Comtemporary Jain Legends

SR No.: 007736
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Atmanandji Maharaj
Publisher: Shrimad Rajchandra Ashram
Publication Year: 2015
Total Pages: 183
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, N000, & N025
File Size: 1 MB

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28.Pandit-Varya Shri Bechardas Doshi (PanditVarya means a learned personality of the first rank) Pandit Varya Shri Bechardasji can be considered to be one of the most outstanding learned persons. He was a patriot and a social worker. He lived a very difficult life and he never hoped for garlands of flowers. He made hard sacrifices for advanced studies and advertisement the punishment of exile for the motherland. He served the society and the country with mind, body and money all his life. He fulfilled his life by making efforts in all walks of life. He awakened the Jain community from blind faith. He is one of the very few learned personalities of this age. He lived among various types of difficulties from the very beginning of his life and maintained patience and peace of mind upto his advanced age even against heart-rending troubles. He spared no efforts for knowing new things and search for truth. This was the exceptional virtue of Shri Bechardasji Doshi.
Birth and Disturbed Childhood: The small town Vallabhipur occupies an important place in India and in the history of Jainism. This place takes the credit for the compilation of Jain scripture and commentaries more than 1500 years ago. Pandit Bechardasji was born on the in 1890 in this well-known town of Gujarat (old Saurashtra). Shri Jivraj Ladhabhai Doshi was his father and Shrimati Otambai was his mother. The family belonged to Visa Shrimati Deravasi Jain-a sect of Jainism. The economic condition of the family was normal. Panditji started his study in the village school of Vallabhipur but studied in his maternal native village of Sanosara upto 5 standard. He completed his sixth standard at Vallabhipur. His father expired when Panditji was only ten years of old. The family faced hard circumstances to survive. His mother had to sell out all her ornaments to do the death rites of Shri Jivrajbhai. Panditji's eyes had tears when he told the tale of those days. His mother Otambai had to grind corn and do manual work as a servant. It was even than hard to maintain the family of two sons and one daughter. Panditji never took it as shame in doing odd jobs in others' houses to help the mother in maintaining the family. Panditji prepared ashes to mix with corn, took out cotton from cotton balls, took out cottonseeds from cotton, sold dried pulse and other eating things in public.
Preliminary Study of Scriptures: He wanted to study further but he was seriously pressed with the problem of maintaining the family. In those days, the learned Jain Acharya Shri Vijay Dharm Suriji Maharaj had set up a Pathshala (School for religious study) at Mandal to create learned persons in Jainism and Shri Harshchandraji Bhurabhai (late Mooni Shri Jayant Vijayaji) of Vallabhipur town was going to join the Pathshala in 1902-03 (Hindu 1958-59), Pandit Bechardasji Doshi also joined with him. Shri Vijaya Dharm Soorishwarji had deep desire to bring out scholars in Jainism. He was much pleased to such an intelligent boy like Bechar. After this, Shri Vijay Dharm Soorishwarji found it difficult to prepare learned persons in Gujarat, which is a region where financial earning counts very much. He decided to go to Kashi, which was famous for learning in all subjects. Bechardasbhai studied Kaumudi during his stay at Mandal for 5-7 months and then started to go to Kashi with Shri Vijay Dharm Soorijishwarji Maharaj on foot. His mother was not willing to send him at such a distant place and so he returned to Vallabhipur from Godhra with Shri Harshchandrabhai and completed his study upto 7th standard. Bechar returned to Vallabhipur respecting the wishes of his mother but he always longed for higher studies and so he went to Palitana and studied Jainism (NavaTattva etc.). with Mooni Shri Siddhvijayaji. He faced much difficulty in boarding and lodging at Palitana. His mother had given him a tiffin box. He consumed this food and then he maintained himself on alms from the people. He had to pass several days without food. At last one generous soul Shri Saubhagyachand Kapurchand of Jamnagar decided to give him rupees ten per month. Now Bechar was a little happy. He came back
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