Was Maharshi Dayananda Militant and Aggressive?

 

• Was Maharshi Dayananda Militant and Aggressive? •

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- Bhavesh Merja 

It is a well-known fact that when individuals hold strong preconceived notions, no amount of evidence can sway their opinions. Maharshi Dayananda's personality is so grand that it needs no defence from ordinary individuals like us. However, when his legacy is clouded by hatred and malice, it becomes necessary for someone to present the facts in their true light. During his lifetime, Dayananda was grossly misunderstood, and the sinister forces of that era sought to diminish his influence. He faced constant harassment in various forms, and a relentless campaign of lies, blasphemy, and slander was waged against him, often employing vulgar and obscene polemics. Even after his untimely death in 1883 (he was poisoned in Jodhpur and passed away in Ajmer on 30th October, 1883), his thoughts, teachings, and personality continue to be obscured and distorted.

We are all free to form opinions about any individual, but if these opinions are not based on facts, justice, and a sincere desire to understand, they serve no constructive purpose. If one is not a genuine seeker of truth, has never delved into the complexities of religious literature, or has not experienced the challenges of spiritual practices or Vedic study, it is easy to misjudge someone like Dayananda. Therefore, it is essential to revisit some key facts to assess him accurately.

Dayananda's discoveries were rooted in the eternal divine revelation of the Vedas. These truths, as he interpreted them, offer the unifying bonds that can elevate us as a people and as a nation, providing lasting solutions to spiritual, religious, and social issues. Had truth been measured solely by popular opinion or adherence to conventional customs, no significant reform would have succeeded. It is important to acknowledge that Gujarat, the land of Dayananda's birth, gave rise to this visionary figure, who was destined to become the Rishi of modern times.

Dayananda's greatness should not be measured by the numbers of his followers from mythological sects or religious groups, but by the evidence he presented to substantiate the principles of his Vedic philosophy and social reforms. He was a true seer who discovered the essence of the Vedic truths, which had been obscured for ages by ignorance and superstition. It was through his profound learning and penetrating intellect that Dayananda pierced the veil of ignorance and revealed the radiant truths of the Vedas. His interpretation of the Vedas, particularly his commentary on the Rigveda and Yajurveda, is a testament to his intellectual brilliance.

In his time, the study of the Vedas had been misused and neglected, particularly by sectarian teachers and gurus of the so-called Vedanta, who confined themselves to narrow sectarian interpretations. Dayananda made it clear that while texts like the Upanishads and Brahma Sutra were valuable, they were not revealed knowledge; the true revealed knowledge was found only in the four Veda Samhitas. Despite his clear message, many modern Vedanta teachers continue to overlook the Vedas in favor of their sectarian texts, relegating the Samhitas to mere ritualistic practices. Dayananda, however, taught that these Samhitas were the very foundation of all true knowledge—philosophy, religion, metaphysics, ethics, and everything necessary for human fulfilment.

Dayananda's stance on the supremacy of the Vedas was unequivocal. For him, no book could rival the Vedas in presenting the true sciences of life. Even today, the Arya Samaj maintains that a single hymn from the Vedas holds greater value than the entire "Satyarth Prakash," Dayananda's own magnum opus. The Vedas represent divine knowledge, whereas "Satyarth Prakash" is a human creation, valuable in its own right but not divine in nature. This standard is applicable to any book authored by any human being.

 

Dayananda was also completely fearless. This fearlessness formed the foundation of his character. He could address hostile audiences, face physical threats like stones and brickbats, and challenge entrenched systems of superstition without flinching. He was a self-appointed crusader against the widespread ignorance and dogma that plagued society. His convictions made him indifferent to the risks he faced, whether from princes or priests. His revolutionary spirit was born at a time when the country was enslaved by feudal and religious orthodoxy. He called for the uprooting of the old, decaying social structures to make way for a new, dynamic society based on truth and justice.

Dayananda’s courage was not born of blind rebellion but of a passionate belief in truth. He did not reject religions or sects outright; instead, he identified what was useful in them and discarded the falsehoods. For him, science and reason were the ultimate judges, and he rejected anything that contradicted them. His reformist zeal brought him into conflict with the entrenched forces of orthodoxy, but his scholarship, logical reasoning, and unyielding will brought those forces to their knees. One of the most memorable events of his life was the historic debate with about 300 scholars in Kashi in 1869, where he publicly demolished the practice of idol worship. The debate was attended by over 50,000 people and marked a turning point in the intellectual climate of India.

Dayananda’s commitment to the Vedic tradition was inspired by his guru, Swami Virjananda, a master of Vedic grammar. Over the course of three decades, Dayananda travelled extensively across India, studying thousands of Sanskrit texts and observing widespread malpractices and exploitation in the name of religion. He painstakingly catalogued and verified the authenticity of the texts he deemed worthy of study. His intellectual rigor was immense, as reflected in his declaration in Bhrantinivaran that nearly three thousand books met his criteria for authenticity.

The Arya Samaj, founded in 1875, had limited resources, and Dayananda, in his last years, worked almost single-handedly in the face of fierce opposition from various religious sects and social institutions. His approach was never one of compromise or passivity. He believed that reform could not be achieved through gentle persuasion or by appeasing vested interests. He needed to confront these forces directly and forcefully. His strategy was not one of militant aggression for its own sake, but of righteous indignation and commitment to truth.

Dayananda was not a militant in the conventional sense. He was a yogi, a man of deep spirituality. His forceful and direct approach was a response to the widespread ignorance and superstition that pervaded Indian society. He did not hesitate to challenge the established order of things, even if it meant facing hostility. His mission was to build unity among people based on the platform of Vedic truth, and he believed this could be achieved only by exposing and removing the falsehoods that had taken root in society.

It is essential to understand that Dayananda was not driven by personal ambition or the desire for power. His only goal was the dissemination of the eternal truths of the Vedas. He taught that the Vedas provided the key to understanding God, the soul, and the material universe. He sought to revive the ancient traditions of Vedic study, yoga, and worship, and to promote the values of truth, non-violence, and self-realization. He rejected idol worship, the deification of historical figures, and the notion of divine incarnation, advocating instead for the worship of the formless, omnipresent God.

Dayananda's efforts led to the formation of a vibrant intellectual and spiritual movement that gave birth to numerous national leaders and reformers, including Swami Shraddhananda, Lala Lajpat Rai, Mahatma Hansraj, Pandit Lekhram and Pandit Gurudatta Vidyarthi. These leaders were deeply influenced by Dayananda's teachings and many of them played a key role in the Indian independence movement.

To suggest that Dayananda "hijacked" the Vedas is both unfair and inaccurate. His contributions to the study and interpretation of the Vedas are well-documented and have been recognized as pioneering. Dayananda's interpretation of the Vedas was not an attempt to distort their meaning, but rather to liberate them from the layers of myth and superstition that had accumulated over centuries. His teachings emphasized the oneness of God, the rejection of idol worship, and the importance of reason and science.

As Sri Aurobindo eloquently put it: “Here was one who knew definitely and clearly the work he was sent to do, chose his materials, determined his conditions with a sovereign clairvoyance of the spirit and executed his conception with the puissant mastery of the born worker. As I regard the figure of this formidable artisan in God's workshop, images crowd on me which are all of battle and work and conquest and triumphant labor. Here, I say to myself, was a very soldier of Light, a warrior in God's world, a sculptor of men and institutions, a bold and rugged victor of the difficulties which matter presents to spirit. And the whole sums itself up to me in a powerful impression of spiritual practicality. The combination of these two words, usually so divorced from each other in our conceptions, seems to me the very definition of Dayananda.” (Bankim-Tilak-Dayananda, p. 42) 

Dayananda did not merely influence the course of Indian thought; he shaped it indelibly, laying the foundation for a spiritual renaissance that continues to inspire millions.

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