Poisoning of Swami Dayanand

Shri Nathji told many times how Swami Dayanand, the Founder of the Arya Samaaj, was poisoned by his cook who had been instigated by a woman Swami Dayanand had offended, by telling the King to forsake the girl for the sake of righteousness.

Shri Nathji always used to say that poisoning was the easiest way of killing a person, and frequently had doubts about the food he was eating and the person who was cooking. Servants were particularly apt to be bribed, this was an established fact. Shri Nathji would recollect how the wife of Justice Raghubar Dayal would worry about Mateshwari’s repeated illnesses at Mussoorie and wonder whether the servant was being instigated by anyone to poison her!

Dayanand Saraswati  (February 12, 1824 – 30 October 1883 ) was a Hindu religious leader and profound scholar of the Vedic lore and Sanskrit language. He is well known as the founder of the Arya Samaj, a Hindu reform movement. Dayananda was subjected to many unsuccessful attempts on his life because of his efforts to reform the Hindu society. In 1883 Dayananda was invited by the Maharaja of Jodhpur to stay at his palace. The Maharaja was eager to become his disciple and learn his teachings. One day Dayananda went to the Maharaja's rest room and saw him with a dance girl named Nanhi Jan. Dayananda boldly asked the Maharaja to forsake the girl and all unethical acts and follow dharma like a true Aryan. Dayananda's suggestion offended the dance girl and she decided to take revenge. So she bribes the cook of Swami Dayanand, who gave him milk with poison and crushed glass. Swami Dayananda Saraswati died of poisoning in Jodhpur on October 30th 1883 at the age of 59 years.