Swami Dayananda Saraswati’s vision is rooted in a traditional, scripturally grounded Advaita Vedānta, in which the essential truth is the non-duality of Ātman and Brahman. Reality is understood as one indivisible consciousness, and the apparent separation between individual and absolute is attributed to ignorance. The Upaniṣads, Bhagavad Gītā, and Brahma Sūtra are treated as a distinct and final means of knowledge, not as speculative philosophy but as revelation of an already-existing fact: the self is whole, free, and complete. This non-dual understanding does not deny the empirical world but grants it a dependent, transactional status within the larger order of reality.

Within this framework, liberation is defined as freedom from the sense of limitation and inadequacy, attained through self-knowledge rather than through action or special experiences. Actions, including religious practices, can refine the mind but cannot alter the already-free nature of the self. Hence the emphasis falls on ātma-jñāna, unfolded through a rigorous guru–śiṣya tradition and a precise teaching methodology (sampradāya). Vedānta is treated as pramāṇa-śāstra, a means of knowledge whose proper use requires epistemological clarity about perception, inference, and scripture.

At the same time, the teaching gives a central place to karma-yoga, dharma, and devotion as preparation for this knowledge. Ethical living and responsible engagement in one’s duties are seen as non-negotiable, because they contribute to inner refinement and emotional maturity. Performing action as an offering, and accepting results as part of Īśvara’s order, gradually reduces binding likes and dislikes. Bhakti is not set against knowledge; rather, devotion to Īśvara supports inquiry by quieting anxiety and softening resistance, while the highest understanding recognizes the non-difference of devotee and Lord at the level of ultimate reality.

A distinctive feature of this philosophy is its integration of non-dual insight with a robust appreciation of Īśvara and the cosmic order. Īśvara is presented as the intelligent and material cause of the universe, with all natural and moral laws understood as expressions of this order. Thus, relating to Īśvara through devotion, prayer, and an attitude of surrender harmonizes the individual with the total. Far from encouraging escapism or anti-intellectualism, this approach values clarity of understanding, emotional maturity, and a life of dharma as the natural context in which self-knowledge can be fully assimilated and lived.