी आर्य समाज ने जिन जिनकी सहायता कि है इसमें से कुछ एक का नमूने के तोर पर वर्णन करना आवश्यक प्रतीत होता है:
क) गाय आदि पशु- आर्य समाज ने सबसे पहली वकालत गाय आदि पशुओ की की | महर्षि दयानंद जी और आर्य समाज से पूर्व लोग यह मानते थे की यज्ञ में गाय आदि पशुओ को मारकर इस्नके मांस से हवन करना और बचे हुए मांस का खाना उचित है ,इस से वह पशु और यज्ञ करने वाला दोनों हि स्वर्ग में जाते है |
स्वामी दयानंद और आर्य समाज ने इस बारे में गाय आदि पशुओ की वकालत की और बताया की यज्ञ तो कहते हि उसे है जिसमे विद्वानों की प्रतिष्ठा की जावे | अच्छी संगत और दान आदि नेक काम किये जाए , फिर वेद में यह आता है  की यज्ञ उसे कहते है जिसमे किसी भी जीव का दिल ना दुखाया जाए और फिर वेद में स्थान स्थान पर यह लिखा है की यजमान के पशुओ की रक्षा की जाए | इन सब बातो से सिद्ध होता है की यज्ञ में किसी भी पशु का मारना पाप है क्योंकि किसी भी जीव का दिल दुखाये बिना मांस प्राप्त नहीं हो सकता और धार्मिक दृष्टिकोण से भी मांस खाना पाप है | और किसी भी निर्दोष जीव की हत्या करना पाप है | आर्य समाज की यह वकालत फल लायी , और सबसे पहली गोशाला रिवाड़ी में खोली गयी जिसकी आधारशिला महर्षि दयानंद जी ने अपने कर कमलों से रखी और आर्य समाज के प्रयत्नों से लाखो आदमियों ने मांसभक्षण छोड दिया | आज गो आदि पशुओ की रक्षा का विचार और मांस भक्षण न करने के प्रति विचार जो देश में उन्नति कर रहा है यह आर्य समाज की वकालत का परिणाम है |
ख) स्त्रियों की शिक्षा – स्वामी दयानंद और आर्य समाज से पूर्व स्त्रियो को शिक्षित बनाना पाप समझा जाता था , आर्य समाज ने इस विषय में स्त्रियों की वकालत की और बताया की जैसे परमात्मा की पैदा की हुयी जमीन पानी हवा, आग सूर्य आदि के प्रयोग का अधिकार पुरुषों और स्त्रियो को एक समान है और परमात्मा की बनाई हुई चीजे दोनों को लाभ पहुंचाती है वैसे हि परमात्मा में सृष्टि के आरम्भ में जो ज्ञान दिया इसको प्राप्त करने का अधिकार भी स्त्रियों और पुरुषों को समान है | आर्य समाज की यह वकालत फल लायी और इसका परिणाम यह निकला की जो लोग स्त्रियों की शिक्षा के विरुद्ध थे सैकडो कन्या पाठशालाए इन लोगो की और से खुली हुई है | आज स्त्रियां न्यायालय विभाग, वकालत, डॉक्टरी और शिक्षा में पुरुषों के समान कार्य करती हुई दृष्टिगोचर हो रही है |
वे म्युनसिपल कमेटियो ,डिस्ट्रिक्ट बोर्डो लेजिस्लेटिव असेम्बलियो और गोलमेज कांफ्रेंसो में भी पुरुषों के समा कार्य कर रही है | बल्कि भारत की प्रधानमंत्री भी स्त्री रही है | यह किसका फल है ? यह आर्य समाज की वकालत का हि परिणाम है |

३.)अनाथो की रक्षा  स्वामी दयानंद और आर्य समाज के पूर्व पौराणिक हिन्दुजाती में अनाथ बच्चो के पाले का कोई प्रबंध नहीं था जिससे हिन्दू बच्चे इसाई और मुसलमानों के अधिकार में जाकर हिन्दुजाती के शत्रु बनते थे |आर्य समाज और मह्रिषी दयानंद जी महाराज ने इस विषय में अनाथ बच्चो की वकालत की और इनके पालन पोषण के लिए सर्वप्रथम अनाथालय अजमेर में स्थापित किया | जिसकी आधार शिला मह्रिषी स्वामी दयानंद
जी महाराज ने स्वंय अपने करकमलो से राखी | आज दर्जनों अनाथालय आर्य समाज के निचे काम कर रहे है |जिनमे हजारो संख्या में हिन्दुजाती के अनाथ बच्चे सम्मिलित होकर हिन्दुजाती का अंग बन रहे है | आज अनाथो की पालना का विचार जो देश में उन्नत है यह भी आर्य समाज की वकालत का फल है |
४.)विधवा विवाह स्वामी दयानंद और आर्य समाज से पहले पौराणिक हिन्दुजाती में यह रीती थी की यदि किसी पुरुष की स्त्री मर जाती थी तो इसको दूसरी स्त्री के साथ विवाह कराने का अधिकार प्राप्त था , परन्तु यदि किसी स्त्री का पति मृत्यु का ग्रास बन जाता था तो उस स्त्री को दुसरे पुरुष से विवाह का अधिकार प्राप्त न था | इसका परिणाम यह होता था की हजारो विधवाए व्यभिचार , गर्भपात के पापो में फंस जाती थी और बहुत सी विधवाएं ईसाई और मुसलमानों के घरो को बसाकर गोघातक संतान पैदा करती थी |इस बारे में आर्य समाज ने विधवाओ की वकालत की और बतायाकि जब पुरुषो को रंडवा होने पर दुसरे विवाह का अधिकार प्राप्त है तो कोई कारण प्रतीत नहीं होता की विधवा स्त्री को दुसरे पति से विवाह करने का अधिकार क्यों प्राप्त न हो | आर्य समाज ने बतलाया यदि कोई स्त्री पति के मरने के पश्चात् ब्रह्मचारिणी रहना चाहे और ईश्वर की अराधना में अपना जीवन बितावे तो उसके लिए पुनः विवाह करना जरुरी नहीं |हाँ यदि कोई स्त्री पति के मर जाने के बाद ब्रह्मचारिणी न रहना चाहे या न रह सकती हो तो उसको दुसरे पति के साथ पुनर्विवाह करने का अधिकार प्राप्त है | आर्य समाज की यह वकालत फल लाई | इसका परिणाम यह हुआ की आज विधवाओं के विवाह के लिए कोई बाधा नहीं है |
५.)अछूतोद्धार महर्षि स्वामी दयानंद और आर्य समाज से पहले अछूतों की क्या दशा थी ? लोग इनको मनुष्य न समझते थे | लोग इनको दारियो पर बैठ कर उपदेश सुनने , कुएं पानी भरने , पाठशालाओ में शिक्षा पाने और मदिर में अराधना करने की भी आज्ञा न देते थे | इस से लाचार होकर अछूत लोग इसाई और मुसलमानों की शरण लेते थे | आर्य समाज ने इस बारे में अछूतों की वकालत की और बतलाया की मनुष्य के रूप में सब बराबर है | जन्म से न कोई छोटा है न कोई बड़ा है | प्रत्येक आदमी अपने नेक कार्यो से बड़ा बनता है | आर्य समाज की यह वकालत रंग लाइ और इसका परिणाम यह है की आज अछूतों पर से सारी बाधाएं दूर हो गयी है |और अछूत लोग शारीरिक , आत्मिक , समाजिक और आर्थिक उन्नति में दिन दुगुनी रात चौगुनी उन्नति कर रहे है | यह सब आर्य समाज की वकालत का ही फल है |
ख ) रोगियों का डॉक्टर आर्य समाज –यदि आप आर्य समाज का औषधालय देखना चाहे तो सत्यार्थ प्रकाश के अंतिम चार समुल्लासो का अध्ययन करे |इन चार समुल्लासो में आर्य समाज के प्रवर्तक ऋषि दयानंद जी ने वेद के प्रतिकूल अनेक मत मतान्तरो का ऑपरेशन किया है और वह पूर्ण रूप से सफल हुआ है |इसका प्रमाण यह है की आज भारत के सारे मत मतान्तर अपने नियमो को वेदानुकुल बनाने की चिंता में है | पौराणिक हिन्दुजाती में अनेक रोग उपस्थित थे जिनकी आर्य समाज ने चिकित्सा की | नमूने के लिए कुछ ऐसे रोगों का वर्णन करना जरुरी है |
१> अज्ञानता आर्य समाज से इस पौराणिक हिन्दुजाती में घोर अविद्या ने घर कर रखा था | लोग वेदों के नाम से भी अनभिज्ञ थे | आर्य समाज ने इन रोगों की चिकित्सा की और देश के अन्दर कन्या गुरुकुल , कन्या पाठशाला , प्राइमरी स्कूल , हाई स्कूल और विश्वविद्यालयो का जाल बिछा दिया और वेद प्रचार के लिए जगह जगह सभाए स्थापित कर दी और आर्य समाज की देखा देखि दुसरे लोगो ने जो विद्यालय खोले है वे अलग ! आज लोगो में जो संस्कृत और वेदविद्या पढने का चाव दिन प्रतिदिन बढ़ रहा है यह आर्य समाज रूपी डॉक्टर की कृपा का परिणाम है |
२) बाल विवाह , वृद्ध विवाह , बेजोड़ विवाह आर्य समाज के प्रचार से पहले छोटे छोटे बच्चो का विवाह , बुढ़ापे का विवाह और बेजोड़ विवाह इस पौराणिक हिन्दुजाती को घुन की भाँती खा रहे थे लोग छोटे छोटे बच्चो का विवाह कर देते थे | साठ वर्ष के बूढ़े के साथ चौदह वर्ष की लड़की का विवाह कर देते थे और अठारह वर्ष की लड़की का विवाह आठ वर्ष के लड़के के साथ कर देते थे | इस से ब्रह्मचर्य का नाश होकर दिन प्रतिदिन हिन्दुजाती की शारीरिक अवस्था बिगडती जा रही थी | इस रोग की चिकत्सा आर्य समाज ने की और यह नियम वेद से बतलाया की नवयुवती लड़की का विवाह नवयुवक लड़के से करना चाहिए | लड़की की आयु कम से कम सोलह वर्ष और लड़के की आयु कम से कम पच्चीस वर्ष होनी चाहिए इस बारे में लोगो ने आर्य समाज का बड़ा विरोध किया , परन्तु आर्य समाज दृढ़ संकल्प से इस कार्य में लगा रहा | अंत में आर्य समाज का प्रयत्न फल लाया और इसका पता लोगो को तब लगा सब राज्य शासन में सर्वसम्मति से शारदा बिल पास हो गया | शारदा एक्ट के आधीन चौदह वर्ष से कम आयु की लड़की और अठारह वर्ष से कम आयु के लड़के का विवाह करना कानूनी अपराध था | इसमें बदलाव होते होते लड़के और लड़की की न्यूनतम आयु अठारह कर दी गयी विवाह के लिए | यह सब आर्य समाज रूपी चिकित्सक की ही कृपा का फल है | अब बाल और वृद्धोके विवाह बहुत कम हो गये है और बेजोड़ विवाह की तो रीती ही समाप्त हो गई है |

३)अन्धविश्वास आर्य समाज के प्रचार से पूर्व यह पौराणिक हिन्दू जाति भूतपुजा , प्रेतपूजा , डाकिनी शाकिनी पूजा , पीर मदार पूजा ,गण्डा ताबीज पूजा ,बुत पूजा , इन्सान पूजा , मकान पूजा ,पानी पूजा , पशु पूजा , आग पूजा , मिट्टी पूजा , वृक्ष पूजा , श्मशान पूजा , मुसलमान पूजा , मृतक पूजा , सूर्य पूजा , चाँद पूजा इत्यादि अनेक रोगों में फंसी हुई थी | और निकट था की इन रोगों के कारण यह हमेशा के लिए मिट जाती की महर्षि दयानंद और आर्य समाज रूपी चिकित्सक ने इसकी चिकित्सा की और वेद अमृत पिला कर इसके रोगों को दूर करके इसको एक परमात्मा का पुजारी बनाकर इस जाती को अमर कर दिया | यह भी आर्य समाज रूपी चिकित्सक की कृपा का फल है |
अतः आर्यसमाज पीडितो का वकील है ,रोगियों का डॉक्टर है और सोते हुओ का चौकीदार है |इस लिए आप सबका कर्तव्य बनता है की आर्य समाज केछृथृ साथ मिल कर देश और जाति का उद्धार करने में सहायक बने |
ओउम्

The origin of the Vedas: Dr. Vidhu Mayor

Veda 1

The idea that ‘the Rig Veda is the oldest book of mankind’ was first stated by Max Muller in the late 19th century.  Sadly, such statements have since been accepted uncritically, even within some Arya Samaj circles. It is sad because this contradicts the age-old theist Indian conviction that all four of the Vedas were revealed to mankind when humans were first created by God.  Each one of the four ‘books’ were revealed to four different humans.

The founder of the Arya Samaj movement, Svami Dayanand Sarsavati, expounds on the origin of the Vedas in his book Rigvedadibhashyabhumika, at the beginning of which he explains that God did not, however, produce the Vedas in the form of books in the beginning, but that ‘He revealed them to the consciousness of Agni, Vayu, Aditya and Angirasa’.  Amongst the first humans, these were four rishis of such great merit that they were the most worthy of this honour. The author further cites the Shatapatha Brahamana XI. 5-8-3: that from them, when they meditated, were produced the three Vedas, viz., from Agni was produced the Rigveda, from Vayu, the Yajurveda, and from Surya the Samaveda. God inspired their consciousness and produced the Vedas through them….God gave them knowledge in the shape of the Vedas. Dayanand stresses this point to emphasize that these four did not compose the Vedas; he further writes:

The Samhitas are called Veda because all men know all true sciences in or through them, or because all true sciences exist in them, or because all true sciences exist in them, or because men become learned by studying them. The Samhitas are called
‘Shruti’ because from the beginning of creation to the present day Brahma and others have heard all true sciences read out of them. The Vedas, having been revealed by God who has no bodily organs, were never composed by a being having a corporeal body. God used Agni, Vayu, Aditya and Angirasa as His instruments only for revealing the Vedas….The Vedas are not the products of their minds. God, being possessed of perfect knowledge, the relations between the Vedic words and their meanings also were established by Him.

Dayanand then goes on to rationalise his assertion that this act of revelation took place over 1.96 billion years ago.  So, in this sense it would be partially true to say that ‘the Rig Veda is the oldest book of mankind’.  Two errors in this statement, however, are that (i) it suggests that the Rig preceded the other three Vedas which – as has been explained above – is not true, for all four Vedas were revealed simultaneously and (ii) the false notion that these four samhitas began life in the form of ‘books’ of paper with ink-pen writing.  Obviously, at some point in history later on, this knowledge was written down into the form of books instead of it remaining solely imprinted in the memories of humans with unimaginably powerful intellects (even today wecan find men in India who are able to recite all 20000 mantras of the Vedas orally).

A third error implicit in Max Muller’s contention is that these books were written a few thousand years ago during the so-called Vedic era of India’s history. The case for debunking this as a myth now follows.

Textbooks of history used in schools in India even today teach that the people of India originate, racially, from an invasion of ‘Aryans’ into India over 3500 years ago – this version of history being a legacy left behind by the British rule over India for over two centuries.  The evidence for this theory is based mainly on the work done by European archaeologists and linguists during the time of Britain’s domination of India as its colony. The theory of Indo-Aryan migration was proposed in mid-19th century by German linguist and Sanskrit scholar Max Muller who proposed that these invaders introduced the ‘Indo-European languages’ and the caste system into India.

It is admittedly biased to summarily and contemptuously dismiss, here, these theories (which are predicated on proffering fossils of chariot technology as evidence, amongst other, of such an invasion) as being totally false. However, an author as eminent as GK Chesterton penned the following indictment of archaeology not being an exact science: the case in the 1920’s in the USA when the finding of a fossilised tooth was heralded – with much media excitement – as more proof that man had descended from apes because the tooth had characteristics of both man and ape.  However, in 1927 other parts of the skeleton were found – to reveal that this tooth was not that of `Nebraska Man’ but that of a pig!

Max Muller’s work will be critiqued later.  Firstly, however, Svami Dayanand’s powerful objection in his 1883 book ‘Light of Truth’ must be reiterated: In no Sanskrit book – historical or otherwise – is it recorded that the Aryas emigrated here from Iran, fought with and conquered the aborigines, drove them out, and became the rulers of the country. How can then these statements of the foreigners be true?  Why, indeed, did the Aryan invaders go to such lengths as to conceal or destroy all evidence of their origin in Central Asia? An analogy would be of there being, in three thousand years time, no surviving documentary evidence whatsoever, of the people of America today having emigrated there from Europe, in both those continents! Further, such a scenario would also require no evidence to survive of the virtual genocide of the indigenous American Indians by the European invaders. Why has no evidence emanated from Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan of such a migration?  Would one not expect them to present such evidence – of their exporting to India of its rich Vedic civilisation – with justifiable nationalistic pride?

Modern – Western – historians are notably silent in addressing or rebutting these objections; this silence is positively deafening in light of the allegations, by the likes of De Riencourt, of disingenuity on Dayanand’s part. Two discrepancies that become clear are (i) why is there such an enormous difference in the interpretation of the Rig Veda between today’s historians and Dayanand and (ii) why are there similar differences in the account of Indian history by Dayanand, an Indian, and the version – accepted as true today – proposed by ‘visiting’ western historians and archaeologists?

A brief digression is warranted here. The explanation offered by the Occident for the paucity of historical documents to be found in India is that, somehow, a peculiar characteristic of the Indian psyche is to have no need or interest in history!  Max Muller was not the first German to suggest this. One far more eminent, none other than the great German philosopher Hegel, remarked: ‘Its strikes everyone in beginning to form an acquaintance with the treasures of Indian literature, that a land so rich in intellectual products and those of the profoundest order of thought, has no History; and in this respect contrasts most strongly with China….’ [The fascinating fascination that Germany discovered for India 200 years ago is another story that Indians of today must reflect upon].  Amaury de Riencourt, in his 1960 book The Soul of India further develops this – quite preposterous – notion as elaborated on page 9 of that book – ‘With the arrival of the Aryan war bands, all historical evidence vanishes; script disappeared, and the wooden structures of the Aryans rotted away in time without leaving any traces. From the very first, the invaders manifested the most remarkable trait of Indian psychology: a complete, instinctive indifference to history and the preservation of historical records. The Aryans in India had no memory.  And instead of historical treatises such as the Chinese have left to posterity , the Aryans left us myths – the transmutation of time-bound historical events into timeless tales in which fact and fancy are almost inextricably mixed.’

So, there we have it: Indians not only have a peculiarity in their make-up that precludes them from having a penchant for their own – or anyone else’s – history but are also asked to accept that it is necessary for foreigners to teach it to them.

Why, then, did Svami Dayanand devote well over a hundred pages in Chapter XI of the Light of Truth, a book primarily devoted Vedic theology and philosophy, to an examination of the history of India?  Why were as many as six of the 50-odd lectures he delivered in Pune in 1875 devoted to history? One of these began: ‘Today’s topic is history.  I shall talk about history in an orderly sequence.  Itihaasa means itihaaso naama vrittam, that is, it is a narration of past events. It started since the creation and it continues today.’  What were the sources he used – or is it inferred that a man revered for his colossal integrity fabricated his version?

De Riencourt finds it necessary to disparage Dayanand’s book as a ‘bird’s-eye view of world history’ and describes his interpretation of the Vedas as ‘his narrow-minded superficial metaphysics’.  Not mentioned at all is Dayanand’s simple explanation as to why the historical records in India have been decimated, that is, that they were destroyed by successive hostile ‘colonisers’ of India over a period of two millenia – beginning with the Buddhists and ending with the Islamic Mughals (and as is well-known today the British also seized literary records, amongst other things).

In debating which translation (Dayanand’s or Max Muller’s) of the Vedas should be believed, the starting point is that the Western world – and thus Indian text-books of history – accepts Max Muller’s contention that the compilation of the Vedas was started during the invasion of India by the Aryans circa 1500 BC and that their hymns, in the words of De Riencourt, ‘undoubtedly reflect the feelings of victorious and warlike barbarians.’

Dayanand translated (i) Rig Veda’s mantra 5:82.5 (Aum vishvaani deva savitur….) and (ii) God’s injunction in Rigveda 8-49-2 as follows:

(i)                  O, Omnipresent and benevolent Creator, disabuse us of our vices.  Secure in us that which is for our betterment [God, O all-pervading kindest Creator, take away our evils (and) inculcate goodness in us].

(ii)                 Acquire duly the Dharma preached by me, which is quintessentially devoid of bias and partiality, and is truthful by definition.

Come together to give up all conflict, so that the best of your happiness may increase and all suffering may be destroyed.

Having met together, hold discussions; ask questions and answer them, lovingly.  Avoid perverse reasoning such as sophistry, prejudiced and untrue arguments, so that noble qualities and true knowledge may forever increase amongst you.

Acquire wisdom to enable your minds to become replete with knowledge and always be filled with joy. Always follow Dharma and never practice Adharma. You should follow the same Dharma as has always been followed by learned, wise and impartial men -whether of past times or of the present age, that is, whether dead or living – maintaining a love for the preaching of the Divine Dharma.

They worshipped me as the Almighty and adorable God and followed the Dharma laid down by me. You also must do the same, so that you may know the Dharma inculcated by the Vedas and have no doubts about it.

Can these examples, indeed, be the work of Aryan savages?  Is the quality of this wisdom not, at least, on a par with the highest echelons of European metaphysics? Alternatively, is it not far more plausible that  Dayanand was correct in, echoing the message of India’s great ancient sages such as Patanjli, that God revealed the Vedas to the first humans He created?

An affirmative answer to that question, that is that the Vedas are of Divine Authorship and not the work of Aryan ‘bards’ imagined by the European colonist-missionary axis of the 18th and 19th centuries ,requires the presentation of further evidence to expose the notion of an Aryan invasion of India as being a fiction.

 

Vidhu Mayor, August 2014, Birmingham, UK.

विष ही महर्षि की मृत्यु का कारण डा. अशोक आर्य

rishi

 

 

महर्षि दयानंद सरस्वती जी के देहावसान का कारण जहाँ जोधपुर राज्य सहित अनेक कुचक्र गामी रहे, वहां दूध में विष भी उनके बलिदान का मुख्य कारण रहा | जब से महर्षि का देहावसान हुआ है , तब से ही जोधपुर के राज परिवार का यह प्रयत्न रहा है कि किसी प्रकार से जोधपुर राजघराने से एक ऋषि की हत्या का दोष हटाया जा सके | इस कड़ी में अनेक प्रयास हमारे सामने आते है जो उस राज परिवार के द्वारा हुए हैं तथा हो रहे हैं | इन पंक्तियों में मैं उन प्रयासों का तो वर्णन नहीं करने जा रहा किन्तु इस प्रयास के किसी न किसी रूप में जो आर्य ही सहभागी बनते हुए दिखाई देते हैं , समय समय पर ऐसे आर्यों की कलम से आर्यों के ही विरोध में किये जा रहे कुप्रयास को दूर करने का यतन आर्य समाज के महान लेखकों ने किया है , इन पंक्तियों में मैं भी कुछ एसा ही प्रयत्न करने का साहस कर रहा हूँ |
लगभग चालीस वर्ष पूर्व एसा ही एक प्रयास श्री लक्ष्मीदत दीक्षित जी ने किया था, जिसका मुंह तोड़ उत्तर अबोहर से प्रा. राजेन्द्र जिज्ञासु जी ने अनेक लेखों के माध्यम से देते हुए यह सप्रमाण सिद्ध किया था कि महर्षि के देहांत का कारण विष ही था | इस अवसर पर उन्हों ने एक पुस्तक भी तैयार की थी महर्षि का विषपान अमर बलिदान | यह पुस्तक आर्य युवक समाज अबोहर ने प्रकाशित की थी | इस का प्रकाशन उस समय हुआ था , जब मैं आर्य युवक समाज अबोहर के प्रकाशन विभाग का मंत्री होता था अर्थात इस पुस्तक का प्रकाशन मैंने ही किया था | इस पुस्तक में स्वामी जी के देहावसान का करण विषपान सटीक रूप से सिद्ध किया गया था तथा इससे पंडित लक्ष्मी दत दीक्षित जी की बोलती ही बंद हो गई थी | वह इस आधार पर जो पुस्तक लिखने जा रहे थे , उसे लिखने का विचार ही उनहोंने त्याग दिया | हमारे विचार में इतने सटीक प्रमाण आने के बाद आर्य समाज में यह विवाद खड़ा करने का प्रयास बंद हो जाना चाहिए था किन्तु आर्य जगत दिनांक २५ मई से ३१ मई २०१४ के पृष्ट ९ पर श्री कृष्ण चन्द्र गर्ग पंचकुला का लेख जगन्नाथ ने महर्षि को दूध में विष दिया – एक झूठी कहानी के अंतर्गत यह लिखने का यत्न किया है कि महर्षि को विष देने की कथा झूठी है , के माध्यम से एक बार फिर यह विवाद खड़ा करने का यत्न किया है | मैं नहीं जानता कि गर्ग जी ने किस पूर्वाग्रह के कारण यह लिखा है किन्तु मैं बता देना चाहता हूँ कि इस लेख के लेखक को संभवतया या तो महर्षि के देहावसान के समबन्ध में कुछ ज्ञान ही नहीं है , या फिर वह जान बूझ कर इस विवाद को बनाये रखना चाहते हैं ताकि कुछ उल्लू सीधा किया जा सके |
लेखक ने स्वामी जी के रसोइये के नाम का विवाद पैदा करने का यत्न किया | स्वामी जी को दूध देने वाला जगन्नाथ था , धुड मिश्र था या कोई अन्य | नाम के विवाद में पड़ने की आवश्यकता नहीं है | नाम चाहे कुछ भी हो , प्रश्न तो यह है कि क्या स्वामी जी को विष दिया गया या नहीं ? लेखक ने बाबू देवेन्द्र नाथ मुखोपाध्याय जी ,पंडित लेखराम जी , पं. गोपालराव हरि जी द्वारा लिखित स्वामी जी के जीवन चरितों का वर्णन करते हुए लिखा है कि इन सब ने स्वामी जी को दूध पी कर सोते हुए दिखाया है किन्तु इस दूध में विष था या नहीं , यह स्पष्ट किये बिना ही लिख दिया कि यह दूध था न कि विष अथवा कांच | लेखक को शायद यह पता ही नहीं कि राजस्थान में विष को कांच भी कहते हैं तथा दूध में भी विष हो सकता है |
जोधपुर के उस समय के राजा की कुटिलता को देखते हुए स्वामी जी को यह कहा भी गया था कि वह जोधपुर न जावें क्योंकि वहां का राजा कुटिल है , कहीं एसा न हो कि स्वामी जी को कोई हानि हो जावे | इससे भी स्पष्ट होता है कि जोधपुर जाने से पूर्व ही स्वामी जी की हानि होने की आशंका अनुभव की जा रही थी | अभी अभी प्रा. राजेन्द्र जिज्ञासु जी ने एक पुस्तक अनुवाद की है | पुस्तक का नाम है महर्षि दयानंद सरस्वती सम्पूर्ण जीवन चरित्र लेखक पंडित लक्षमण जी आर्योपदेशक | यह विशाल काय पुस्तक मूलरूप में उर्दू में लिखी गई थी तथा प्रा. राजेन्द्र जिज्ञासु जी ने इसका अनुवाद कर सन २०१३ में ही दो भागों में प्रकाशित की है | इस पुस्तक में जिज्ञासु जी ने वह सामग्री भी जोड़ दी है , जो अब तक अनुपलब्ध मानी जाती थी | इस के साथ ही इस पुस्तक के अंत में महर्षि का विषपान अमर बलिदान नामक पुस्तक भी जोड़ दी है | प्रा. राजेन्द्र जिज्ञासु इस काल के आर्य समाज के सब से प्रमुख शोध कर्ता हैं , इस पर कहीं कोई दो राय नहीं है | इसलिए जब वह लिख रहे हैं महर्षि का विषपान अमर बलीदान तो यह स्पष्ट हो जाता है कि स्वामी जी के देहावसान का कारण , बलिदान का कारण विषपान ही था | जिज्ञासु जी की पुस्तक के इस शीर्षक मात्र को देख कर ही कहीं अन्य किसी प्रकार की संभावना नहीं रह जाती | तो भी मैं यहाँ कुछ् प्रमाण देकर स्पष्ट करना चाहूँगा कि स्वामी जी के बलिदान का कारण केवल और केवल विष ही तो था अन्य कुछ नहीं |
स्वामी जी को मृत्यु का भय न था
महर्षि का विषपान अमर बलीदान के आरम्भ के दूसरे पहरे में जिज्ञासु जी लिख रहे हें कि स्वामी जी मृत्यु से डरते न थे | वह मरना ओर जीना समान जानते थे | प्रसंग दिया है कि विष दिए जाने से थोडा समय पहले ही एक महाराजा की रानी का देहांत हो गया | कुछ व्यक्ति दूरदर्शिता दिखाते हुए प्रेमपूर्वक कहते हैं कि आप भी थोडा शौक प्रकट करने चले जाएँ | ऋषि कहते हैं कि मैं इस समय सांसारिक बंधन अपने पर कैसे लाद लूँ ? मेरे लिए जीवन व मृत्यु एक सामान है |
इतने वर्ष कैसे जी पाए ?
सत्य का प्रचार करते हुए ऋषि के अनेक विरोधी बन गए | अनेक बार उन्हें विष दिया गया , पत्थर फैंके गए, सांप फैंके गए और न जाने क्या क्या हुआ किन्तु फिर भी वह इतने वर्ष तक जीवित रहे , यह भी एक आश्चर्य है | स्वामी जी को म्रत्यु से लगभग दो वर्ष पूर्व ही अपनी मृत्यु का पूवानुमान हो गया था इस सम्बन्ध में उनहोंने एक पात्र के माध्यम से बारम्बार कर्नाला अल्काट को मेरठ में कहा था कि मैं सन १८८४ का वर्ष कदापि नहीं देख सकता |
जोधपुर का स्वागत
जोधपुर जाते समय २८ मई १८८३ को शाह्पुराधिश को पात्र में लिखा था किबिचके स्टेशनों पर पुकारने पर भी कोई गाड़ीवान अथवा सिपाही नहीं था | यदि ऐसे व्यक्ति हैं तो राजकाज की हनी होगी | स्वामी जी के साथ चारण अमरदास थे | पं. कमलनयन का कथन है कि जाते समय किसी प्रतिष्ठित व्यक्ति ने स्वामी जी को सचेत करते हुए कहा भी था कि महाराज वहां कुछ नरमी से उपदेश करना क्योंकि वह क्रूर देश है |
गर्ग जी ध्यान से पढ़िए यहाँ लक्षमण जी की कृति का अनुवाद करते हुए जिज्ञासु जी भी लिख रहे हैं कि प्रतिश्याय हो गया था | २९ सितम्बर अर्थात चतुर्दशी की रात्री को धौड मिश्र रसोइये से ( जो शाहपुरा का रहने वाला था ) दूध पीकर सोये | उसी रात उदर शूल तथा जी मिचलाने लगा ……………३० सितम्बर को बहुत दिन निकले उठे | उठते ही पुन: वमन व जोर का शूल होने लगा , दस्त भी होने लगे | संदेह होने पर अजवायन का काढा पीया | वैद्यक वाले बताते हैं कि अजवायन विष का प्रभाव दूर करने के लिए होती है | …..सत्यरूपी अमृत की चर्चा करते करते महर्षि को सांसारिक मनुष्यों से विषपान करना पडा | आह ! वह २९ की रात्री वाला दूध क्या था , मृत्यु का सन्देश था | दूध में चीनी के साथ संखिया को बारीक पिस कर दिया गया था | इस रोग का जुयों ज्यों उपचार किया गया त्यों त्यों बढ़ता गया | गर्ग जी क्या आपने कभी एसा प्रतिश्याय देखा है जो वामन, दस्त व पेट शूल का कारण हो ? नहीं तो फिर एसा झूठ क्यों घड रहे हो ?
इस रोग की जानकारी मिलने पर अच्छे चिकित्सक होते हुए भी अली मरदान खान को चिकित्सा का कार्य सौंप दिया गया | कहते हैं कि वह भी शत्रुओं की टोली का ही भाग था | ……जो ओषध दी गई उसके लिए बताया गया था कि तीन चार दस्त आवेंगे किन्तु रात्री भर तीस से भी अधिक दस्त आ गए तथा दिन में भी आते रहे | दस्तों से स्वामी जी इतने क्षीण हो गए कि उन्हें मूर्च्छा आने लगी | पाच अक्तूबर तक अवस्था यहाँ तक पहुँच गई कि श्वास के साथ हिचकियाँ भी आने लगी | जब स्वामी जी ने छः अक्तूबर को कहा कि अब तो दस्त बंद होने चाहियें तो डाक्टर ने कहा कि दस्त बंद होने से रोग बढ़ने का भय है | बार बार कहने पर भी दस्त बंद न होने दिए गए | इस प्रकार अली मरदान खान की चिकित्सा १६ अक्तूबर तक चली | इस मध्य दस्तों के कारण स्वास्थ्य बहुत बिगड़ गया | मुख , कंठ, जिह्वा, तालू,शिर तथा माथे पर छाले पड़ गए | बोलने में भी कष्ट होने लगा | बिना सहायता के करवट लेना भी कठिन हो गया | चिकित्सा काल में उसका प्रतिपल प्रतिक्षण बढ़ते रहना किसी बिगाड़ उत्पन्न करने वाले पदार्थ का काम था तथा वह किस संयोग से श्री महाराज की काया में जो पूर्ण ब्रह्मचर्य ताप व सुधारणाओं सुघथित था , प्रविष्ट हुआ ?
देश हितैषी पत्र अजमेर
यह पत्र लिखता है कि ”भ्रात्रिवृन्द ! यह विचारने का स्थान है | ण जाने यह किस प्रकार का विरेचन तथा ओषधि थी | इस पर बहुधा मनुष्य कई प्रकार की शंका करते हैं और कहते हैं कि स्वामी जी ने भी कई पुरुषों और महाराजा प्रताप सिंह जी से इस विषय में स्पष्ट कह दिया था , परन्तु अब क्या हो सकता है ? लाख यत्न करो | स्वामी जी महाराज अब नहीं आ सकते | जो हुआ, सो हुआ परन्तु हम को इतनाही शोक है कि स्वामी जी महाराज ने किसी आर्य समाजको सूचित न किया | यदि यह वृत्तांत उस समय जाना जाता तो यह रोग इतनी प्रबलता को प्राप्त न होता |”
जब स्वामी जी का स्वास्थ्य गिरता ही चला गया तो पं. देवदत लेखक तथा लाला पन्नालाल अध्यापक जोधपुर ने स्वामी जी से कहा की यह स्थान छोड़ देना चाहिए | स्वामी जी ने इस संबंधमें महाराज को लिखा | महाराज ने कहा की इस दिशा में यहाँ से जाने से जोधपूर की अपकीर्ति होगी किन्तु स्वामी जी के न मानने पर वह चुप हो गया | स्वामी जी की चिकित्सा शुश्रुषा करने वाले लोग तो वाही जो उनकी मौत ही चाहते थे | यदि जेठमल न जाते तो स्वामी जी का देहांत तो जोधपुर में ही हो जाता और संस्कार की सूचना भी आर्यों को न होती | जेठमल जी ने अजमेर जा कर सभासदों को सूचित किया | पीर जी हकीम को सब बताया , उनहोंने कुछ औशध दि तथा बताया की स्वामी जी को संखिया दिया गया है | (देखें महर्षि का विषपान अमर बलिदान ) पीर जी की ओषध से कुछ लाभ मिला | मूर्छा और हिचकी कम हो गई | हस्ताक्षर करने लगे | आबू में डा. लक्षमण दास जी के उपचार स्वे भी लाभ हुआ | हिचकिया व दस्ता बंद हो गए किन्तु २३ अक्तूबर को त्यागा पत्र देने पर भी कड़ी बरतते हुए अजमेर भेज दिया | मार्ग में मिलाने वालों को आप सजल नेत्रों से स्वामी जी का हाल सुनाते थे | यहाँ से स्वामी जी को अजमेर लाया गया | स्वामी जीके पुरे शारीर पर छले पद गए थे तथा सर्दी में भी गर्मी अनुभव करते थे |
अजमेर आने पर पीर जी ने जांच करके स्पष्ट कहा कि विष दिया गया है | स्वामी जी ने जल पीया , कटोरे में मूत्र किया जो कोयले के सामान काला था | प्रा. राजेन्द्र जिज्ञासु जी इस जीवन चरित्र के इतिहा दर्पण के अंतगत पृष्ट ६५५ पर लिखते हैं कि
१. ऋषि जब जोधपुर जाने लगे तो सभी शुभचिंतकों ने वहां जाने से रोका | प्राणों के निर्मोही दयानंद ने किसी की एक न सुनी | शीश तली पर रखकर जोधपुर जानेकी ठान ली|
२. ऋषि के जोधपुर पहुँचाने के २६ दिन बाद जसवंतासिह महाराजा जोधपुर दर्शनार्थ पधारे | यह भी एक समझाने वाला तथ्य है |
३. शाहपुरा के श्री नाहर सिंह तथा अजमेर के कई भक्तों ने कहा कि आप वहां जा रहे हैं | वेश्यागमन ,व्यभिचार का खंडन मत करना | यह तथ्य भी सामना रखना होगा |
तथा ऋषि ने इन्हें जो उतर दिया वह भी ध्यान में लाना होगा |
४. महाराजा प्रताप सिंह के जीवन चरित्र में भी स्वामी जी का कहीं वर्णन तक न होना भी इस बात को बल देता है | यहाँ तक कि उनके किसी लेख मेंस्वामी जी का नाम तक नहीं मिलता |
५. सर प्रताप सिंह अंग्रेज का पिट्ठू था , ऋषि भक्त नहीं | अन्ग्रेजने अपने सब से बड़े चाटुकार निजाम हैदराबाद से भी कहीं अधिक उपाधियाँ सर प्रताप सिंह को दीं | ऋषि भक्त पर तो अंग्रेज मोहित नहीं हो सकता था |
६. राजा के सब चाकर आज्ञाकारी और विश्वस्त होते हैं | मह्रिषी तो शाहपुरा के दिए सब चाकरों को निकम्मा बताते हैं | (यह बात ऋषि दयानंद के पात्र और विज्ञापन के पृष्ट ४२२-४२३ पर अंकित है |
७. जिस डा. अलीमर्दान खान से जोधपुर में उपचार कराया गया था , वह चाटुकार तथा तृतीय श्रेणी का सहायक डाक्टर था | उसने जान बुझ कर एसा उपचार किया कि स्वामी जी बच न सकें |
८. ऋषि की रुग्णता का समाचार बाहर न निकालने देना भी उनके दोष का कारण रहा | महर्षि की साड़ी योजना बनाने वाला राजपरिवार मजे से महलों में सोता रहा | स्वामी जी को रोग शैय्या पर छोड़ महाराज प्रताप सिंह घुड दौड़ के लिए पूना चले गए |
९. स्वामी जी को अंतिम समय अजमेर लाने वाले जेठमल जी ने कविता में लिखा रोम रोम में विष व्याप्त हो गया | यह तो साक्षात सत्य है जिसने अपनी आँखों से देखा उसका ही लिखा है |
१०. जब पंडित लेखराम जी स्वामी जी के जीवन की खोजा में जोधपुर गए तो राजा के गुप्तचर छाया की तरह पंडित जी के पोइछे क्यों रहे ? खोज में बाधाक्यों डाली ?
११. सर प्रताप सिह स्वयं कहते थे …….. कोई नन्हीं को भगतन व वैष्णव बताकर सिद्ध्कराने में लगा है तो कोई जोधपुर में विष देने की घटना को सिरे से खारिज कर रहा है | राजपरिवार का एक ट्रस्ट है | उनहोंने मुठ्ठी में कई लेखक कर रखे है | एसा सुनाने में आया है | एक दैनिक में विषपान की घटनाक प्रचारित करने का दोष पंजाब के महात्मा दल पर लगाया गया | लिखा गया की पंडित लेखराम जी का ग्रन्थ छपने लाहौर मांस पार्टी के स्तम्भ प्रताप सिंह की निंदा के लिए यह प्रचार किया गया |
झूठ झूठ ही होता है
जब राजस्थान के एक दैनिक में यह लेख छापा तो राजस्थान के किसी व्यक्ति ने इस मिथ्या कथन का प्रतिवाद नहीं किया | तब प्र. राजेन्द्र जिज्ञासु जी ने लिखा की पं. ल्लेख्रम जी का ग्रन्थ छपने से पूर्व जोधपुर में अकाल पड़ा था | तब लाला लाजपत राय जी ने लाला दीवानचंद को जोधपुर सहायता कार्य के लिए भेजा | उस समय सर प्रताप सिंह ने स्वयं जोधपुर में ऋषि जी को विष देने की घटना पर बड़ा दू:ख प्रकट किया था | यह बात लाला दीवानचंद जी की आत्मकथा मानसिक चित्रावली में दी गयी है |इस दीवान चाँद ने दुनिया के नोऊ महापुरुष नामक उर्दू पुस्तक में ऋषि को जोधपुर में विष दिए आने की चर्चा की है नन्हीं को भी वैश्य लिखा है |
१२ राजस्थान के यशस्वी इतिहासकार गौरिश्नकर हिराचंद ओझा ने भी ऋषि के बलिदान का कारण विषपान ही माना है | यह सब दयानंद क्मेमोरेश्ना वाल्यूम के पृष्ट ३७० पर देखें | राधास्वामी मत दयालबाग के गुरु हुजुर जी महाराज भी लिखते हैं कि जसवंत सिंह की बद्खुला तवायफ नन्ही जान |…… नन्ही जान के प्रतिशोध का परिणाम था कि दयानंद के दूध में विष पिस कर शक्कर डाल कर दिया गया और वह घातक सिद्ध हुआ |
१२. अजमेर के हकीम पीर अमाम अली जी ने स्पष्ट कहा था की संखिया दिया गया है |
१३. राजस्थान के तत्कालीन इतिहासकार जगदीश सिंह गहलोत, मुंशी देवी प्रसाद , नैनुरम ब्रह्म्भात्त आदि सब एक स्वर से ऋषि के बलिदान का कारण विष मानते हैं } चाँद के प्रसिद्द मारवाड़ अंक से ऋषि के विषपान के प्रमाण जिज्ञासु जी ने दिए थे |
१४. ऋषि को मारने के षड्यंत्र में कई व्यक्ति सम्मिलित थे | इन में से एक व्यक्ति खुल्लामाखुक्का ऋषि की हलाकत ( हत्या ) का श्रेय लेते हुवे गर्व से लिखता है कि उसे तो अल्लाह से ऋषि के मारे जाने की पहले से जानकारी मिल चुकी थी | मिर्जई मत का पैगम्बर मिर्जा गुलाम अहमद कादियानी ऋषि की हकालत को अपनी नुब्बुवत का आसमानी निशाँ प्रमाण आ था | उसने अपनी आसमानी किताब “हकीकत उल वाही “ के ५१-५२ पृष्ठों की निर्देशिका के पृष्ट २४ पर दो बार मह्रिषी के मरवाने का श्रेय बड़ी शान से लेता है | इस पंथ का पालन पौषण अंग्रेज सर्कार ने किया |
१५. वारहट क्रिशन सिंह जी का जीवन और राजपुताना इतिहास अभी छपा है इस में इस प्रकार लिखा है : ब्राह्मणों ने इनके रसोइदर को मिला कर स्वामी दयानंद सरस्वती को जहर दिलाया |……
१६. डा.भवानी लाल भारतीय जी ने नन्ही को महाराज की उप पत्नि कहा है | यदि इसे सत्य मान लें तो भी जोधपुर महाराज की उपपत्नी के इसा अपराध में शामिल होना सिद्ध होता है क्योंकि सब ने माना है कि एक मुख्य पात्र सबने माना है तो राजपरिवार विष दिए जाने के षड्यंत्र से अलिप्त कैसे हो गया ? यदि वह उप पत्नी थी तो सर प्रताप सिंह ने उसे जसवंत सिंह के निधन पर राजभवनों से उसे क्यों निकलवाया |
१७. श्री राम शर्मा ने कुतर्क दिया की गोपालराव हरी ने ऋषि जीवन में विष देने की चर्चा नहीं की | क्या इससे एक सरकारी अधिकारी किविवाश्ता नहीं दिखाती , जबकि मौके के इतिहासकार जो उस समय जोधपुर व अजमेर में थे , की साक्षी असत्य हो जाती है क्या ?
१८. लाखों की सम्पदा रखने वाली नन्ही पर जब विष देने का आरोप लगाया गया , इस आरोप लगाने वालों में महात्मा मुंशी राम, मास्टर आत्माराम , लक्षमण जी, महाशय क्रिअष्ण जी अदि पर उसने मानहानि का अभियोग क्यों न किया ?
१९. भक्त अमिन्चंद को यह क्यों लिखना पडा :
अमिन्चंद एसा होना कठिन है , धर्म न हारा
कष्ट उठाए , ण घबराये , उय्दी वश खाई ||
महर्षि का विषपान अमर बलिदान में दि कविता की अंतिम पंक्ति इस प्रकार है :
दियो विष हा हा हा स्वामी हमारो चली बसों ||
२० बम्बई की एक मेडिकल संस्था ने भारत सरकार के अनुदान से डा. सी के पारिख का एक ग्रन्थ सिम्पलिफाईड टेक्स्ट बुक आफ मेडिकल ज्युरुपुदेंस एंड टेक्नोलॉजी प्रकाशित करवाया है उसके पृष्ट ६४३,६७३,६७४ पर बड़े विस्तार से विष दिए जाने पर शारीर में होने वाली प्रतिक्रियाओं का वर्णन किया गया है | कोई भी सत्यान्वेषी उन्हें पढ़ कर यही निर्णय देगा कि मह्रिषी जी महाराज के अंतिम दिनोंमें जीना शारीरिक व्याधियों का कष्ट भोगना पड़ा वे सब विष दिए जाने के करण उतपन्न हुईं |
विस्वबंधू शास्त्री तथा श्रीराम शर्मा ,दोनों ही मूलराज को अपना गुरु मानते हैं किन्तु मूलराज जैसे कुटिल ऋषि द्रोही ने मरते दम तक कभी यह नहीं कहा व लिखा कि ऋषि को विष नहीं दिया गया | यहाँ तक कि मह्रसी को विष देने के विरोधी श्रीराम शर्मा द्वारा शोलापुर से प्रकाशित प्री. बहादुर मॉल की एक पुस्तक से विष दिए जाने के प्रमाण प्रकाशित किया| इससे भी उनके दोहरे चरित्र का पता चलता है | होश्यारपुर के विश्वबंधु, सूर्यभान कुलपति की पुस्तकों में भी विषपान की घटना निकला आई | महात्मा हंसराज की एक पुस्तक से भी इस सम्बन्ध में प्रमाण मिला |
प्रा. राजेन्द्र जिज्ञासु आर्य जगत के एक सर्वोतम शोध करता हैं | उन्होंने पुस्तक लिखी महर्षि का विषपान अमर बलिदान | इस पुस्तक तथा इससे पूर्व लिखे लेखों के आधार पर श्रीराम शर्मा , लक्शामिदत दीक्षित आदि टिक न सके तो फिर अब गर्ग जी को यह विवादित कार्य फिर से आरम्भ करने की आवश्यकता क्यों हुई तथा इस झूठ को फिर से फैलाने का प्रयास क्यों किया गया तथा यह भी पुन: आर्य जगत में ही क्यों प्फकाषित किया गया ? , इस के पीछे अवश्य कोई साजिश है , इस साजिश का पर्दाफाश होना आवश्यक है ताकि भविष्य में कोई एसा अनर्गल प्रलाप पुन: लाने का साहस न कर सके | ऊपर मैंने जो कुछ लिखा है , वह्सब जिज्ञासु जी की पुस्तक के आधार पर ही लिखा है यदि विस्तार से जानाना चाहें तो इस पुस्तक तथा प्रा. राजेन्द्र जिज्ञासु जी द्वारा अनुवाद की गई लक्षमण जी वाली ऋषि जीवन का अनिम भाग अवश्य पढ़ें | यह भी जाने की विष किसने दिया , उसके नाम का निर्णय करना हमारा काम नहीं है , हमारा काम है की वास्तव में विष दिया गया या नहीं | मुद्दे से न भटकते हुए विषपान तक ही सिमित रहते हुए जाने तो पता चलता हैकि स्वामी जी की म्रत्यु का कारण वास्तव में विषपान ही था जो जोधपुर राजघराने में एक साजिश के तहत दिया गया और इस साजिश में बहुत से लोग यहाँ तक कि अंग्रेज भी शामिल था |

डा. अशोक आर्य
१०४ शिप्रा अपार्टमेन्ट ,कौशाम्बी, २०१०१० गाजियाबाद
दूरभाष 01202773400 , 09718528068

Shyamji Krishna Varma- His Making and Dayanad Saraswati , By Vidhu

shyam ji

 

Shyamaji Krishna Varma was born on 4 October 1857 in Mandvi (in the Kutch province of modern day Gujarat).  His mother died when he was only 11 years old, after which he was raised by his grandmother.  After finishing school he moved to Mumbai for further education.  It was here that the seminal event of his life occurred; he came to the notice of Svami Dayanand Sarasvati who had founded the first Arya Samaj in Mumbai in 1875.  

Varma spoke Sanskrit so well that he impressed Dayanand (the greatest scholar of Sanskrit India has produced in recent millennia) immensely.  Varma’s brilliance as a young student of Sanskrit led to his becoming a disciple of Dayanand, who recognised such enormous potential in Varma that – despite his many other commitments – he took to, personally, tutoring Varma so as to optimise his knowledge of the intricacies of the grammar of Vedic Sanskrit.  Varma was soon competent to lecture on Vedic philosophy and religion, so much so that in 1877, a public speaking tour brought him to national prominence as well as to the attention of Monier Williams, an Oxford professor of Sanskrit who offered Shyamaji a job as his assistant.

As India’s first ardent nationalist under British rule, Dayanand had not only led Varma to the Vedas but also imbued in him the spirit of Nationalism necessary to build an independence movement brick by brick.  He therefore encouraged the young Shyamji to travel to the United Kingdom for higher studies and to subsequently further the cause of independence of India.  In truth, Dayanand fervently desired that the Vedic Dharma would spread to the West and saw Varma as an ideal messenger to propagate that cause.

With the help of a recommendation of Williams, Shyamji arrived in England to join Balliol College Oxford on 25 April 1879.  He returned to India in 1885 to start practice as a lawyer. After a short stay in Mumbai he settled in Ajmer, the ex-headquarters of his mentor Dayanand who by then had tragically had died in 1883, and continued his practice at the British Court in Ajmer. He went on to act as a minister in a number of Indian princely states in India.

]Due to tensions in his relationship with the colonial Crown authority, he was dismissed from such a position at Junagadh and chose to return to England in 1897; this bitter experience having shaken his faith in British Rule.  One of the effects of the British ruling India was that Indians started to move to Britain, primarily to seek further education.  Unfortunately, however, many such Indian students encountered racism when seeking living accommodation in England.   This is where Varma stamped an important mark on Indian history, because it was he who founded India House, a building in London he had bought as his home in 1900 which, in 1905, started a new life as a hostel for Indian students, based at 65 Cromwell Avenue, Highgate.

Krishna Varma was a great admirer of the work of Herbert Spencer, and his dictum that “Resistance to aggression is not simply justified, but imperative” [a Vedic dictum first defined thousands of years earlier by Lord Krishna in the Geeta].  Thus was born his plan for India House to become the locus for incubating an Indian revolutionary movement in Europe; it rapidly developed as an organised meeting point for radical nationalists among Indian students in England at that time and as one of the most prominent centres for Indian nationalism outside India.  Famous people to have later contact with this organisation were Gandhi, Lenin and Lala Lajpat Rai.  Later in 1905, he founded a periodical, the Indian Sociologist , and a society, the Indian Home Rule Society both intended to inspire sympathisers in the UK to lobby for political and social freedom as well as religious reform. Later still that year, at the United Congress of Democrats held in London, Shyamji spoke as a delegate of the India Home Rule Society.  His resolution on India’s future received a standing ovation from the entire conference.  Important to note is that he avoided the Indian National Congress , but instead kept in contact with various liberals, nationalists, social democrats and Irish Republicans.

Inevitably, such activities aroused the concern of the British government: Shyamji was disbarred from the Inner Temple and removed from its membership list on 30 April 1909 for writing anti-British articles in the Indian Sociologist.  Most of the British press were critical of Shyamji and carried outrageous allegations, against him and his newspaper, which he defended them boldly. The Times referred to him as the “Notorious Krishnavarma“.  His movements were so closely watched by British Secret Services that he decided to shift his headquarters to Paris, leaving India House in charge of Vir Sarvakar.

It was in 1907 that Shyamji left Britain secretly, to evade arrest by the British government, and moved to Paris. The British government’s attempts to extradite him from France failed, it is said, because he gained the support of many top French politicians.  Shyamji’s work in Paris helped gain support from people in other European countries, including Russia, for Indian Independence.  In 1914, as a result of France and Britain signing the Entente Cordiale, Varma thought it safest to move to Geneva.  For the best part of the next decade he continued to devote himself energetically to the mission of agitating for India’s independence.

It is probably appropriate to conclude that he is one of India’s unsung heroes in terms of his place in the history written about its struggle for independence, that is – so far – history has been unkind to him in not according him with the credit he merits for his contribution to India becoming free.  This is partially mitigated by a new town in his native state of Kutch being named, in the 1970s, Shyamji Krishna Varmanagar in his memory; later he was similarly honoured by the University of Kutch being renamed after him.

Shyamji Krishan Varma died in 1930 at the age of 73.  News of his death was suppressed by the British government in India.  Nevertheless tributes were paid to him in Lahore by Bhagat Singh and other inmates who were in jail at the time whilst undergoing a long and drawn out trial.  It was not until 22 August 2003 that his ashes reached India, when they were handed over to the then Chief Minister of Gujarat State, Narendra Modi by the Ville de Genève and the Swiss government – 55 years after India had become independent.  A memorial called Kranti Tirth dedicated to his memory was built and inaugurated in 2010 near his birth-place in Gujarat, Mandvi.  This museum houses his ashes, as well as a full scale replica of India House and galleries dedicated to other activists of the Indian independence movement.

 

Postscript

Can it be, uncharitably, suggested that Varma failed to deliver the outcomes expected of him by Svami Dayanand?  It is a fact that before he died he wrote at least one anxious letter to Varma in England, inquiring about the progress he was making in propagating the Vedic Dharma.  With hindsight, it would be fair to say that Dayanand’s dream was that Varma would – after Dayanand’s death – make the same type of impact in the West, would go on to make in successfully spotlighting Hinduism in the West.

Similarly, is it fair to lament that Varma, in his later life, became closer to the philosophy of Herbert Spencer than that of Dayanand?  If so, in mitigation, it must also be recognised that Dayanand’s dream was unrealisable in the context of when and where Varma lived after leaving India; being estranged from India in the era before air travel must have severely compromised his connections with the Arya Samaj movement.

In that light, it sadly must be conceded that Varma did not measure up to Vivekanand’s overall greatness, despite having the intellect and education to potentially do so.  As we know, Vivekanand failed in facilitating the conversion to Hinduism of large western populations; a result that is entirely understandable when considering flaws in the ideology of neo-Vedantism such as advaita, polytheism and idol worship. Persevering with in this speculative, and pathetic, lament leads one to next ask whether the Arya Samaj’s history would have been different if Varma had remained in India for his entire life?  If so, perhaps the Vedic Dharma would have put down stronger roots in India – roots it seems that are less vigorous today than Dayanand hoped for?

 

 

 

 

It was not Mahatma Gandhi who started the struggle for India’s independence

not mahatma

Author : Dr. Vibhu

The accuracy of the history of India as, contained in modern-day records, has been much criticised over the decades since India freed itself from British colonisation. The ‘official’ version, as accepted both in India and abroad, needs re-evaluation; as is always the case in dealing with the question ‘what is the truth?’ considerable intellectual integrity will be required to chart a course through this controversy.

To begin with, it must be remembered that India has – in truth – secured independence twice over, not once. The first victory was that of gaining freedom from Islamic rule by the Mughal dynasty; the contribution of the Sikhs in Punjab deserves to be singled out as being key in this success. Guru Gobind Singh must be hailed for the greatness of his leadership, and India should be eternally grateful to the Sikh Gurus and their people for conducting that struggle.

Whenever India’s Independence is celebrated, tribute must be paid to Maharishi Svami Dayanand for being the true pioneer of this struggle. Sadly, outside of the circles of the Arya Samaj movement, India seems to be guilty of overlooking this fact. The role of the Arya Samaj in the latter part of the 19th century in beginning the fight against British rule was profound. This article focuses on one example of its work; the effect of a book written by Dayanand in 1875.

The Arya-abhivinaya is a collection of 108 mantras from the Vedas that Svami Dayanand translated into Hindi. As a book, it is most notable for the inspirational style of the commentary that the author uses to explain each mantra in detail; which is why it galvanised many of India’s revolutionaries over coming generations. These patriots used it as a source of solace to drive them on the selfless path of service to the motherland. Two stories illustrate this well.

Firstly is the fact that Ram-Prasaad Bismil, that great young crusader for the freedom of India, used to read Arya-abhivinaya every day. The publisher’s note in the book’s English translation written by Satyananda Shastri in 1971 describes the inspiration Bismil gained from one of the mantras covered by Svami Dayanand in his book: This is why he was dauntless even in the face of death: Listen to the immortal roaring of this lion-hearted indomitable young martyr. He sang the following memorable stanza, even at the altar of death (just before he was hanged for treason):

Maalik terii razaa rahe aur tuu hii tuu rahe. Baaqii naa main rahuun na merii aarzuu rahe. [O Almighty God, you are eternally unchanging. May only, in this world, your will prevail and of none else. I am mortal; I surrender to You. I do not wish to survive any more nor do I wish any of my desires to outlive me.]

The second example is a case prosecuted for sedition, by the British authorities against members of the Arya Samaj in the district of Patiala, Punjab in 1907. Incredibly, the evidence submitted by the prosecution was a collection of patriotic quotations from the Arya-abhivinaya. It was alleged that the Arya Samaj was a seditious society, and that it wanted to overthrow the British Government in India because its members prayed the following prayer daily:

….O Supreme God, You are the greatest ruler among all worldly rulers. Kindly instil us with appropriate courage, fortitude, morality, courtesy, prowess, physical strength and mental stamina and many other such virtues, so that, we may remain independent and enjoy sovereign imperial sway. May no foreigner come to our country to rule over us, and may we never lose political independence and be enslaved by foreigners!….

Of course, this commentary is none other than Dayanand’s elucidation of mantra 38.14 of Yajur Veda. So, it can be seen that by 1875, well over half a century before Gandhi’s movement peaked, Svami Dayanand had already made his clarion call to North India to begin to resist British rule.

Dayanand’s great legacy is highlighted by the sentences that follow further on in the same paragraph explaining this mantra: ….Also, kindly bless us with independence in our own national affairs and freedom to visit other countries at will. May we able to manage our political and administrative affairs ourselves! May there be excellent men and women to do the needful in this regard, so that, our nation may never suffer for want of anything we need. O Master of all, please provide for our political bodies statesmen equipped with perfect learning and other requisite qualities. May our warriors and administrators, endowed with resourcefulness and foresight, excel in valour and other virtues….

Could any words ring any more true? Even today, with the malign influence of western corporations, this timeless masterpiece of wisdom surely must resonate – not only for the India of today but for political administrations of all nations of the world – for all time.

It must be asked why Dayanand has been ‘written out’ of the text-books of history that survive in India from the time of the British Raj. The answer simply is that a key plank of Britain’s strategy, for maintaining its grip on India in the very long term, was to try and make Christianity the national religion of India. For this to succeed, Dayanand’s aim of uniting all the people of India under one God (and thus one faith, the Vedic Dharma) by inspiring them to (re)turn to the Vedas would have to be thwarted. The British Government even went to the lengths of commissioning a German Christian scholar of Sanksrit – Prof. Max Muller – to write a translation of the Vedas that opposed Dayanand’s interpretation; much of Muller’s work clearly makes the judgement that Christian thought is of a superior quality to that of India’s.

A startling example of evidence of such prejudice is contained in a book by T. Williams titled Exposure of Dayanand Sarasvati and his followers (Both as to their Deliberate Falsification of the Rigveda and their immorality) published in 1889 in Delhi. Dayanand’s translation of the mantra RigVeda 10:10:10 is that the word yama denotes husband and yami denotes wife. Williams, however, is scathingly critical of this. He objects: ‘I have then shown that the speakers throughout this dialogue, are twins, a brother and a sister. The sister Yami desires ardently that her brother Yama should sexually lie with her….’

Such was the type of abuse, then, that his British detractors were directing at Dayanand a few years after his death, a measure of how intimidated the British authorities were by the Arya Samaj movement well before Gandhi arrived on the scene. This leaves us with this question. Can the history books – written by the British, and left as a legacy to India, and which are being used to teach history to Indian children to this day – be trusted? Even more heart-breaking is that this version of history is the only officially accepted one in India today.

Perhaps Gujarat’s recent decision to celebrate the memory of the great Sardar Vallabhai Patel will be the catalyst for India to likewise go on and place on its highest pedestal, its greatest son of recent millennia, Dayanand Saraswati.