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of an individual to the utmost, Pandit Guru Datta had chosen this
vocation for himself. He alone could satisfactorily perform the
various duties connected with it, there being no other man in the
Samaj who could lend him any substantial help in it. Besides, even
if there were, learned contributions could not be secured without
monetary payments and that Pandit Guru Datta was not in a
position to do, the whole burden lay upon the Pandit himself. His
'magazine' must be full of learned articles, worthy of his name and
fame. And he must work for it as hard as he could. Lala Lajpat
Rai tells us that "he went through all the works of Professor Max
Muller, Nayai, Mimansa, Vaisheshaka, and Yoga out of Aryan
philosophies, Nirukta and Swami Dayananda's Bhashya on Vedas,
Mahabhashya by Patanjali, Manu Smriti, and a host of other books,
too numerous to be mentioned here."37 The study of so many works
threw a strain upon his constitution that it could not bear, and in
the latter end of July 1889 he began to complain of "something like
electricity going out of him" and in the beginning of August he
caught cold. This cold was soon followed by cough and fever which
continued to increase in intensity till September, notwithstanding
the strong efforts made to check them. At last he was obliged to
remove to hills; Murree was selected as fit place for him to recruit
his health. He was received there by Sardar Umrao Singh, a sincere
and ardent admirer of his and although the best medical advice
was procured and every comfort was provided under the hospitable
roof of the Sardar Sahib, the disease showed no sign of abatement.
His constitution, which was exceptionally strong, was undermined
during a short stay there.
The anniversary of the Peshawar Samaj coming off in those
days, he made up his mind to join it. He could not bear the trouble
and inconvenience of such a long journey. He left for Peshawar in
spite of the protests of his friends and he did not observe the
anniversary as a mere passive spectator, but took an active part in
it. His speech upon the Vedas was the most brilliant of addresses
delivered on the occasion, and he spoke with all the might that he
could command. The result of this heavy strain was that the disease
redoubled its force and immediately after his arrival at Lahore he
was thoroughly prostrated, with all energy for work having
departed from his body. Throughout October the disease kept
increasing in virulence but towards the end of October there were
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