02/27/2025
Arya Samaj dedicates February as Dayanand Maas.
Why?
Acharya Bramdeo Mokoonlall
The child’s name was Moolshankar. Rishi Bodh celebrates the turning point in his life, from which a new personality emerges: Maharshi Swami Dayanand Saraswati, the founder of the Arya Samaj. Dayanand Dashamee, his birthday anniversary is known as Jnaana Jyoti Parva.
While staying awake on the night of Mahaa Shivraatri to have the ‘darshan’ of Shiva, rodents eating the offerings triggered his inquisitive mind. Is the idol the real All-Powerful God, who cannot protect itself from small creatures? That was a ‘moment of truth’ in the life of the teenager Moolshankar!
Neither his father nor the priest could give him the correct answers. He left the comforts of his parent’s home in quest of true knowledge about God as well as life and death. He embarked on a long and harsh journey of over 2 decades in search of a real guru. It was Guru Virjanand who taught him the correct methodology of interpreting the physical and spiritual sciences of the Vedas, including Vedic Yog to attain God-Realization.
Moolshankar was not the first and last person to see rodents eating prasad offered to the idol. But he was the first to follow his curious mind and look for answers. We all have small occurrences triggering questions in our lives. Few look to satisfy their curiosity, the majority just push them under the carpet!
Newton followed his curious mind when he saw the apple falling and taught us the Law of Gravity. Likewise, Faraday, Edison, Fleming became famous for their respective feats- mastering electricity, inventing the electric bulb, discovering penicillin.
We can also attain “Bodh” enlightenment by following our inquisitive mind. BUT we need to be patient as it requires regular, consistent practice or research over long time as well as lots of passion and dedication.
Thanks to Swami Dayanand and his wake-up call for all to be educated that the Indian Diaspora is thriving outside India.
In the footprints of Swami Dayanand Saraswati, we’ll surely care for our own physical, mental-moral-spiritual development as well as those around us and the whole world.
