Atmasiddhi

Author(s): Shrimad Rajchandra, Manu Doshi
Publisher: Manu Doshi

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very intelligent and easily understood what Shrimad had to convey. Shrimad has written to Laghuräjswämi on several occasions that Ambäläl would understand his letters better. The brief explanatory notes on Atmasiddhi Shastra, prepared by him and reviewed by Shrimad, are published in Vachanamrut (# 718) below the text of Atmasiddhi. He died at an early age of 37.
Saubhagyabhai was a native of Säylä in Saurashtra (Gujarät) and was 44 years older than Shrimad. In 1890 when he came to know about Shrimad's exceptional capabilities, he got inclined to show him a secret Mantra, which was termed as Seed of Enlightenment. When, however, he met Shrimad, he noticed that Shrimad was already enlightened.
By virtue of his clairvoyance Shrimad could make out why Saubhagyabhäi had come. From that time Saubhagyabhäi accepted Shrimad as his Guru and remained totally faithful to him till the end of his life. During that period of seven years, he addressed to Shrimad whatever ideas and questions occurred to him and elicited enlightening replies. Shrimad also was pleased to notice in him a real truth-seeker and wrote to him many letters on his own indicating the inner state of his mind. Saubhagyabhäi's death in 1897 was a great loss to Shrimad. While writing eulogy over his death Shrimad has observed (Vachanamrut # 782) as under.
"It is no doubt that while leaving the body Shri Sobhäg gained unprecedented well being by maintaining the state of self consciousness with unwavering detachment, which is very hard even for great ascetics. ... We repeatedly feel that it would be rare, in this part of the world at this time, to come across a man like Shri Sobhäg. ... No liberation seeker should ever forget Shri Sobhäg. ... His straightforwardness, firm determination about the ultimate objective, benevolence towards the truth-seekers and other qualities are worth reflecting again and again.
Laghuräjswämi was a Sthänakwäsi Jain monk known as Lalluji. He was 14 years older than Shrimad. During 1890 while he was in Khambhät, a doubt arose in his mind about a precept of Bhagavatisutra. At that time Ambälälbhai was talking with his colleagues about the letters from Shrimad. Laghuräswämi called him and mentioned about his doubt. Ambälälbhäi said that Shrimad was very knowledgeable and could give satisfactory replies to all such questions. He showed the letters from Shrimad that he had brought from Juthabhäi. Laghuräjswämi was impressed by their contents and decided to contact Shrimad. The personal contact thereafter led him to accept Shrimad as his Guru. He survived Shrimad by 35 years and had the opportunity to spread the message of Shrimad. He founded the well-known Shrimad Räjchandra Ashram located at Agäs, about 60 miles south of Ahmedabad in Gujarat State (India).
Durin 1894 when Laghuräjswämi was in Surat, he was suffering from fever for about a year. At that time, one Lallubhäi Zaveri died after prolonged illness. Thereupon Laghuräjswämi felt that if he also met the same fate, his life would end without gaining right perception. In that case he would have to continue the infinite wandering in the cycle of birth and death. He therefore wrote to Shrimad to send him something that could help gain right perception.
Thereupon Shrimad wrote to him the Letter of Six Fundamentals, which is given in the Appendix II. Laghuräjswämi was very pleased to receive it and went through it repeatedly. That Letter was sent to Saubhagyabhäi in 1895. He also liked it very much and used to ponder over it again and again. He wanted to commit it to memory. But