Swami Dayananda Saraswati (स्‍वामी दयानन्‍द सरस्‍वती) (1824 - 1883) is an important Hindu religious scholar born in Gujarat, India. The Arya Samaj, a great Hindu reform movement, was founded by him in 1875. He was a sannyasin (renouncer) and an original scholar who believed in the infallible authority of the Vedas. Dayananda advocated the doctrine of karma and rebirth, and emphasised the ideals of brahmacarya (chastity) and sanyasa (renunciation). 1824 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1883 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... A Hindu is an adherent of Hinduism, the predominant religious, philosophical and cultural systems of Bharat (India) and Nepal. ... Arya Samaj (Aryan Society or Society of Nobles) is a Hindu reform movement in India that was founded by Swami Dayananda in 1875. ... A Hindu is an adherent of Hinduism, the predominant religious, philosophical and cultural systems of Bharat (India) and Nepal. ... 1875 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The Vedas are part of the Hindu Shruti; these religious scriptures form part of the core of the Brahminical and Vedic traditions within Hinduism and are the inspirational, metaphysical and mythological foundation for later Vedanta, Yoga, Tantra and even Bhakti forms of Hinduism. ... Karma is a concept within Hinduism based on the Vedas and Upanishads, and was later adopted by other religions like Buddhism and Jainism. ...

Far from borrowing concepts from other religions, as Ram Mohan Roy had done, Swami Dayananda was fiercely critical of Islam and Christianity as may be seen in his book Satyartha Prakasha. He was against what he considered to be the corruption of the pure faith in his own country. Unlike many other reform movements within Hinduism, the Arya Samaj's appeal was addressed not to the educated few but to the Indian nation as a whole. Indian reformer Ram Mohan Roy died in Bristol, England, where this statue of him stands. ... Islām is described as a dīn, meaning way of life and/or guidance. ... Beliefs Though enormous diversity exists in the beliefs of those who self-identify as Christian, it is possible to venture general statements which describe the beliefs of a large majority . ...

The Arya Samaj unequivocally condemned idolatry, animal sacrifices, ancestor worship, pilgrimages, priestcraft, offerings made in temples, the caste system, untouchability and child marriages, on the grounds that all these lacked Vedic sanction. It aimed to be a universal "church" based on the authority of the Vedas.

Dayananda’s concept of Dharma is succinctly set forth in his Beliefs and Disbeliefs. He says "I accept as Dharma whatever is in full conformity with impartial justice, truthfulness and the like; that which is not opposed to the teachings of God as embodied in the Vedas. Whatever is not free from partiality and is unjust, partaking of untruth and the like, and opposed to the teachings of God as embodied in the Vedas - that I hold as adharma." Again he says "He, who after careful thinking, is ever ready to accept truth and reject falsehood; who counts the happiness of others as he does that of his own self, him I call just." Dharma (sanskrit, roughly law or way) is the way of the higher Truths. ...

He was the first among the great Indian stalwarts who popularised the concept of Swaraj - that is, right to self-determination vested in Indians, when India was ruled by the British.

External links

• Satyarth Prakash - THE "LIGHT OF TRUTH" by Swami Dayanand Online book

Swami Dayanand wrote many books including "Rigvedbhashyabhumika". This article is about the Hindu religion; for other meanings of the word, see Hindu (disambiguation). ... Shruti (Sanskrit श्रुति, what is heard) is a canon of Hindu scriptures. ... The Vedas (Sanskrit:- वेद), refers to collectively a corpus of old Indo Aryan religious literature that are considered to be revealed knowledge in Hinduism. ... The Upanishads (उपनिषद्, Upaniá¹£ad) are part of the Hindu Shruti scriptures which primarily discuss meditation and philosophy and are seen as religious instructions by most schools of Hinduism. ... Bhagavad Gīta भगवद्गीता, composed ca the fifth - second centuries BC, is part of the epic poem Mahabharata, located in the Bhisma-Parva chapters 23–40. ... Itihasa (Sanskrit: इतिहास - itihāsa in IAST notation, literally meaning that which happened) is the word for History. ... The Ramayana (Sanskrit: march or journey (ayana) of Rama) is part of the Hindu smriti, written by Valmiki. ... The Mahabharata (Devanagari: महाभारत, phonetically Mahābhārata - see note), sometimes just called Bharata, is one of the two major ancient Sanskrit epics of India, the other being the Ramayana. ... The Agamas are sectarian and monotheistic texts dedicated to worship of Vishnu, Shiva or Devi. ... Smriti (Sanskrit स्मॄति, what is fit/deserves to be remembered) refers to a specific canon of Hindu religious scripture. ... The Tantras (Looms or Weavings), refer to numerous and varied scrptures pertaining to any of several esoteric traditions rooted in Hindu and Buddhist philosophy. ... Sutra (सूत्र) in Sanskrit is derived from the verb siv-, meaning to sew (these words, including English to sew and Latinate suture, all derive from PIE *syÅ«-). It literally means a rope or thread, and more metaphorically refers to an aphorism (or line, rule, formula), or a collection of such aphorisms... 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The 10 avatars of Lord Vishnu In Hinduism, an avatar or avatara (Sanskrit अवतार), is the incarnation (bodily manifestation) of an Immortal Being, or of the Ultimate Supreme Being. ... Here the underlined vowels carry the Vedic Sanskrit udātta pitch accent. ... Kosas are five sheaths which covers the Atman. ... Dharma (sanskrit, roughly law or way) is the way of the higher Truths. ... Karma is a concept within Hinduism based on the Vedas and Upanishads, and was later adopted by other religions like Buddhism and Jainism. ... Moksha (Sanskrit: मोक्ष, liberation) or Mukti (Sanskrit: विमुक्ति, release) refers, in general, to liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth. ... Maya, in Hinduism, is many things. ... Ishta-Deva, or Ishta Devata is a term from Hinduism that means chosen Deity or revered aspect of God by a devotee and is a widely held concept in Smartism. ... The Nataraja is one of the most famous images of Lord Siva Murtis are deities or images used by Hindus and also by some Mahayana Buddhists during worship as points of devotional and meditational focus. ... Past Lives redirects here. ... In Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and other related religions, samsara or saṃsāra refers to the concept of reincarnation or rebirth in Indian philosophical traditions. ... In Hinduism, the Trimurti (also called the Hindu trinity) are three aspects of God in His forms as Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. ... In early Hindu philosophy, turiya (also called caturtha) is a state of pure consciousness, or the experience of ultimate reality and truth. ... The guru-shishya tradition (also guru-shishya parampara or lineage) is a spiritual relationship found within traditional Hinduism which is centered around the transmission of teachings from a guru (teacher) to a shishya (disciple). ... Hindu philosophy (one of the main divisions of Indian philosophy) is traditionally seen through the prism of six different systems (called darshanas in Sanskrit) that are listed here and makes up the main belief systems of Hinduism. ... Hinduism (Vedic dharma or Sanatana dharma) encompasses many movements and traditions (sampradaya). ... Early Hinduism is a term used to designate the religious development of India before the historical period. ... Samkhya, also Sankhya, (Sanskrit: सांख्य) is a school of Indian philosophy, and is one of the six astika or Hindu philosophical schools of India. ... Nyaya is the name given to one of the six orthodox or astika schools of Hindu philosophy - specifically the school of logic. ... Vaisheshika, also Vaisesika, (Sanskrit: वैशॆषिक)is one of the six Hindu schools of philosophy (orthodox Vedic systems) of India. ... Yoga (from Sanskrit yuj, meaning yoke) is an ancient family of spiritual practices that originated in India. ... 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PÅ«jā (alternative transliteration pooja, Sanskrit: reverence or worship, loosely) is a religious ritual which most Hindus perform every morning after bathing and dressing but prior to taking any food or drink. ... The company of the highest knowledge and Truth; the company of a Guru; contact with a person or an assembly of persons who listen to, talk about, and assimilate the Truth. ... Stotras are Hindu prayers that praise aspects of God, such as Devi, Siva, or Vishnu. ... Hindu wedding ceremonies are traditionally conducted in Sanskrit, the language in which most holy Hindu ceremonies are conducted. ... In Hinduism, Yajna or Yagya यज्ञं (Sanskrit yajñá worship, prayer, praise; offering, oblation, sacrifice) is a Vedic ritual of sacrifice performed to please the Devas, or sometimes to the Supreme Spirit Brahman. ... This article needs copyediting (checking for proper English spelling, grammar, usage, tone, style, and voice). ... 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