Virajananda

Swami Virajanand, the blind sage of Mathura and the celebrated teacher of Swami Dayanand Saraswati who founded the Arya Samaj, was born in a place near Jullundur in the year 1778 in Brahmin family. At the tender age of five, the boy lost his eyesight after an attack of small pox. Soon thereafter, the boy's and who had initiated boy into the rudiments of Sanskrit learning, passed away. Thus the boy has thrown to the mercies of his elder brother and sister-in-law at very young age. As they did not treat him well, the temperamental Virjanand soon left their house. His wanderings led him to Rishikesh where he led a life of meditation and austerity for about three years. Tradition has it that Swami Virjanand left Rishikesh for Hardwar at the instance of a divine command. At Hardwar Virjanand came in contact with swami Purnanand, a renowned Sanskrit scholar who initiated him into 'sanyas'. Swami Purnanand created him into a love for sanskrit grammar and for the "arsha" Shastras. Soon Virjanand began to master other branches of Sanskrit literature, and also took up the work of teaching others. After this course of Hardwar, Swami Virjanand left for Kashi, the well-known city for Sanskrit learning and for higher studies. Here he lived for about 10 years, mastering Meeemansa, Vedanta, Ayurveda, etc. Soon he came to occupy a place of eminence among the scholars of Varanasi. From Varanasi. Swami Virjanand went to Gaya where he made a comprehensive and critical study of Upanishada, the preliminary study of which he had first taken at Hardwar and completed at Varanasi. From Gaya, Swami Virjanand went to Calcutta which was, at that time. attracting Sanskrit talent from all over the country.

Swami Virjanand died on Monday , the 14th September, 1868, on Krishna Trayodashi day at the age of 90.

The stamp honouring this Saint depicts the Swamiji in a sitting posture. The design on the First Day Cover high-lights symbolically the life work of Swami Virjanand in propagating knowledge of the Vedas and other "artha Shashtras."