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IIL
A short account of the life of Shrimat Vijayanandsuri-popularly known as
Shri Atmaramji. Twenty two years have gone by since the death of Shri Vijayanandsuri, the well-known Jain Sadhu of the Swetamber sect. He was born in the village of Lahara, District Ferozpur (Punjab) on the first of Chaitra Shukla in Vikram year 1893. He was a Brahma Kshattriya by caste. His father's name was Ganeshchandra and mother's, Rupdevi. He lost his father in early childhood and was brought up by his mother. He was given in charge of Seth Jodhmal of Jira (Punjab) for education in Vikram year 1903.
He studied Hindi and Arithmetic. At times he used to visit Sthanakvasi Sadhus of the place and began to study about religion. In Vikrama 1910 he was initiated as a Sthanakvasi Sadhu. His intellect was keen : he used to commit to memory 100 verses a day. He had learnt the Shastras from the Sthanakvasi Sadhus but he began to entertain doubts as regards the interpretation as given by them. Fortunately he began to study Sanskrit Grammar and other philoso. phical and logical works with a Pandit.
