Sruta Sarita

SR No.: 001940
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jitendra B Shah
Publisher: Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre
Publication Year: 2001
Total Pages: 310
Language: English, Prakrit, Hindi
Classification: Book_Devnagari & Articles
File Size: 18 MB

Page 306

પરિશિષ્ટ-૧ OBITUARY NOTICES
ĀGAMA-PRABHĀKARA MUNI PUNYAVIJAYJI
(1896-1971)
On June 14th 1971, at night 8.45, Āgamaprabhākara Muni Shri Punyavijayji left this world at the age of 75. In his death the world of the learned has lost not only a saint-scholar but a real humanitarian soul who was ready to help, in so many ways, not only scholars but all who sought his help. During his more than sixty years of saintly life, he had no rest, and was continuously engaged in some type of literary work-editing and correcting the old texts, dealing with the mss., offering academic advice from early morning till late at night, even at the neglect of his monastic duties. In his pre-monastic life, he was known as Manilal whose birth took place in V. S. 1952, Kārtika Sukla Pañcami, which is the day for the worship of knowledge. His father Dahyabhai and mother Manekben were residents of Kapadvanj in Gujarat. When he was only three months old and his mother was out, fire broke out in their locality and their house was burnt down. Fortunately, however, a Muslim of the Vora community had saved the child and the next morning handed him over to Manekben whose joy knew no bounds. At the age of 27 Manekben lost her husband and both the mother and the son Manilal accepted the ascetic life in V. S. 1965.
Manilal was admitted to the Jaina ascetic life under the name Punyavijayji by Muni Shri Chaturvijayji whose Guru was the well-known Pravartaka Kantivijayji. This Trio of Jaina ascetics was constantly engaged in rehabilitating the Jaina Bhandāras and the thousands of mss. deposited in them but which were utterly neglected by the community. And, as a result, in Patan, the Hemachandra Jñānamandir was established where most of the mss. belonging to the Jaina Bhandāras of Patan were deposited for the use of