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वीर ज्ञानोदय ग्रन्थमाला
number of traditionalities, many times unplatable, suggesting her disciplinary bent. Despite this, She has many well progressive ideas tuning with times. Some of them are: (a) using handpump water for religious purposes (b) no-objection to bathing of Jina image by women (c) non-belief in astrology (d) encouraging not to follow popular belifs (e) venerating Sadhwi like monks (t) iniation of Sadhwi by nuns and the like. This suggests she is indirectly improving the status of Aryikas in the society.
Her intellectual and scholarly soundness make her outspoken about difference of opinions in explaining basic religious principles and practices. She has criticised many such issues current in the Jain world today in her auto-biography. She is exponent of liberal principles of Jainism most suitable for non-Jain world. Biography
• The life story of Gyanmati Mataji does not start with uncommonalities like those of many saintly personages. Still, it has some character ristics of special nature pointing towards her future spiritual career. She was born of a highly religious parents-Shri Chhotelalji and Mohinidevi in October, 1934. Her mother used to study 'Padmnandi-panchvinshatika'-a book on Jain tenets and practices- everytime she was free. This together with her religious lullabies and tales had an indirect bearing on the life-structure of Mainaji-her birth name. Her highly shining forehead indicated a brighter future for her. Her studies started at an early age under Pt. Kamtaprasadji and Jamnaprasadji who had a high opinion about her extra-ordinary intelligence and wisdom. She could remember a lesson by listening or learning once only. They expressed it a result of good merits of earlier births. She has no normal schooling but she studied at home for a good number of years. Later on she studied Jain texts under her preceptors and 108 Mahavirkirti ji Maharaj.
Though her mother was trying to enage her in some sort of religion-orinted activities, she realised the dependant life of female children in the community on many occasions. She also felt about the prevalence of traditional perverse practices whenever any natural or otherwise calamity fell on neighbors and family members. Her mother's training-cum-teachings and her self-studious nature resulted in her spiritual evolutionary process. Panditji's sermons led her to believe in the infinite energy of the self, the tales of chastity (Shila) encouraged her to take a vow of lifeling chastity before the Jin-idol in the temple to be independent from social or othr tragedies and the story of Akalanka moved her to think about not to marry for the sake of religious freedom. During her formative years, 10-16, she had many opportunities to regular and home studies of many Jain books including Chhahdhala and her mother's book to make up her mind and to think about involving herself in propagating Jainism in the world through renunciatory way. She became a firm devotionalist with partial intellectual tings. Initiation Starts
Her mind was building up for reminciation. She had some inkling about it through a good dream in 1952. When she told about it to her parents and brothers, they could guess about her future. They tried to let her understand the difficulties of ascetic state, but she was adament. Acharya Deshbushanji confirmed the parental guess by looking at her palms that she had a renunciatory hand. By looking a hair-plucking ceremony, she had twinkling of her left eye and arm. Thus, dreams, palmistry and prognostics-all were in conformity to her initiations. However, permission of her parents was a hurdle in they way. She could manipulate it through her religious vow not to take food until it was granted. Her brother helped her in this matter by taking her to Barabanki. She was initiated as seventh model stager celibate at the age of 18 in 1952 on her birthday and as a junior Sadhwi later in 1953 at Mahavirji by Achary Deshbhushanji with her christening as Virmatiji. She travelled with her precepter and later with her senior colleagues. She went to visit Achary Shantisagarji's holy death at Kunthalgiri (Maharastra). She desired for higher ascetic position from him but he asked her to do so from his successor Achary Virsagarji. It is during this process that she had to undergo a conflict of intellect and discipline on many issues. After
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