Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati was believed to be the greatest scholar of Holy Vedas. But, Sant Rampal Ji Maharaj Ji claims that he had no knowledge of the Holy Vedas. Let alone the Vedas, Dayanand Saraswati Ji did not have any commonsensical knowledge either. This is evident from the books he wrote and his recorded life history. Read this Article and judge yourself if he is to be entitled “Maharishi” or not.

Is There Any Piece of Spirituality in Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati’s Book Satyarth Prakash?

Here is a book “Satyarth Prakash” which is written by Maharishi Dayanand published by Vedic Yetimandal Dayanand Math, Dinanagar, Punjab and Printed by Acharya Printing Press, Dayananda Math, Gohana Road, Rohtak, Haryana. Following is the extract taken from this book. The readers would judge themselves about the message given in this book. The readers would be amazed after reading Satyarth Prakash Samullas 4 because the content is not concerned with conscience, science, or religion. It is mere fantasy and full of ignorance. The readers may find few examples as under:

• Like the Earth there is life on the Sun. Female, male and other creatures live there. (Satyarth Prakash Samullas 8, pages 197-198).
• Remarriage breaches the fidelity to husband (page 97) therefore, a widow woman can establish intimate relationships with 11 men rather than remarriage. A widower can also do so with 11 widows. (Page 101).
• If the woman’s husband is a long chronic patient, she can conceive a child from another man. (Satyarth Prakash Samullas 4, page 102).
• Do not marry a girl who has hair in her body. (Satyarth Prakash Samullas 4, page 70).
• Do not marry a girl who has brown eyes and whose family has asthma, tuberculosis, leprosy, hemorrhoids, or stomach disorders (Satyarth Prakash Samullas 4, page 70, page 71).
• It is best if a 24-year-old girl is married to a man of 48 years. (Satyarth Prakash Samullas 4, page 71)
• If the husband has gone away, wait for him for 8 years and, then, conceive a child from others. (Satyarth Prakash Samullah 4, page 102).

Dayanand Saraswati Criticized Many Divine Personalities out of Ignorance

Arya Samaj’s founder Dayanand Saraswati is well known for his censure on various religions and beliefs. He criticized almost every religion or saint in his book Satyarth Prakash be it,

• Jesus Christ
• Prophet Mohammed
• Guru Nanak Dev Ji
• Guru Gobind Singh Ji
• Kabir Saheb JI.

He was obstinately convinced of the correctness of his own opinions and was prejudiced against anyone who differed from his thinking. In a way he has tried to portray his superiority without properly understanding the holy scriptures of various religions. The readers may judge themselves by reading a few examples as under. Swami Dayanand Saraswati wrote that:-

• Guru Nanak Ji, the originator of Sikhism, “is foolish, hypocritical, and arrogant”. And he made derogatory remarks on Gurugranth Saheb. (Satyarth Prakash Samullah 11, pages 307-309). He was himself foolish, so he saw everyone foolish.
• Kabir Saheb JI sang with the instrument and the “foolish wretched weavers were caught” in His words. (Satyarth Prakash Sammulas 11, page 306).
• “Do not eat food from the hands of Lowly, Nightman, and Cobbler.” (Satyarth Prakash Page 154).
• Hazrat Muhammad and his followers “are foolish and wild.” The God of Muslims “is unjust and senseless.” (Satyarth Prakash Samullah 14, page 455, 477, 480, 483, 485, 467) Hazrat Muhammad has “framed the ignorant” (page 470). Muhammad Ji was called as “Libidinous and Fruition” (Page 492, 493, 498, 499)
• The God of Muslims is “deceitful”, so the Muslims are also “deceitful.” (Page 470)
• In Satyarth Prakash Samullas 13, he wrote derogatory things about Christianity. On page 429 he said that it was a lie that Jesus Christ used to cure the disease with his blessings.
• In Satyarth Prakash Samullas 13, page 436, Dayanand Ji wrote that it is “better to die in a terrible agony like Jesus Christ to be hanged.”
• Jesus Christ “did not serve the parents and did not allow his followers to serve so died early.” (Satyarth Prakash Samullas 13, page 426, 430)

Can Anyone Accept Dayanad Saraswati as a Role Model?

The biography of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati is given in a book Shrimat Dayanand Prakash, authored by Shri Satyananda Ji Maharaj, published by the Sarvdeshik Arya Sabha, 3/5 Maharishi Dayanand Bhawan, New Delhi-2. Born in 1824 inTankara Gujrati Brahman family, original name Mul sankara, Dayanand Saraswati memorized the Vedas and scriptures in early childhood. The child Mulsankara saw a rat eating offered edibles from Shiva statue and lost faith in idolatry. Dayanand’s sister and uncle’s death created a strong desire to end the game of birth and death. He did not marry and gave up his home at the age of twenty-two years. Dayanand had accepted a total of thirteen gurus one after another.

Swami Dayanand died on October 30,1883 in Ajmer in a very pathetic condition. His health deteriorated badly due to the adverse effect of the drug and the ulceration, the untimely diarrhea had weakened his condition and thus he had to suffer for one month.

A true devotee’s accumulated sinful deeds are demolished with True Devotion and they lives a painless life without sorrows. Dayanand could not get a SatGuru and hence was deprived of Eternal Knowledge and so suffered. Kabir Saheb says, sooner accept Satnaam Diksha (Initiation by a Satguru) all sinful deeds get demolished like one spark of fire burns the heap of dry grass.

Kabir, Jabhi Satyanaam hrday dharo, Bhayo paap ko nash|

Maano chingi agni kee, Padee puraane ghaas ||

Is Dayanand Saraswati’s Understanding of Vedas Appropriate? Or, Inappropriate?

Satgyan preacher Sant Rampal Ji Maharaj cites a number of examples where Maharishi Dayananda has gone wrong in translating the Vedas. The Maharishi Dayananda’s followers accept Maharishi Dayanand as a knowledgeable and cultured scholar. The readers may decide by going through following examples: –

• Satyarth Prakash Samullah 7 page 155, 163: God cannot destroy the sins of the seeker while Yajurveda Chapter 8 Mantra 13, proves 6 times and evidenced that God can destroy the gross sins of a seeker.
• Vedas say God is corporeal, He comes to the good souls and he utters the eternal philosophy while Maharishi Dayanand says God is incorporeal. The readers would be surprised to learn Swami Dayananda Saraswati himself translated the Yajurveda Chapter 4 Mantra 13 and 15 that God is corporeal.
• Satyarth Prakash Samullah 3, page 38: Maharishi Dayanand adds Om before the Mantra “Bhur Bhuvah Svah” while original text Yajurveda Chapter 36 Mantra 3 describes the glory of God. The Vedas are from the beginning of creation and are eternal, so the Gayatri mantra, which describes the glory of God, is original and does not start with OM. It is a clear-cut case of alteration in Vedas’ knowledge.  
•  Swami Dayanand has defined “Purush” as God and sometimes as man in Yajurveda Chapter 40 Mantra 17, Rigveda Mandal 9 Sukt 1 Mantra 8.9, thereby confusing the readers due to his own lack of clarity.
• Rigveda Mandal 9 Sukt 86 Mantra 26, Rigveda Mandal 9 Sukt 82 Mantra 2 describes the glory of God, Kavih as Kavi dev. Swami Dayanand mistranslates the proper name of God and calls him a poet. How can a poet be omniscient? He has altered the translations completely.

Can You Believe Maharishi Dayanand Was Under Intoxication?

Yes, it is difficult to digest that a Maharishi can consume something that stimulates artificially. But it is true that Swami Dayanand was habitual of cannabis (Bhang), sniffed and smoked tobacco and hookah. Sant Rampal Ji Maharaj highlighted these issues in His sermons not to criticize Swami Dayanand but to define reality to the innocent spiritual seekers. The autobiography of Dayanand Saraswati reveals that he was addicted to cannabis in 1856 and stayed intoxicated and comatose under its effect. Dayanand Saraswati used to consume Tobacco in 1869 and in 1877, Dayanand Saraswati used to Smoke Hookah, Oriental Tobacco Pipe. He smoked Hookah even 6 years before his death in 1883. The crux of the matter is that Dayanand Saraswati was dependent on one vice or another during his lifetime.

Can Satyarth Prakash Help Attain Salvation?

The Arya Pratinidhi Sabha describes Satyarth Prakash as a “Masterpiece” work of Swami Dayanand with “Ultimate Morality” and “Spiritualism”. Sant Rampal Ji reminded the truth that “Great Sage” is supposed to unfold the mystery of Supreme God so that the true seeker adopts the eternal path to attain Salvation. It is true that neither Dayanand could achieve eternal knowledge nor could impart to his disciples and followers. He remained in a sad state of body and mind and did not set examples for his devotees to follow.

What About Sant Rampal Ji Maharaj Who “Criticizes” Dayanand Saraswati? 

Sant Rampal Ji Maharaj is a disciple of Swami Ramdevanand Ji Maharaj and preacher of Kabir Saheb’s Eternal Knowledge. Sant Rampal Ji Maharaj and His followers claim that He utters the scripture-based spiritual knowledge to the people. He reminds human beings to focus on the real purpose of human life by adopting the spiritual practice in accordance with the Holy Vedas and Scriptures. He inspires to follow devotion as described in Holy Bhagavad Gita 17:23 OM Tat Sat three mantras for attaining God, but the recitation is as described by the almighty Kabir Saheb. He bestowsNaam Diksha (Initiation) in three stages to His disciples and asks them to follow certain rules. 

A seeker who takes Naam Diksha (Initiation) from Sant Rampal Ji Maharaj and follows the instruction to strict adherence certainly achieves worldly joys and attains Salvation. He fulfils the criteria to be adjudged as Enlightened Saint or a Satguru as defined in Holy Bhagavad Gita 04:34 and 15:01-04 as He unfolds the mystery of human life. His disciples and He Himself follows the principles of purity of heart and action, free from intoxication, corruption, dowry or other social evils. On other hand He motivates His disciples to serve His Satguru as well as the society.   

What Should the Readers Do?

The readers should read Satyarth Prakash and understand whether they would like their children to follow the path described by Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati in his book. The readers should also read Sant Rampal Ji Maharaj’s Sacred Books “The Way of Living” and listen to His sermons at “Satlok Ashram YouTube Channel.” The readers should decide themselves what is good for them.