Swami Dayananda Saraswati (February 12, 1824 – October 30, 1883) was a religious leader, social reformer and the abolisher of superstitions that prevailed in the society. He even during his time didn’t braced discrimination. Classifying human beings into castes of lows and highs didn’t interest him. He saw all human beings equally. One of his disciples was a barber. Once the same disciple brought food for swami Dayanand from his house. Swami Dayananda delectably ate the food brought by his disciple.
One of his other followers was closely watching this event. He had not liked the way Swami had consumed the food made by a barber. Barber was a low caste and his touched was considered unholy and impure. Once the barber was gone, he complained Swami Dayananda. He said- “Dear lord, what did you do? Don’t you have knowledge about which caste is lower and which is higher? Haven’t you realized which ones are the touchables and which are not? And today, you have eaten a barber’s bread.
Hearing own disciple’s senseless statement, Dayananda started to laugh. He continued laughing hard, long enough that his disciple grew impatient and said again- “Dear lord, Forgive me if I have committed effrontery. But I really don’t think I have spoken anything wrong. Swami Dayananda said- “Son, the bread was of wheat, not of barber. Then why can’t I eat wheat’s bread?” Dayananda’s reply made the disciple answerless.
