SWAMI DAYANANDA SARASWATI
THE TEACHER OF TEACHERS
OF SPIRITUALITY
Year 1930 (15th, August) saw the birth of an illustrious son of India in a small village called Manjakkudi in the Tanjore district of Tamilnadu. He was named Natarajan. Like any great saint, his inner voice also was urging him to find the ultimate truth of existence. It is always almost the same story for many of these great saints.
He went off to seek the knowledge of the self under great Gurus like Sri Swami Chinmayananda, Sri Swami Pranavananda and Sri Swami Tarananda Giri.
Having acquired the required Vedantic Knowledge, the Swamiji saw that “there is nothing as purifying as knowledge.”
He therefore started sharing his knowledge with many disciples. Now, there are more than 200 disciples of his , all renunciates, many of them great teachers in their own right today. This writer (of this blog) attends the classes of one such great disciple of Shri Dayananda Sarawati, namely, Shri Paramarthananda,
The Swamiji established the Swami Dayananda ashram in Rishikesh during the 1960s. Swamiji and his disciples conduct regular residential courses at the ashram with the focus on Bhagavad Gita and the ten principal Upanishads as commented upon by Adi Shankaracharya. These and selected ancillary texts are analyzed and taught along with Sanskrit grammar in the Paninian style. Vedic chanting is also taught during courses.
He founded the Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, in 1986 as an institute for the traditional study of Advaita Vedanta, Sanskrit, Yoga, Ayurveda, astrology, and other classical Indian disciplines. Swami Dayanada Ashram is like the parent Gurukulam for Arsh Vidya Gurukulam.
He is now about 81. Therefore, between July 20 to 22, of this year, his disciples intend to perform his Satabhishekam at Coimbatore,as we can see from the web site www.Sathabhishekam.in.
This Sathabhishekam is an opportunity to all those who have always wanted to express their gratitude to Sri Swami Dayananda Saraswati for having influenced their lives in some way or the other.
The books written by him, the trainings he conducted to his disciples, the lectures he and his disciples deliver all over the world are all extraordinary initiatives in the dissemination of self knowledge, or Vedantic knowledge.
Some of the web sites containing detailed info on the Swamiji, his disciples and his / their lectures are given below :
/www.arshavidya.in/
/www.aimforseva.org/
/www.satabhishekam.in
His lectures are full of great knowledge relevant for day to day life and for the life beyond.
One of his constant messages is – “one must grow from being a consumer to become a contributor.” He exhorts all disciples and audience to become contributors to the mankind and nature and not just be consumers.
I am, therefore I think, says Swamiji, though he says, I think, therefore, I am can be a starting point for arriving at I am, therefore I think. In between 2 thoughts, you do not think. Yet, You are, he points out.
His disciples include not only Hindus but also many foreigners. His advice to all is to perform Seva – for all beings. He has played vital role in many inter-religious conferences and has spoken fervently for bringing in religious harmony.
Readers would be greatly elated to listen to his lectures and discourses, many of which are available at the web sites cited and on you-tube.
PS :
Swami Dayananda Saraswati, this illustrious spiritualist of our times is not to be confused with another illustrious Indian, spiritualist-cum-patriot, Swami Dayanand Saraswati who was the founder of Arya Samaj, who lived from 1824 to 1883.
This blog bows down before the Swamiji and wishes him a long, long life, for all of our benefit (of the mankind as a whole).
Yours
= Vijayamohan.V
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