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PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION
OF 1897
T
he works of Pandit Guru Datta Vidyarthi, M.A. undoubtedly
occupy the foremost position in the whole range of Samajic
literature that exists in English. In point of sublimity of thought,
nobility of conception, beauty and gracefulness of style, breadth
and comprehensiveness of vision and force and impressiveness of
meaning, the works are simply unsurpassed. Pandit Guru Datta
was one of those rare geniuses of whom any civilized country may
justly be proud. He died while yet in his youth. His career of
usefulness to the Arya Samaj was sadly brief. Being a man of
extremely inquisitive and analyzing faculties, no religion except that
of the Vedas could satisfy his profoundly philosophical and scientific
mind. He accordingly enlisted himself under the banner of Sawami
Dayananda Saraswati, and evinced a great interest in the
advancement of his Vedic mission. The truths of the Vedic Religion,
however, did not strike a deep and permanent root in his mind till
he had been brought, by the chance of unhappy circumstances,
under the magnetising touch of that GREAT YOGI, Swami
Dayananda Saraswati. When the great Rishi was lying seriously ill
at Ajmer, he, along with myself, was deputed by the Lahore Arya
Samaj to attend upon the Swamiji there. The dying scene of Swamiji,
which he as fortunate enough to witness, gave a death blow to his
old cherished sceptic ideas, and inspired in him a spirit that has
ever since immortalised his name. He saw, on the one hand the
dreadful disease giving rise to such excruciating pains that even
the bravest and mightiest of men, having less insight into the realm
of Spirit, would give way under its fearful and cruel onslaughts,
and on the other, the Swami's calm, dignified, cheerful and
brightened up face, without the least indication of any sort of
suffering or remorse. This singular scene threw a fascinating charm
over him; how it affected him cannot be described in words, nor
could the Pandit himself explain it. It appears to have taken entire
possession of his soul and transformed him into something for above
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