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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32. An Idol of Service to Humanity: Shri Hrushabhdas Ranka
Introduction: Not only the Jains living in India but those residing abroad were also very much attached to Shri Hrushabhdas Ranka, an idol of sympathy and service to mankind. He was a man who had no rival and was known to be friend of one and all. He has relinquished his own self and had become a person of the whole Jain community. He dedicated his life for others. He was, thus, the most popular person among the Jains.
Birth, Childhood and Business: Shri Ranka was born at Fatepur village of Khandesh District in Maharashtra on December 3, 1903. His ancestors were native of Jodhpur State of Rajasthan. The name of his grandfather was Dhanrajji and Shri Pratapmal was his father. They were in all five brothers and sisters: three sisters and two brothers. Shri Hrushabhdasji was the elder brother. Regarding his surname Ranka, it is said that his ancestors were in the trade-business of cloth prepared from the hair of Ranku quality of goats that happened in Punjab. As such they were known as Ranka. His formal education was only up to standard eight because he was helping his father in the business he was only 14 years old. After working with his father for some years, he joined as a partner in the company named Vachchraj Kheti limited, which was engaged in agriculture and taming of cows. He retired from here after a few years and entered the business of insurance. This was his main field of earning almost for the whole of his life. He worked in this business for many decades and finally retired in 1971.
National Fervor: The Swadeshi movement influenced him. (Use only Indian made cloth and articles) launched by Mahatma Gandhi and Gokhle and look up the work of propagating the use of and distributing Khadi (hand-woven cotton cloth) at his young age of only 20. He was being more and more influenced by the national movement and national issues. He suffered imprisonment of about four and a half months for participating in Salt Satyagrah in 1931. He again suffered this much imprisonment at Dhulia and Visapur for national reasons. He had to spend 13 months in jail at Nagpur for participating in Quit India movement. This great person, thus, proved his patriotism in his young age.
In the Company of Great Men: Shri Hrushabhdas had the good fortune to be in the company of great men of national level before and after independence. In the beginning he worked at Wardha, Jalgaon, Poona and Surrounding regions. Here he came into contact with Vinoba Bhave, Mahatma Gandhi, Kedarnathji, Jamnalalji Bajaj, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Prof. Jaju. Hrushabhdasji cultivated his attitude to catch up virtues of others and hence he was quite simple, absolutely honest, personal disciple, holy thinking, nonviolence, selflessness and common good of the people. He worked in creative activities and national movements for more then three decades by holding key positions and yet he never cared for honor or money. Even after independence, he did not want to become a minister or a governor but continued to work for the society and relief works. Later he dedicated himself to the service of Jain community. Hrushabhdasji wanted to cease to be an individual and be absorbed for the society and hence he took minimum interest in his home-affairs. His wife Shrimati Rajkumari was a holy, serviceable and husband-devoted pious woman. She was always with Shri Rankaji. They had three daughtersVarsha, Vimla and Shashi and one son Rajendra. As they're one and the only one son Rajendra expired in a small illness, Rajkumariji was extremely unhappy. Her mind was permanently affected.
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