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He was born in Kathiyāvāda, Saurāṣtra in 1867 A.D. He was a great Jain Yogi, mystic and poet possessing extraordinary intelligence, spiritual powers like telepathy, clairvoyance, mind-reading, satāvadhāna etc., and having moral character of exceptionally high standard. He was a voracious reader, original thinker and prolific writer. He had a prophet-like spiritual vision and capacity to lead the aspirants on the pathway leading to realization of the self (ātma-siddhi). Though he believed in and followed Jainism, he was above all dogmatic religious schools and lopsided philosophical systems. He contends, "Religion does not mean religious differences and set beliefs. It does not even mean cramming or reading of the religious texts or believing all what is said in them, as gospel : truth. Religion is the spiritual quality of the soul. It is embedded in human nature in visible or invisible form. By religion we are to know the duty of man; by it, we are able to know our relation's (or kinship) with other living beings. But all these require the capacity to know one's self. If we do not know our selves we cannot know others rightly. By religion one can know one's self. Such a religion can be adhered to wherever it is found”. Thus he advocated the philosophical doctrine of ātman or self and synoptic and integrated means such as devotion and spiritual practices as meditation etc.,
