Early Life
Shyamaji Krishna Varma was born on October 4, 1857 in Mandvi, Kutch province as Shamji, the son of Karsan Bhanushali (Karsan Nakhua; Nakhua is the surname while Bhanushali is the community name), a labourer for cotton press company, and Gomatibai, who died when Shyamaji was only 11 years old. He was raised by his grandmother. After completing secondary education in Bhuj he went to Mumbai for further education at Wilson High School. Whilst in Mumbai he learnt Sanskrit.
In 1875 Shyamaji got married to Bhanumati, a daughter of a wealthy businessman of the Bhatia community and sister of his school friend Ramdas. Then he got in touch with the nationalist Swami Dayananda Saraswati, a radical reformer and an exponent of Vedas, who had founded Arya Samaj. He became his disciple and was soon conducting lectures on Vedic philosophy and religion. In 1877, a public speaking tour secured him a great public recognition all over Bharat. He became the first non-Brahmin to receive the prestigious title of Pandit by the Pandits of Kashi in 1877. He came to the attention of Monier Williams, an Oxford professor of Sanskrit who offered Shyamaji a job as his assistant.
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