Finally the citadel of orthodoxy, Benaras called him for a debate on the principles of the Hindu religion in 1869. Three hundred champions of the faith were lined against him and he routed them. Finally they decided to take recourse to a shallow trick. They handed him a long-winded question that went on for pages of gobbledygook. While he was still reading this magnum opus of mediocrity, they began to shout that he could not answer the question. Dayananda protested that he needed to read the blessed thing before he could reply but they saw their slimy chance and took it. They proclaimed that he had " failed" and that the faith was saved. In reality the prestige of Benaras was finished with that one act of ill faith. For a pesky new institution called the Press had appeared in India and it faithfully reported what had actually gone on. The official version of events simply did not wash, and Dayananda became a national figure. Not a few people were only too pleased to see the arrogant know-it-alls of Benaras get their comeuppance - and on their own ground and on their own terms!

A meeting in Calcutta with the great Keshab Chandra Sen in 1873 gave his mission a real relevance. It was mildly pointed out to him that if he preached in the language of the people instead of depending upon Sanskrit, he would have a greater impact. This hitherto strange idea took hold of Dayananda and he set about implementing it with the characteristic flame-like outbursts of energy that he was famed for. On April 10, 1875 he founded the Arya Samaj, the Noble Society. This organization would propagate his ideals to regenerate an India that had become weak and almost comatose. Since it was going to be regarded as a heretical sect, it needed a scripture of sorts. And since the areas he seemed to be having the most influence was the Hindi heartland, he wrote his book in that language. There were many revisions made, as his mastery over the language was only gradual. This is the famous Satyartha Prakash or Light of Truth.

It is a strange book. On the one hand he clearly states his belief that the only truth worth following is in the Veda and everything else is a mistake. Aurobindo called this a stroke of genius, an intuitive understanding of the true source and strength of the Hindu nation, and about the only thing that can inspire and support the rebirth of a nation and culture that was doddering in old age. But Dayananda was not satisfied in laying out this position in detail. He proceeded to state in clear and forceful detail what was wrong with every thing else. He took on everything in a frenzy of inspiration that again resembles a shark that is really ticked off. Anything that moved in the waters of spirituality other than his beloved Veda was a potential enemy and he tore it apart. He poured out a flood of denunciation and criticism on the scriptures of India that has never been equaled and probably never will be. The missionaries were smirking with glee at this assault from the inside when Dayananda proved he was not prejudiced, (he dismissed everybody equally!) by taking on the scriptures of all the non-Hindu faiths of the world too.

This was an unexpected turn of events. Yelps like dogs being booted began to rise into the air from a furious missionary crowd. Even as perceptive an author as Romain Rolland whined a bit about this. "He alone hurled the defiance of India against her invaders. Dayananda declared war against Christianity and his heavy massive sword cleft it asunder with scant reference to the scope or exactitude of his blows. He put it to the test of a vengeful, unjust and injurious criticism, which fastened upon each separate verse of the Bible and was blind and deaf to its real, its religious and even its literal meaning (for he read the bible in a Hindi translation and in a hurry!)"
This eloquence would have been more germane if he had acknowledged that such methods of debate were what the Hindu had learnt from people like the Rev. Alexander Duff in his 1839 book, India and India Missions. The book is a typical product replete with abuse and the stated aim of toppling the fortress of Hinduism and its apparently all-pervasive immorality. This sort of intolerance had been the daily nature of their intercourse with the Indian and now somebody had found the courage to give it back in spades. Historian A. L. Basham recognized it for what it was and called it "the historic counterattack of Hinduism." For the first time a colonized people were fighting back in defense of the faith and their culture - and winning. Dayananda did not spare anybody. Anybody. His language is such that I have not the hardihood to reproduce it in these less tolerant of intolerance times. His favorite criticisms were asabhya, moorkh, jungli, and ganwar. Which means respectively - uncultured, stupid, uncouth forest dweller and dumb hick from the sticks. He applied this to everybody with absolute impartiality and a truly dazzling confidence. Let me put it this way. He did not criticize the religions of Polynesia, South America, Africa, China and Japan. He did not know of them. The rest he turned upon and rent.

This makes the Satyartha Prakash a difficult book in today's times but seen in context it is still a work or great power and terrific originality. He also took out the sacred books of India from the vise like grip of the specialists and broadcast them to the general masses. He went farther and asserted that the study of the Veda is the first duty of all members of the Noble society. The second is to diffuse knowledge and dissipate ignorance. He had no patience with stupid theories of caste or the inferiority of women and some of his noblest writing occurs when he loses his temper on their behalf. Some of his ideas were so far reaching that even today India has difficulty in implementing them. He was nothing if not gutsy and he cared not a fig for either popularity or that great totem of fear - public opinion. What could anybody do with such a person? Swami Vivekananda, even more brilliant and equally courageous, used to hold him in the highest opinion. Dayananda is the only person that Vivekananda has described as "great".

He almost pulled it off, his grand scheme of reform. Bastions of privilege were tumbling in front of him and had he lived longer this country might have been a different place- and he might have cooled down somewhat and retracted some of his more offensive statements. However he fell foul of a raja's concubine because he did not mince his words about her. The wicked woman connived to have poison put in his food by bribing the palace cook. Knowing of his Yogic escape route she ordered that glass be ground into the food too. The swami voided the poison as usual, but the ground glass entered his bloodstream and even he could not recover from that. He died slowly over many agony filled days. The horror-stricken cook confessed his crime and this amazing Swami gave the wretch money and helped him to escape from the inevitable lynching that would follow when he was found out.

The great Dayananda Saraswati died on October 30, 1883.

- Rohit Arya

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