Published in Hindi in 1875, his Satyarth Prakash (Light on the Meaning of Truth) had urged Hindus to return to ‘the pure monotheism’ of the Vedas. The book had also criticized Christianity, Islam, idolatrous or corrupted Hinduism, and Sikhism. The Swami’s other views are also of interest. He advocated a woman’s right to read scripture and educate herself, opposed untouchability, and held that Europe owed its technological and scientific success not to Christianity but to India’s ancient ‘Aryas’; in the modern age, however, Indians should learn from European virtues and achievements.
