Dayananda Saraswati (February 12, 1824 - October 31, 1883) was an important Hindu religious scholar and the founder of the Arya Samaj, "Society of Nobles", a Hindu reform movement, founded in 1875.He was the first man who gave the call for Swarajay in 1876 which Lokmanya Tilak had learnt from him. Arya samaj founded by him produced 79% of the freedom fighters who were responsible for the independence of India. Swami Dayanand Saraswati was the first to proclaim India for Indians as written by Mrs. Annie Besant, the First President of Indian National Congress, Madam Blavatsky, founder of Indian Theosophical Society as well as by the Indian saint and philosopher, Aurobindo Ghosh, in his book Bankim Tilak Dayanand (Calcutta 1947 p1). Lokmanya Tilak also said that Swami Dayanand was the first who proclaimed Swarajya for Bharat i.e.India. The Swami proclaimed this in his book "Commentary on Yajurveda" (Lazarus Press Banaras 1876)when Mahatma gandhi was only 7 years old. His notable disciples like Shyamji Krishan Verma (who founded India House in London and produced revolutionaries like Madam Cama,Veer Sawarkar, Lala Hardyal, Madan Lal Dhingra, Bhagat Singh etc. etc), Swami Shradhanad (who gave Mohan Das Karam Chand Gandhi the title of 'Mahatma Gandhi' when Gandhi visited Gurukul Kangri along with Madan Mohan Malviya a Hindu scholar and founder of Banaras Hindu University ; the Gurukul had been set up at Haridwar by Swami Shradhanand),Lala Lajpat Rai and others who got inspiration from his writings (SATYARTH PRAKASH )contributed to the freedom struggle and were responsible to get freedom for the country in 1947. In fact Swami Dayanand rightfully deserves to be called as Grandfather (Rashtra Pitamah -hindi) of the India Nation

He was a sanyasi (renunciate) from his boyhood, and a scholar, who believed in the infallible authority of the Vedas. Dayananda advocated the doctrine of karma, skepticism in dogma, and emphasised the ideals of brahmacharya (celibacy and devotion to God). The Theosophical Society and the Arya Samaj were united for a certain time under the name Theosophical Society of the Arya Samaj.

Swami Dayananda's creation, the Arya Samaj, is a unique component in Hinduism. The Arya Samaj unequivocally condemns idol-worship, animal sacrifices, ancestor worship, pilgrimages, priestcraft, offerings made in temples, the caste system, untouchability, child marriages and discrimination against women on the grounds that all these lacked Vedic sanction. The Arya Samaj discourages dogma and symbolism and encourages skepticism in beliefs that run contrary to common sense and logic. To many people, the Arya Samaj aims to be a "universal church" based on the authority of the Vedas.

Among Swami Dayananda's immense contributions is his championing of the equal rights of women - such as their right to education and reading of Indian scriptures - and his translation of the Vedas from Sanskrit to Hindi so that the common man may be able to read the Vedas. The Arya Samaj is rare in Hinduism in its acceptance of women as leaders in prayer meetings and preaching.

His original name was Mool Shankar. He was born in 1824 in Tankara, Gujarat. His father was a devotee of Lord Shiva. When Mool Shankar was 14 years old, on a Shivaratri night, he witnessed mice desecrating the idol of Lord Shiva and realized the fallacy of the prevailing concept of religion. He left home to search for true God. Along the way, he got initiated into an order of sanyasis (ascetics) who gave him the name Dayanand. He travelled far and wide in his quest for God eventually finding his way to Swami Virjanand in Mathura. He learnt the Vedas and other scriptures from Swami Virjanand, and as per his guru’s instructions went out to preach the teachings throughout the country.

During his travels, he found the condition of India and the Hindu society deplorable and depressing. The country was ruled by the British. Once the cradle of human civilization, religion and culture India was now a storehouse of immense poverty and moving at a rapid pace on a path of self-destruction. The Hindu society was not doing any better, fragmented as it was by region, by sect and by language. Many superstitions, dogmas and undesirable rituals were propounded in the name of religion. They included untouchability, prohibition on education of women, sati (self immolation by a wife upon the death of her husband) and child marriage.

Swami Dayanand resolved to awaken India and the Hindu society. He introduced many positive reforms, among them the abolition of Sati Pratha, child marriage, dowry, untouchability in the prevalent caste system, and introduction of women’s education. He firmly believed that the yoke of the British Empire had to go. He emphasized the concept of nationhood by introducing the word Swarajya (self rule) for the first time and a need for one national language. In his famous book, Satyartha Prakash (The Light of Truth), he sought to dispel rituals, dogmas and superstitions among all Indians.

On April 10, 1875, Swami Dayanand established the Arya Samaj as a permanent organization to continue to educate the Hindus of their rich heritage and to reform the social structure within India, largely through the spread of education, especially that of women.

With his missionary work, Swami Dayanand made numerous enemies among people who preferred the status quo. Many attempts were made to harm him. Finally, on 30th October, 1883 on the evening of Diwali, he succumbed to poisoning by his faithful servant. With a recitation of the Mantras (hymns) from the Vedas and the words, “O Lord, if such is Thy will, let it be done,” he breathed his last. However, his work has been continued by the members of Arya Samaj, and has been extended beyond the borders of India into other countries.

Swami Dayanand (1824-1883), born on 12th February 1824 (in Tankara in the state of Gujurat, India), was the founder of the Hindu reform organization Arya Samaj, which he established on April 7th 1875, in Bombay India. He also created the 10 principles of Arya Samaj. 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.

One of Swami Dayanand's major arguments for going back to the Vedas was that, in his own words " the four Vedas, the repositories of knowledge & religious truth, are the Word of God. They are absolutely free of error, & the Supreme & independent authority ". The four Vedas are; Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, & Atharva Veda. To spread awareness of his movement and to revitalize Vedic knowledge, Swami Dayanand published many religious books. These include; Satyartha Prakash ( The light of Truth ), the Rig-Vedaadi, Bhasyya- Bhoomika, and Sanskar Vidhi.

Swami Dayanand preached many messages to Hindus during his lifetime. For instance, he preached that Hindus should worship just one, formless, God. He fought against polytheism by telling people the true meaning of the names of God, & established how all of them pointed at one & the same God- Paramathama, the Supreme Self. Further, Swami was " a voice against superstition, against unrighteousness, which reigned supreme in the garb of true religion, and against a foreign rule".

Throughout his known adult life, Swami's main message was " Back to the Vedas ". By this, Swami Dayanand meant that Hindus should stop practising beliefs such as idol worship, caste, polytheism, pantheism, untouchability, child marriages,forced widowhood, and many other practices which he felt were wrong. He challenged many of the Hindu orthodoxy if they could justify their belief in the aforementioned practices. This induced the anger and wrath of many orthodox Hindus, which subsequently led to 14 attempts at poisoning Dayanand. Miraculously, he was able to use his Yogic abilities to cure himself from the first 13 attempts. However, the 14th time proved fatal. Swami Dayanand died, and left the world with his legacy, Arya Samaj.