Swami Dayanand Saraswati and Vivekanand

[Sakal Gharelu Ustad]

Although I regard both of these people as great intellectuals of their time, but I sometimes wonder why Swami Dayanand is almost forgotten today when compared to the glory of Vivekanand. He was not only a great reformer but also the first to call for independence.

I came up with some reasons that might have led to him being relegated to secondary status in India. Here are some of them:

1) He was not only a strong adherent of Hindu/ Vedic philosophy but also gave a call for conversion to Hinduism.
2) Due to his belief in supremacy of Vedas, he rejected all kinds of discrimination and hence more vocal against the existing system of caste and gender.
3) He was largely confined to India while Vivekanand had got recognition of foreigners, which is/was the most necessary condition to prove intellect.

Do you think there are other reasons for his disappearance from the scene today?

 

[parijataka]

He was largely confined to India while Vivekanand had got recognition of foreigners, which is/was the most necessary condition to prove intellect.

Agree with that to large extent. Swami Dayananda Saraswati though had a lot of influence over N India. Arya Samaj and DAV schools being a very important outcome of his following.

 

[GPM]

Arya Samaj significantly weakened Sanatan Dharma and layd it open to poaching. But Arya Samaj movement by itself could not be an alternative to Hinduism.

Vivekanand on the other hand wanted Hindus to get back their self esteem and confidence.

 

[spikey360]

It was not a 'call for conversion', precisely speaking. He said that those who wanted to re-convert into Hindus should be given an opportunity to do so and their position in society should be re-instated.

As far as the topic for discussion is concerned, am not very knowledgeable on Swami Dayanand Saraswati to compare him with Swami Vivekanand, but as @parijataka and you have said, foreign exposure also catapulted Swamiji into the icon that he is today. Add to that his persona and his charisma and his ability to read the pulse of the nation and youth made him a greater hero for the masses. Also, the Ramakrishna Math, which Swamiji established did its part in popularising Vivekananda's philosophy in all parts of India, while the Arya Samaj movement was unable to establish an order of monks so large in population.

But nowhere can it be said or should it be said that one was greater than the other. They were both great men.