Brief life sketch of Atmaramji Maharaj

Author(s): S P Jain
Publisher: Z_Vijyanandsuri_Swargarohan_Shatabdi_Granth_012023.pdf

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stayed at Ahmedabed for four months of the rainy season in Vikram Samvat 1932. There he met Maharaj Buddhi Vijayji, who too, like Atmaramji, was initiated into 'dhundia sect' under the name of Buta Royji and had renounced the sect on discovery of the truth. Shri Atmaramji formalised his entry into the ancient Jain religion by becoming disciple of Shri Buddhi Vijayji, alongwith 15 of his followers, and also put on the dress prescribed in the ancient books. As a distinguishing mark, from the 'dhundia' sect, he also took on a yellow mantle. After holding his Vikram Samvat 1933 'chaturmas' at Bhavnagar in Gujrat and 1934 'chaturmas' at Jodhpur (Rajasthan) he came back to Punjab to nurse the sapling he had planted into prosperous growth.
To signify the change, he was now given the name of Shri Anand Vijay, although his old name Shri Atmaramji still sticks in the memory of his followers and now-a-days he is known by both of his names. Later on, however, when he was conferred the honour of being an Acharya, his name again underwent a change as per Jain tradition and he came to be known as Vijayanand.
AMONG THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY Jains constitute a minority in India. That was the case in 19th century and is still so. Majority generally tends to dismiss the opinions and beliefs of the minority with contempt and remains ignorant about it. Jains too have suffered this fate, especially because Jains as a community are given to commerce and industry, and high education and scholarship has been their Achiles heel. Now that Shri Atmaramji or Anand Vijayji Maharaj had come to be regarded as the spokesman of the philosophy and religion of Jainism, it fell upon him to project the true image of Jainism. He, therefore, did not miss an opportunity of presenting Jainism in its true colours. In this connection, his meetings with the kings of Bhavnagar, Bikaner, Jodhpur and Limbri are memorable, during which he expounded the tenets of Jain philosophy or removed the misconceptions prevalent among the general public. The first of these meetings took place with the king of Bhavnagar state. The king asked for the views of Shri Anand Vijay on the well known dictum of Vedanta-Brahma Satyam Jagann Mithya i.e. Only the God is true, rest all false. Shri Anand Vijayji explained that Jainism accepts this from one angle and rejects it from another. According to Jain philosophy, truth is not absolute. A statement from one angle may be true while from another angle it amy be wrong. For example 'A' is son from the angle of his father but if we say the same thing from the angle of his wife, it
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Shri Vijyanand Suri Swargarohan Shatabdi Granth