Question

Arya Samaj
A. What was the original name of Swami Dayanand Saraswati?
B. Who was his guru?
C. What was his motto?
D. What did the Samaj advocate?

Answer 1

Hint: 1. Dayanand Saraswati looked upon the Vedas as ‘India’s’ Rock of Ages.
2. Arya Samaj reflected all the post-Vedic development in Hinduism.
3. Dayanand Saraswati gave the call Go back to the Vedas.

Complete Answer:
Swami Dayanand Saraswati (1824-1883) was more than just a religious leader. The founder of the Hindu reform organization. Arya Samaj, he left a great impact on Indian society and on the concept of religion. After deeply studying the Vedas and Indian philosophy, Dayanand Saraswati came to the conclusion that the Aryans were the chosen people, the Vedas the chosen Gospel and India the chosen land. Based on this belief, he founded the Arya Samaj in Bombay in 1875.

Some of the principles of Arya Samaj are:-
1. Acceptance of Vedas as the only source of truth.
2. Opposition to the idol worship.
3. Opposition to the theory of God incarnation and religious pilgrimage.
4. Faith in female education.
5. Opposition to the child marriage and polygamy.

A. Mula Sankara was the original name of Swami Dayanand Saraswati.
B. Virajanand Dandeesha was the guru of Dayanand Saraswati.
C. Swami Dayanand Saraswati gave the motto “Krinvanto Vishwam Aryam” which means “To make the world noble”.
D. Arya Samaj advocated the monotheistic Indian Hindu reform movement whose aim was to reestablish the Vedas, the earliest Hindu Scripture as revealed truth.

Note: 1. Swami Dayanand Saraswati was given the title of Maharishi and was thought as one of the makers of Modern India.
2. The Arya Samaj is still very active even in other countries like the United States of America, Canada, Mexico, Trinidad etc.
3. Dayanand Saraswati was the first person in India who gave the slogan of Swaraj as “India for Indians”.