Spl. Edition: Swami Dayananda Sarsawati of Arsha Vidya Gurukulam Attains Mahasamadhi

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WHN | New York | Sept 24, 2015:: Swami Dayananda Saraswati Ji of Arsha Vidya Gurukulam has attained Mahasamadhi tonight (according to Bharatiya time) at his Rishikesh Ashram on the banks of mother Ganga. It was his desire to leave his body near Ganga Ji.
Those who came in contact with him would readily agree that he was a teacher par excellence of Vedanta and was modern day equivalent of Adi Shankaracharya and Swami Vivekananda. He established Arsha Vidya Gurukulam in Poconos, PA in early eighties and made it into a gigantic institution to distribute knowledge/Gyan of vedic traditions in a true Gurukul style. What was unique about Swamiji was that he trained his disciple Swamijis and then set them free to establish their own Ashrams to continue dissemination of their wisdom. He didn’t hold onto them neither did he make himself indispensable in that sense.
Today Swami Viditatmananda, Swami Pratyagbodhanada, Swami Tattvavidananda, Swami Parmatmananda, Swami Tadatmananda, Swamini Svatmavidyananda, Swamini Vilasananda, Swamini Srividyananda and a host of other Swamis and Swaminis carry on legacy of Swami Dayananda Ji in their own Ashrams across the world.
We at Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America feel privileged to have had Swami Dayananda Saraswati Ji as our guiding force over the years. It was Swamiji who motivated us to hold Dharma Samsad in USA to assemble all Saints and Gurus of Western hemisphere; it was with Swamiji’s blessings that we embarked upon Hindu Mandir Executives’ Conference (HMEC) initiative in 2006, which has become a great success. Very few people know that when Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) was established in Bharat on August 29, 1964 at Sandipani Ashram of late Swami Chinmayananda Ji in Mumbai, it was Swami Dayananda Saraswati, then his disciple, who wrote VHP’s draft constitution.
Some of us were very fortunate to have had opportunity to have last Darshan of Swamiji at Arsha Vidya Gurukulam on August 25th the day he left for Bharat in an air ambulance. Though he was on a stretcher and had to labor to speak, he spoke at a length; his words were peppered with his usual humor and wit. In that halting message, he had expressed desire to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi (himself a spiritual aspirant) before giving up his body. We had conveyed the message to the PMO and also Ashram contacts had talked with PMO. As soon as Swamiji reached Bharat, Modiji had a Skype conversation with him. At Modiji’s request, Swamiji agreed to take two more treatment of dialysis and as God would have wished, on September 11th, Modiji made a trip to Rishikesh and met Pujya Swamiji. Swamiji blessed Modiji, which is for the good of the nation.
While we will miss his physical presence, we know from his teachings that this body is but a temporary abode for the Atman in its quest to merge with the Supreme. As Swamiji used to say, “All is God.”
You may leave your tributes at http://www.arshavidya.org/contact-us.html
Hari OM, Shanti!
Respectfully,
Gaurang G. Vaishnav
VHP of America

T Muruganandham | ENS | Chennai | Sept 25, 2015:: Vedanta, the term once considered as a privilege of scholars and students of Sanskrit, became intelligible to the common man after Swami Vivekananda’s advent. Thereafter, there have been a stream of Vedantic teachers who opened this treasure-house of wisdom to the world. Among them, Swami Dayananda Saraswati carved a niche for himself in expounding Vedanta during the spiritual journey that stretched for around six decades spanning continents.
Such was his understanding of the Vedic scriptures that he could explain the complex nature of reality and profound truths in simple words, filled with a lot of jokes. Listening to when Swami Dayananda, one feels compelled to understand the message. The jokes he cut used to kindle deep thinking when one contemplated on them.
The term ‘Vedanta’ is very often understood in a roundabout way. Swami Dayananda puts the essence of Vedanta in his impeccable style: “I would say that Vedanta is a solution to the problem of taking myself to be a mortal, imperfect,and subject to various limitations. Vedanta is the teaching which solves this problem.In its vision, you are the solution to the very problem from which you suffer. ‘I am Brahman, the whole’ is Vedanta.”
The Swami, further simplified this message in his saying: “We do not say there is only one God, we say there is ONLY God. Nothing is secular, all that is here is Ishvara, the Lord.” He also made it clear that Vedanta permeated our day-to-day life and every move.
Apart from expounding Vedanta, he was engaged in a number of service activities. Once he commented on the purpose of life this way: “Living begins when one contributes something that will bring about more happiness, more wisdom and more freedom. Until then one merely drags one’s life.”
Many scholars have given definitions to the word ‘love’. Here goes Swami Dayananda’s: “What do we mean by love? Surely it is difficult to define, for ‘Love is the unknown’ and what is unknown cannot be made known with all our known faculties. Love comes into being the moment our mind stops all its manipulations born of selfishness, cupidity and identification. And it is this love that can be the arbiter, not systems, policies and ideals.”
The saint always advised his students to reflect and contemplate on whatever was said in the scriptures before accepting them. Once he said, “Mother Shruti compels the seekers after Truth not to gulp down anything hocus pocus; but to doubt; reflect and then reflect and then accept. For, blind belief will never dispel the ignorance. It is wisdom born of reflection and contemplation that can dispel nescience.” __New Indian Express.

Karthik Madhavan | Coimbatore | Sept 24, 2015:: Swami Dayananda Saraswati passed away at his ashram in Rishikesh on Wednesday night. He was 85. He had been ailing for quite sometime.
Born in 1930 in Manjakudi, Natarajan, as the Swami was known in his pre-monastic days, was drawn to Indian philosophy, particularly the Advaita school, listening to Swami Chinmayananda. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, his association with Swami Chinmayananda grew closer as he began taking Vedanta lessons. In 1962, he took ‘Sanyas’ to become Swami Dayananda Saraswati.
He continued his association with Swami Chinmayananda for a long time and the two set up Sandipani Sadhanalaya in the then Bombay to train people in Vedanta.is contribution there and subsequently with Arsha Vidya Gurukulam saw hundreds of people learn Vedanta, take up renunciation and spread the Vedic message.Creating teachers in Vedanta along with setting up schools for under privileged under the Aim for Seva Movement were some of his important contributions, says Swami Samananda, one of his disciples from Madurai.Swami Dayananda Saraswati set up the Acharya Sabha, bringing pontiffs from all over the country on a common platform to take up the cause of Hinduism and debate the challenges it faced. He was also a vocal opponent of religious conversion, calling it assault on faith.
Supported Odhuvars
The Swami also took up the cause of Odhuvars. He was also credited with playing an important role in the refurbishment and re-run of the Thiruvidaimaruthur temple car. He had also penned a few verses that have become popular devotional songs.The Swami was admitted to the hospital 10 days back. His condition kept fluctuating all these days and was finally brought back to his ashram.
Mr. Modi called on the Swami at his Ashram to enquire about his health on September 11. 
Hindu Pujya Swamijis Life in Wikipedia:

Source: WHN Media Network