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

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Page 181
________________ had done me a great favor in coming here with me". Shri Varniji used to writer down the summary of the preachings of Shri Gopinath. His power of memory was very sharp. He came to Rohtak in 1970 and he was severely caught by the old disease of asthma. He was now thinking of death by meditation-Samadhi Maran. The doctors gave opinion that the root cause of the disease in shortage of water in your body. Taking water once in the evening can control the disease. Jainendra Siddhanta Kosh was not yet completed and Jinendra Varniji was worried for its completion. The devotees also pressed him to accept water but the code of conduct attached to the position of Varni was coming in the way because it denied taking water in the evening. Some devotees told him to take water without informing the Jain community and in a way that nobody would know about it. At this moment, Varniji told with painful heart that it would be a great blot for the mendicant engaged in search of truth. He considered pretence, attachment and greed to be the greatest sins. On one side there was acute asthma and weakness of body and on the other side, it was strong and resolute soul with determination and tolerance. After so much strain in his mind and heart, he was prepared to complete the service to the voice of Jainism. He went away to Calcutta. MunniBabu brought him to Varanasi from Calcutta and from there, he went to Sarnath. After seven to eight months he came to the temple of Chhedilal at Bhadani. This temple is famous as a birthplace of Lord Suparshvanath. It is near Anandmayi Ashram on the bank of Ganges. Varniji used to teach the devotees and preach the people. He was now much above a sect or religious compulsions. He did not hesitate accepting virtues from Vedant, Upanishad or Kooran. He was in search for something from all these great books but there was no solution. At last, he stopped thinking about it. Samansuttam: He came to Wardha in 1973. He had unshakable faith in Shree Vinobaji. He had once said that as there was the Dhammapal for Buddhists, the Geeta for Hindus and The Bible for Christians, so there should be one great book for Jainism which is acceptable to all its four sects because Jainism is also a world religion. This work was not only difficult but almost impossible for Shri Varniji, but with the grace of good deeds of previous lives, Samansuttam was created by calling upon all the prominent Acharyas, learned persons of all the conflicting sects of Jainism on the occasion of 2500th day of Lord Mahavir's Nirvan (i.e. Lord's passing away). Varniji, then, went to Benaras from Wardha and stayed there for one month. He wanted to meet Acharya Samant Bhadra Maharaj at Kumbhoj and so he went there for seven eight days. He was unwell here because of severe cold but he was much satisfied with the meeting with Maharaj Shri Samant Bhadraji. First Efforts for Sanlekhana-I.E. Fasting Unto Death: From Kumbhoj, he came to Kashi and from there to Benaras in 1977 and stayed in the temple of the birthplace of Lord Suparshwanathji. Here, the old disease of asthma again caught him. Taking this to be an appropriate time, he adopted fasting and non-speaking without informing anyone. The whole Jain community was at unrest when they came to know this. Many prominent persons and leaders of the community pressed him to put off fasting but he was not moved from his decision. At last, he was impressed by the words of Acharya Shri SamantBhadra and Vinobaji and he left fasting after 40 days. The surprising fact of this fasting came to be that due to fasting and non-speaking, his health was improved a lot. From Benaras, he came to Calcutta and from there to Isri. After about a year, he came back to Benaras. Visits to Holy Places and Monsoons: He came to Rohtak to pass the monsoon of 1980. He, then, came to Benaras in 1981 and after passing three months there; he came to Bhopal, Kumbhoj, Karanja and Vaishali, and at last came 181

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