Swami Dayanand Saraswati 1. Was opposed to the worship of idols of Gods and Goddesses. 2. regarded the Vedas as infallible 3. had met and had discussion with Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. Which of the statements given above are correct?

Swami Dayanand Saraswati, the founder of Arya Samaj in 1875, was a prominent social and religious reformer. He was strongly opposed to idol worship, advocating for the belief in one formless God (monotheism) and rejecting rituals not found in the Vedas. He regarded the Vedas as infallible, considering them the inspired word of God and the source of all true knowledge [1]. He famously gave the call 'Go back to the Vedas' [1]. Furthermore, Dayanand Saraswati actively engaged with other contemporary reformers to discuss social issues. Historical records confirm that he met and had discussions with prominent figures such as Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Keshab Chandra Sen, and Mahadev Govind Ranade [2]. During his visit to Calcutta in the 1870s, these interactions influenced his decision to adopt Hindi for his lectures to reach a wider audience [2]. Thus, all three statements are correct.

Sources

1. [1] Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 13: Growth of New India Religious and Social Reform After 1858 > Swami Dayanand and Arya Samaj > p. 219
2. [2] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 9: A General Survey of Socio-Cultural Reform Movements > Dayananda Saraswati and Arya Samaj > p. 222