Sage-Swami Dayanand
He detached himself from the world and Mool Shankar became swami Dayanand. He started wearing saffron cloths. But the request for spiritual knowledge made restless.
The word offers only hardships to social reformers whether he Gandhi, Socrates, Christ or swami Dayanand. And they in return have given us forgiveness, peace, kindness and welfare. Neither has the world changed its callous attitude nor have the reformers changed their benevolent attitude. They did not bother for physical comforts, material possessions, wealth or glory.
There was a small village `Tankara’ by name in Gujarat and there was a Shiva temple outside it. It was the day of Shiva. A child hardly 14 years old was also persuaded t keep fast. Nothing was to be eaten throughout the day and one was not to sleep at night when Shiva-pooja was performed. It was midnight. All devotes were gradually being overpowered by sleep but the child Mool Shankar did not sleep. What did he see? He saw that a rat came too the Shiva’s idol and began to eat `Prasad’. It set him thinking. Shiva is mahashakti. Then why this weakness is? If he cannot chase away the rat, how will he protect us? He went to his father and demands the answer. His father had no answer to his question. The father went to sleep but the son did not. The father was Amba Shankar and son, as mentioned above, was Mool Shankar.
The question changed the entire course of his life. He began to think about life. After some time his sister died. Swami Dayanand wrote in his autobiography, `` I was standing near her bed against the wall. First time in my life I saw a person dying. I began to think that all human beings would die like this. I will also die like this surely this or that day. Some way should be thought out by which the pain of life and birth can be avoided.’’
His sister died. All began to weep but not Mool Shankar. He was thinking as to how these tears could be got rid of. The matter did not end here. After some days his loving uncle became a victim of cholera and breathed his last.
These were not extraordinary events but they ad extraordinary effect on him. They changed his thinking. His relatives tried to get him married. When he was pressurized, he left his home.
It was 14 Th November, 1860. He went to Mahatma in search of a guru and knocked at door. The voice from inside enquired. ``Who is there?’’ ``Who am I? I have come here to know this.’’ said the disciple. This was the first dialogue between swami Vijranand `Dandi’- the guru and swami Dayanand-the disciple.
When the `Shiksha’ was over, Dayanand brought cloves as a `Dakshina’ for the guru because the latter loved them. But the guru said, ``Dayanand- I do not want cloves as a `Dakshina’. The world today is engulfed in darkness. Traditions, rituals and superstitions dominate everywhere. I want you to spread the light of knowledge. That would be my ``Dakshina’’.
Swami laid great stress on Bramacharya (celibacy) he was himself physically very stout and strong. He was the fonder of Arya Samaj. Arya Samaj was a revolution against the prevailing superstitions, traditions and idolatry, etc. he gave a new direction to society. He formulated ten principles of arya Samaj. These principles are very broad based and not communal in nature. They speak of the nature and power of the Almighty God.
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