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SHRI VIJAYVALLABH SURISHWAR JI MAHARAJ
renounced worldly life at the tender teen age Integration. His voyage of peace and messages and imbibed learning and practical wisdom for during the highly disturbed conditions preceda decade at the feet of his revered preceptor, ing and following the partition of the country Jain Acharya Shri Atamaramji Maharaj. He in 1947 proved of immense value in mastered Jain scriptures and studied contem assuaging the aroused feelings and restoring porary philosophies. By dint of his wide communal harmony and goodwill. This reliknowledge, hard work and scholarly preach- gious tolerance is seen in his literary work, as ings, he soon rose to the heights of an well. Acharya.
A SUPPORTER OF FREEDOM AN ERUDITE SCHOLAR
MOVEMENT A SPIRITUALIST
Acharya Shri was a great scholar of The Acharya Shri aroused people from
theosophy, philosophy, history and meta- slumber and inertia, wherever he went during "The Hindus, the Sikhs, the Muslims, the physics. He was a renowned orator, author the Freedom Movement. He delivered to them Christians, the Jains, the Buddhists and and poet. In addition to many works in prose, the message of love for the country and the people of all religious faiths constitute the he wrote about 1600 poems, songs and people and equated the same with love to God. great progeny of Mother India. Ours is a great hymns in Hindi. The poetry is rich both in He moved masses with his scholarly and family and it is our duty to serve all. Service and language and content with an occasional use deeply appealing discourses. He was an service alone is true worship today". These are of typical words from Urdu and Persian. apostle of peace and advocated Non-Violence. the sterling words of Acharya Shri Vijay Accent has been laid on Bhakti Rasa He said, "Freedom is life, slavery is death" Vallabh Suriji whose Diksha (Renunciation of (devotion) which is easily comparable to the The words which he spoke in the wake of the normal wordly life and becoming a Sadhu/ works of Surdas, Kabir, Rahim, Meera and Freedom Movement move us even today, as Monk) Centenary is being celebrated with Anand Ghan. He lays stress on right karma they spell out an eternal truth. gusto and appropriate solemnity in the action) to achieve the ultimate goal.
The Acharya Shri came into contact with great country. These words bear testimony to his AN EXPONENT OF HINDI
patriots of the nation like Mahatma Gandhi noble mission of life for eradicating discri
Though a Gujarati by birth, he always Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, Pandit Motilal mination of race, class, creed and religion, and
promoted Hindi as National language. He Nehru and other stalwarts of the Freedom thereby inculcating an awareness of universal
delivered his sermons in Hindi and all his Movement. He spoke inspiringly to people to brotherhood.
works in prose or poetry are in Hindi. Through sacrifice wealth and their life for the India, the land of saints, prophets and his inspiration, huge funds were raised for independence of the Motherland. philosophers, has since ages produced a promoting Hindi and for the establishment of
SWADESHI-HIS CREED chain of spiritual luminaries who placed the Benares Hindu University.
Acharya Shri also pleaded the cause of before mankind, both by practice and precept,
A CRUSADER OF PEACE AND NON- Swadeshi, Khadi. Satyagraha and Non-cothe highest moral and spiritual values of life VIOLENCE
operation movements launched by Mahatma and led the society from darkness to light,
He travelled lacs of kilometres barefoot as is Gandhi in pre-independence era. To leaders from ignorance to knowledge, from scepticism
enjoined on Jain Sadhus (Monks), all over the and social workers, he advised "one should to faith, from cruelty to kindness and from
country to spread the message of non- first light the lamp of service in one's ownself hatred to love and compassion. Acharya Shri Vijay Vallabh Suriji was one of such
violence and peace love and compassion, before preaching and thereby set on example" celebrated spiritual apostles who radiated life
tolerance and brotherhood. His meetings soon because he considered service as a great and transmitted the divine spark of compassion
became congregations of men, women, and instrument for success. He himself practiced and truth for posterity.
children of all castes, creeds and communities. whatever he preached. He completely took to
He was equally respected and adored by the khadi and stuck to it till his last. To his A SANYASI AT SEVENTEEN
Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and others. His followers, he advised discarding foreign Born at Vadodra in 1870, Vijay Vallabh Suriji sermons were always aimed at National clothing and goods.
