write a brief essay on Swami Dayanand Saraswati near 200 words please answer
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Explanation:
The socio-religious movements started by Brahma Samaj and the Prarthana Samaj were inspired by Western civilization and nationalism. The awakening of India during 19th century had two facets. It looked for inspiration not merely to the West, but also to the India’s glorious past. Swami Dayanand was a great revivalist. He set his reforms against the prevalent orthodoxy of the Hindus, like caste system and practice of child marriage. It was Swami Dayanand Saraswati, who adored the glorious past of India and gave the slogan “Back to the Vedas”.
Swami Dayanand, born on 12th February, 1824 in Tankara (Gujarat), was the founder of the Hindu reform organization Arya Samaj, which he established on 7th April, 1875, in Bombay.
When he was of fourteen years, he visited the temple of Shiva along with his father. In the night he saw that a mouse crept on the image and took the offerings placed before it. It set Dayanand thinking. His parents and relatives could not convince him of the sanctity of image-worship. The second important event in his life was the death of his uncle who loved him very much. This made Dayanand seek the knowledge to overcome death. He started regarding the earthly attractions as transient. Therefore, when a marriage was arranged for him, he left home and adopted the life of an ascetic.
Throughout his life, Swami Dayanand preached against many Hindu traditions which he felt were dogmatic and oppressive. These included traditions such as idol worship, caste by birth and the exclusion of females from the study of the Vedas. One of his main messages was for Hindus to go back to the roots of their religion which are the Vedas. By doing this he felt that Hindus would be able to improve the depressive religious, social, political and economic conditions prevailing in India in his times.