Book Title: Comtemporary Jain Legends
Author(s): Atmanandji Maharaj
Publisher: Shrimad Rajchandra Ashram

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Page 178
________________ was more and more detached and after two years, he adopted the vows of seventh idol at Kashi (religious restrictions). After this he accepted eighth idol at Jabalpur, ninth at Balashinor and tenth at Agra in the presence of elder Varniji in December 1948. His renunciation became stronger and then he adopted 11th idol in 1949 at Hastinapur in the presence of elder Varniji. From now onwards he was known as chhote Varniji, i.e. younger Varniji. He had done his monsoon of 1974 AD at Ahmedabad. His 58th birthday was also celebrated here with great enthusiasm and All-Religion Conference was also arranged. Shri Atmanandji and Shri Gokulbhai had adopted vows of life-long celibacy before him. Some of his books were translated into Gujarati and English in which Dravya Sangrah Tika. "Comments on the collection of materials" and "Address to self" were important. His outlook was wide and spiritual and hence he had gone to Shrimad Rajchandra Vihar Bhavan, Idar and had held discourses and questions answers with many devotees. Successful Writer and Spiritual Speaker: Varniji was famous for his renunciation, penance and learning. Alongwith this, he was a philosophical and spiritual writer of very high level. He was famous as an effective orator. He could explain serious and complicated spiritual issues in simple but impressive language. His style of preaching was impressive and effective. His acquaintances and contacts were many in Uttar Pradesh and many gentlemen of Saharanpur, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Delhi and other cities were deeply impressed by his sweet and effective speech. Whenever Varniji went, the people were attracted to him because of his pointed preachings. He had total hold over all the four Anuyog. He had delivered lectures on Samaysar, Pravachansar, Niyamsar, AshtaSahasri, Pariksha Mool and other books-all these are Jain scriptures. These lectures are published in the form of a book also. In all about 565 works of Shri Varniji are available, in which 65 are hand-written and 500 are in the form of lectures. He was a writer of such a big lot of literature and yet he was quite simple, natural, prideless, unattached, unprejudicial and fearless. He had decorated his life with these virtues. It is not known that any one person has given so many books since last several decades. Varniji was an established and successful writer and speaker. His Parmatma Arti, Atmakirtan, Sahajanand Gita, Sapta Dashangi Tika and many other creations are very famous. I am independent, unshakable, without desires, knower and seer of things; I am the soul etc. is all his addresses to the self and recited at every house. His style of language was impressive, spiritual and philosophical and people heard him most attentively. He had studied almost all the scriptures in depth, he had served his teachers with total faith, he had thought continuously about the Absolute, he had made prayers and penance day and night and hence he had obtained pure vision. His small but best work is Aviruddha Nirnaya in which Principle and Spirituality are systematically connected and consolidated. This book was published in Hindi and also in Gujarati. It is very much useful to practicing devotees. With these works, he was well respected by the religious minded people of India but the climax of this creation of literature rests in his Sapta Dashangi. Commentaries of the two great spiritual books Shri Samaysar and Shri Pravachansar. He earned great fame and credit among the literary personalities of the whole of India. The publication ceremony of his commentary on Shri SamayaSarji was done by the then Vice President of India. Dr. B. D. Jatti on 18-12-78 at the Vivekanand Hall of the Delhi University. This was a memorable event in the history of Digambar Jains and a grand beginning of the exploration of the influences and inspirations of Jainism. In the present days, Sahajanand Granthmala, Meerut has published his literature and Varni Pravachan-Prakashini Sanstha-both is publishing houses. The monthly periodical titled Varni Pravachan also publishes Varniji's lectures and writings. It is engaged in propagating and promoting the literature created by Shri Varniji. 178

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